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The Colonial Era
European nations colonize North America. Spain was the first European nation to explore the new world, but England planted colonies along the Atlantic coast, and had a dominant presence in the New World. -
Founding of Jamestown
Founded in Virginia by the London Virginia Company, for economic purposes. By the end of the year, starvation and disease reduce the original 105 settlers to just 32 survivors. Captian John Smith had stepped in and saved the Jamestown colony with the phrase "Those who do not work, shall not eat". Jamestown was the first successful English colony in North America. -
Founding of the Virginia House of Burgessess
The House was established by the Virginia Company, to encourage travelers to settle there and to make conditions aggreable for the current settlers. It enacted legislation for the Virginia colony. -
Massechussetts Bay founding
Wanted to establish a theocracy that would allow the state to force all people to live and worship in an orthodox way. The theory was based on the teachings of John Calvin. -
Fundemental Orders of Conneticut
First written constitution of America. A group of religously persecuted individuals set out to the new world for religous freedom-to "purify" the Anglican church. They were off chartered land, so they came up with a written constitution that called for an assembly of elected representatives from each town to make laws. It also called for the popular election of a governor and judges. -
Maryland Act of Toleration
Maryland was founded by John Calvert (Lord Baltimore) as a Primarily Catholic colony, but the Maryland Act of Toleration said that they would accept any Christian religion. Jews and Muslims had no right to practice their religion in Maryland. -
The Halfway Covenant
Granted partial membership to the Anglican Church. Designed by Tyler Ast, who felt that many of the new generation Anglicans were falling away from their true religous purpose. He felt that this would lead to more religous piety. -
King Phillip's War
More than half of New England's 90 towns were assaulted by Native Indians. It was the most devastating war between the colonists and the Native Americans in New England. -
Bacon's Rebellion
Armed rebellion of the backcountry farmers (former indentured servants) against the rule of Governor William Berkeley. The rebellion died as the leader, Nathaniel Bacon, died of dyssentery on October 26, 1676. The rebellion led to the realization of the need for a working force they can control, and ultimately the need for slaves. -
Leisler's Rebellion
Revolt against the colonial authority of English King James II after learning of the 1688 Glorious Revolution across the Atlantic, led by Jacob Leisler, who seized control of lower colonial New York from 1689 to 1691. This established resentment against British domination and increased tension between colonists and the British. -
Salem Witchcraft Trials
Series of hearings and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft in Massechusetts. One of the nation's most well known cases of mass hysteria. -
First Great Awakening
The Great Awakening was a religous movement which brought a national identity to Colonial America in the transition from old lights to new lights. The Awakening prepared America for its War of Independence, because revivalism taught people that they could be bold when confronting religious authority. That if churches weren't living up to the believers' expectations, they could break off and form new ones. They realized their religious authority was in their own hands, not in Great Britain's. -
John Peter Zenger Trial
John Peter Zenger was the writer for the New York Weekly Journal, and was charged for seditious libel. Zenger was defended by Andrew Hamilton. He successfully argued to the jury that Zenger was allowed to print things as long as they were true. This helped set the precedent for the idea of freedom of speech. -
Stono Rebellion
20 black slaves met in secret near the Stono River in South Carolina planning for freedom. They burst into Hutcheson's store at Stono's bridge, killed the storekeepers, and stole the guns and powder inside. This was the largest slave rebellion before the American Revolution -
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The Revolutionary Era
After the French and Indian war, a revolutionary spirit picked up within the colonies to gain equality with, and eventually freedom from, the monarch in Great Britain and replace it with a republic. -
French and Indian War
Also known as the Seven Years War. Was fought between the French and the English over the land known as the Ohio River Valley. The British had a large victory over the French, kicking them out of North America almost completely. Would mean British expansion westward, if not for the Proclamation of 1763. Led to angering of the colonists and beginning of patriotism. -
Proclamation of 1763
An act passed by the king that said colonists couldn't move anywhere more west than the Applachian mountains. This angered the colonists because they had just fought a war for the land, and some had already even bought land out west. This ultimately was one of the beginning factors to the start of patriotism in the colonists. -
March of Paxton Boys
Attack by Pennsylvania frontiersmen upon an Indian settlement that occurred in December 1763 during the Pontiac Indian uprising. About 57 drunken rangers from Paxton, Pennsylvania slaughtered 20 innocent and defenseless Conestoga Indians. -
Stamp Act
The first direct tax on the colonists. Placed taxes on every piece of printed paper they used. Ship's papers, legal documents, licenses, newspapers, other publications, and even playing cards were taxed. The money they raised went towards the war effort in Britain. This angered the colonists since they only had Virtual Representation, thus the cry "No taxation without representation". -
Boston Massacre
Private Hugh White was on guard in front of the Customs House on King Street when a group of angry Bostononians gathered around him, harrassing him. (Allegedly, were throwing snowballs full of ice and weilding bats.) White called for help and it brought Captain Preston and eight other soldiers to the scene. Preston ordered to not fire, but a bullet was shot at Crispus Attucks, killing him. Five townspeople died, five more wounded, and the soldiers were free of charge; this sparked rebellion. -
Boston Tea Party
Political protest by the Sons of Liberty in Boston against the Tea Act, in which they managed to siez 342 chests of tea and dump them into the Boston Harbor. Dressed up as Natives, as if to say they were no longer a part of Great Britain, they had become Americans. The king then imposed the Coercive acts, and the colonists were only a breath away from rebellion. -
Lexington and Concord
First military engagements of the American Revolutionary War. A battilion detachment of British troops was sent from Boston to Concord to seize arms and munitions collected there by colonists. Minutemen were roused and didnt get there fast enough, there were 8 colonist casualities and several more wounded. -
Olive Branch Petition
The colonists peacefully appeal to the king to have taxes removed and the troops removed from the colonies. It had not gotten to him until after Lexington and Concord, therefore, he refused to enact friendly policies towards the colonists. -
Common Sense
Pamplet written as a call to arms to all colonists by Thomas Pain. He reminded the loyalists that they had tried for peaceful negotiations, time and time again. Each time they were blown off by the king, and it was time for them to try an alternative route. His pamplet switched the tide from loyalists to patriotism and helped the war effort. -
Declaration of Independance
Signed on the 2nd by 52 delegates, and approved on the 4th, Congress picked a committee of 5 - John Adams, Benjamen Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Roger Sherman, and Robert Livingston - To write a formal declaration of the colonies' separation from Great Britain. It not only finalized their separation, it made other countries see them as a seperate nation as well. -
Writing of the AOC
First governing document in the U.S.. Set the precedent for the writing of the Constitutiion. Had a weak central government, and gave all the power to the states; it showed why a stronger central government was needed. -
Writing of the Constitution
The Constitution was written to address some of the problems in the Articles of Confederation. The main issue addressed was that of a weak central government. The Constitution served to strengthen the central government and limit the powers of the states.
