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End of French and Indian War
Ended with signing of Treaty of Paris and Hubertusburg by France, Spain, and Great Britain -
Pontiac's Rebellion
Begins when Native American warriors under Ottawa chief Pontiac attack British forces at Detroit. Pontiac's forces reinforced by other Native American tribes initiated a siege that would last months. -
Paxton Boys Attack Pennsylvania Indians
During Pontiac's Rebellion Scots-Irish immigrants raided small Indian settlement of Conestoga where 6 Indians were killed and 14 were taken captive. -
Proclamation of 1763
Intended to conciliate the Indians by checking the encroachment of settlers on their land -
Sugar Act
This act listed more foreign goods to be taxed like sugar, wine, and coffee, also regulated the export of lumber and iron -
Stamp Act
First internal tax levied on American colonist by British government. Imposed tax on all paper documents in the colonies. -
Townshend Acts
Series of measures passed by British Parliament taxing imported goods to America heightening tensions between America and Great Britain. -
Treaty of Fort Stanwix
Between Native Americans and Great Britain relinquishing the Ohio country to the Iroquois Indian tribes who originally possessed them. -
Boston Massacre
Deadly riot started as a street brawl between colonist and a British soldier, quickly escalated into chaos and bloody slaughter -
Somerset Decision
Somerset v Stewart case slavery was unsupported by common law and judgement of the case was very significant -
Boston Tea Party
Political protest, Americans angry at Britain for imposing taxation without representation, they dumped 342 chests of tea into the Boston Harbor, first major act of defiance against Britain. -
Tea Act
Final straw in series of unpopular taxes, it's real goal was to bail out the indebted East India Company which was a major key in Britains economy. -
First Continental Congress
First joined in Carpenter's Hall, Philadelphia, 56 delegates from all colonies but Georgia drafted a declaration of rights and grievances. -
Intolerable Acts
Punitive laws passed by Britain after Boston Tea Party, meant to punish Massachusetts colonists for defiance -
Battle of Bunker Hill
Fought during the siege of Boston in the early stages of the Revolutionary war. The British defeated the Americans but the British suffered many casualties. -
Battles of Lexington and Concord
Kicked off American Revolutionary War, stemming from tensions between 13 colonies and British authorities. British troops marched to Concord to seize arms cache, first confrontation at Lexington started the fighting. -
Second Continental Congress
Convention of delegates from all 13 colonies succeeding the First Continental Congress, decided to form the first Continental Army to protect against the Redcoats -
Common Sense
Writer Thomas Paine published pamphlet setting forth his arguments in favor of American Independence. -
Battle of Trenton
General George Washington and his army crossed the Delaware and over the next 10 days won two crucial battles in the war, at Battle of Trenton Washington defeated Hessian mercenaries -
Articles of Confederation
First written constitution of the United States stemming from wartime urgency. Under these articles states remained sovereign and Congress served as last resort on appeals. -
Battle of Saratoga
Turning point in American Revolution, British General John Burgoyne attacked Americans at Bemis Heights but was defeated and this American victory helped France recognize the colonists cause and become allies. -
Treaty of Alliance
Provided military alliance against Great Britain showing the absolute independence of the Americas -
Lord Cornwallis Surrender to George Washington
British General Cornwallis surrenders 8,000 British troops to French and American forces at Yorktown bringing the American Revolution to a close. -
Treaty of Paris
Ended Revolutionary War, negotiated by Ben Franklin, John Jay, John Adams and Great Britain. Britain recognized Americas independence and doubled size of America -
Newburgh Conspiracy
Engineered by Alexander Hamilton thought to be resulting from fact that officers and ,en of the Continental Army were not being paid and the new nation was in a financial crisis. -
Annapolis Convention
National political convention to discuss problems besetting the U.S. under the Articles of Confederation -
Shay's Rebellion
Series of violent attacks on courthouses and other government properties in Massachusetts which led to a military confrontation in 1787, rebels were mostly ex-revolutionary war soldiers who opposed state economic policies -
Constitutional Convention
To address the problems of the weak central government under the Articles of Confederation -
Northwest Ordinance
Chartered a government for the Northwest territory also providing a method for admitting new states to the Union for territory and listed a bill of rights for the territory. -
Federalist Papers Published
Collection f 85 articles to support ratification of the U.S. Constitution -
Election of George Washington
Set in Federal Hall in New York City, this marked George Washington's first four-year term inaugurated as the first President. -
Beginning of French Revolution
Watershed event in modern European history with the ascent of Napoleon Bonaparte, French citizens razed and redesigned their political landscape uprooting centuries old institutions -
Washington DC chosen as capital
Established by Constitution to serve as the nation's capital -
Hamiltons First Report on Public Credit
Called for payment in full on all government debts as the foundation for establishing government credit -
Bill of Rights Ratified
First ten amendments of the U.S. Constitution guaranteeing such rights as the freedoms of speech, assembly, and worship -
First Bank of the United States Chartered
Alexander Hamilton conceived of the first bank created to handle the colossal war debt and create a standard form of currency -
Whiskey Rebellion
Uprising of farmers and distillers in Western Pennsylvania in protest of a whiskey tax, the region exploded and Washington responded by sending troops to put and end to the rebellion. -
Hamilton's Report on Manufacturers
Projecting future of U.S. and its place in the world economy, urged congress to promote manufacturing so that the U.S. could be "independent on foreign nations for military and other essential supplies" -
Citizen Genet Affair
incident precipitated by military adventurism of citizen Edmond-Charles Genet -
Jays Treaty
Sought to settle outstanding issues between the U.S. and Great Britain that had been left unresolved since American Independence -
Battle of Fallen Timbers
Final battle of Northwest Indian War, struggle between Native American tribes affiliated with Western Confederacy against the U.S. for control of The Northwest Territory -
Pinckney's Treaty
Established intentions of friendship between the U.S. and Spain. -
Treaty of Greenville
Established a set boundary of Native American Lands and European settlements known a Greenville Treaty Line -
Election of John Adams
Adams won the first contested Presidential election against Thomas Jefferson and served his only four-year term -
XYZ Affair
Diplomatic incident between French and U.S. diplomats resulted in limited, undeclared war known as Quasi-War. -
Quasi-War with France
Undeclared naval war between U.S. and French started grew from the XYZ affair and ended when France's politics changed -
Alien and Sedition Acts
Laws passed by Federalist Congress and signed by President Adams, these included new powers to deport foreigners and making it harder for new immigrants to vote -
Judiciary Act of 1800
Reduced size of the Supreme Court from six justices to five and eliminated the Justices' circuit duties, the act created sixteen judgeship for six judicial circuits -
Election of Thomas Jefferson
Elected as third President of the U.S., first peaceful transfer of power from one political party to another in the U.S.
