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End of the French and Indian War
Seven Years' War ended with the signing of the Treaty of Paris by France, Great Britain, and Spain. France lost all claims in Canada and gave Louisiana to Spain, Britain received Spanish Florida, Upper Canada, and French holdings overseas. Ensured the colonial and maritime supremacy of Britain. -
Pontiac's Rebellion
Led by Native American tribes who were dissatisfied with British postwar policies in the Great Lakes region. -
Paxton Boy attack Pennsylvania Indians
Quakers were determined to seek revenge against Indians, which led to less public support of the Quaker Party. -
Proclamation of 1763
At the end of the Seven Year's War, the British did not allow colonization past the Appalachian mountains. It was meant to control the colonists and prevent conflict with the Indians. -
Sugar Act
Parliament in Britain enforced tax on sugar to raise revenue for Britain after the war. -
Stamp Act
An Act of the Parliament of Great Britain which imposed a direct tax on all paper documents in the 13 colonies, to raise revenue for Britain after the Seven Years' War. -
Townshend Acts
A series of acts made by British Parliament which taxed the colonists -
Treaty of Fort Stanwix
he Treaty of Fort Stanwix was a treaty between Native Americans and Great Britain, signed in 1768 at Fort Stanwix, in present-day Rome, New York. -
Boston Massacre
The event enraged the colonists who were weary of British Rule and unfair taxation and inspired them to fight for independence. -
Somerset Decision
James Somerset (a slave) was forcibly taken from England to the colonies. Lord Mansfield presided over the case, and Granville Sharp (a noted abolitionist) attended the case with aims to abolish slavery. -
Boston Tea Party
A political protest led by American colonists who were frustrated and mad at Britain for imposing taxation without representation. The first major act of defiance to British rule over the colonies. -
Tea Act
The final straw in taxes imposed by the British, caused rebellion in the colonies. -
First Continental Congress
A meeting of delegates from 12 of the 13 colonies who met at Carpenters' Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania during the American Revolution. -
Intolerable Acts
Laws passed by the British Parliament to punish Boston after the Boston Tea Party. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
The British won the battle and realized that the war with the colonies would be very long. The American defeat increased America's morale and patriotism. -
Battles of Lexington and Concord
First military engagements of the American Revolutionary War. -
Second Continental Congress
A convention of delegates from the 13 colonies that formed in Philadelphia. -
Common Sense
A book by Thomas Paine which advocates for independence from Great Britain to the 13 colonies. -
Declaration of Independence
Summarized the colonists' motivations for seeking independence. -
Battle of Trenton
Hessian army was crushed by Washington's raid across the Delaware River and American's were inspired by the easy defeat of British Hessian forces. -
Articles of Confederation
An agreement of the 13 colonies and served as the first Constitution. Served as a written document that established the functions of National government of America after it declared independence from Britain. Established a weak central government. -
Battle of Saratoga
American victory over the British in the American Revolutionary War. -
Treaty of Alliance
Created a military alliance between France and America against Great Britain -
Lord Cornwallis surrendered to George Washington
British General Cornwallis surrenders to French and American forces at Yorktown, VA, which brings the American Revolution to a close. -
Treaty of Paris (American Revolution)
Signed by King George III of Great Britain and representatives of America, and ended the American Revolutionary War. Created tension about issues that were not resolved by the treaty. -
Newburgh Conspiracy
The Newburgh Conspiracy was what appeared to be a planned military coup by the Continental Army in March 1783, when the American Revolutionary War was at its end. -
Annapolis Convention
A meeting called by the state of Virginia held in Annapolis, Maryland, in September 1786 to which all 13 states were asked to send delegates. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the commercial problems besetting the United States under the Articles of Confederation. -
Shay's Rebellion
A group of protestors, led by Revolutionary War veteran Daniel Shays, began a 6 month rebellion by taking over the Court of Common Pleas in Northampton; the goal was to prevent the trial and imprisonment of debt-ridden citizens. -
Northwest Ordinance
