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Zenger Trial
John Peter Zenger was a printer who was sued by the Governor for printing and publishing several seditious libels that were spread throughout his journals/newspapers as The New York Weekly Journal that had many things tending to raise factions and tumults among the people of this Province. Even though Zenger did not author the articles critical of the Royal Governor and was defended by Andrew Hamilton, he still ended up endureding jail and its proceedings. -
Albany Congress
In Albany, New York, representatives from seven colonies met with 150 Iroquois Chiefs to try to secure the support/coorperation of the Iroquois when fighting the French. Also to form a colonial alliance which was based on an idea by Benjamin Franklin. When the delegates came back to the colonies, not a single provincial legislature wanted to ratify the plan because Franklin's plan resembled the Articles of Confederation. -
Seven Years War
It was aslo known as The French and Indian War which took place in North America. It was a conflict which was faught by the French and the British. This was ended in 1763 with The Treaty of Paris. Even though Great Britain won against the French, the British had a bad start. The British ended up gaining territorial gains, including all French territory east of the Mississippi river and Spanish Florida, even though the Treaty of Paris returned Cuba to Spain. -
Treaty of Paris
It was an agreement to end the French And Indian War. In conclusion France lost Canada to Great Britain and all territory east of the Mississippi river, while Spain ceded Florida in order to recover Cuba which Britain had taken. Spain also took New Orleans. England was left now with the whole North America east of the Mississippi. -
Pontiac’s Rebellion
This Rebellion happened becasue the Indains were upset the the French and Indain war was taking there land it was the resulting conflict of the Ohio Valley insident, which was . The prime result of this rebellion was the proclamation of 1763. -
Sugar Act
The Sugar Act was when the British placed a tax on sugar, wine, and other things so that they