The Northwest Ordinance established a government for the Northwest Territory, outlined the process for admitting a new state to the Union, and guaranteed that newly created states would be equal to the original thirteen states. -
Constitutional Convention
The Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia met between May and September of 1787 to address the problems of the weak central government that existed under the Articles of Confederation. -
The Federalist Papers published
The Federalist is a collection of 85 articles and essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay under the pseudonym "Publius" to promote the ratification of the United States Constitution. -
Election (Inauguration) of George Washington
The first inauguration of George Washington as the first President of the United States was held on Thursday, April 30, 1789 on the balcony of Federal Hall in New York City, New York. -
Beginning of the French Revolution
The French Revolution was a period of time in France when the people overthrew the monarchy and took control of the government. -
Hamilton's First Report on Public Credit
Alexander Hamilton's First Report on the Public Credit, delivered to Congress on January 9, 1790, called for payment in full on all government debts as the foundation for establishing government credit. -
Washington DC chosen as the capital
Once the site for the new capital was selected in 1790, President Washington retained Pierre Charles L'Enfant, a French engineer and former officer in the Continental Army, to design and lay out the new capital city. -
Whiskey Rebellion
The Whiskey Rebellion was a tax protest in the United States beginning in 1791 during the presidency of George Washington. The so-called "whiskey tax" was the first tax imposed on a domestic product by the newly formed federal government. -
Hamilton's Report on Manufactures
Hamilton's Report on Manufactures went further than any other report in projecting the future of the United States and its place in the world economy. Hamilton urged congress to promote manufacturing so that the United States could be "independent on foreign nations for military and other essential supplies." -
Bill of Rights Ratified
The 10 amendments that are now known as the Bill of Rights were ratified on December 15, 1791, thus becoming a part of the Constitution. -
First Bank of the United States Chartered
The First Bank of the United States was needed because the government had a debt from the Revolutionary War, and each state had a different form of currency. -
Citizen Genet Affair
The Citizen Genêt affair began in 1793 when Edmond-Charles Genet was dispatched to the United States to promote American support for France's wars with Spain and Britain. -
Battle of Fallen Timbers
The Battle of Fallen Timbers (August 20, 1794) was the final battle of the Northwest Indian War, a struggle between Native American tribes affiliated with the Western Confederacy. -
Jay's Treaty
Treaty between the United States and Great Britain that averted war, resolved issues remaining since the Treaty of Paris of 1783 -
Pinckney's Treaty
Established intentions of friendship between the United States and Spain. It also defined the boundaries of the United States with the Spanish colonies and guaranteed the United States navigation rights on the Mississippi River. -
Treaty of Greenville
The Treaty of Greenville was important because it established a set boundary of the lands of the Native Americans and the land open for European settlements, known as the 'Greenville Treaty Line'. -
Election of John Adams
The election of 1796 was the first major political contest between Republicans and Federalists. John Adams ran as a Federalist, and Thomas Jefferson as a Republican. Republicans controlled the South, while Federalists dominated New England, New Jersey, and South Carolina. -
XYZ Affair
The XYZ Affair was a diplomatic incident between French and United States diplomats that resulted in a limited, undeclared war known as the Quasi-War. -
Quasi-War with France
The Quasi-War was an undeclared war fought almost entirely at sea between the United States and France from 1798 to 1800. -
Alien and Sedition Acts
A series of laws known collectively as the Alien and Sedition Acts were passed by the Federalist Congress in 1798 and signed into law by President Adams. These laws included new powers to deport foreigners as well as making it harder for new immigrants to vote. -
Election of Thomas Jefferson
In what is sometimes referred to as the "Revolution of 1800", Vice President Thomas Jefferson of the Democratic-Republican Party defeated incumbent President John Adams of the Federalist Party. Initiated a period of democratic-republican rule. -
Judiciary Act of 1801
The Judiciary Act of 1801 reduced the size of the Supreme Court from six justices to five and eliminated the justices' circuit duties.
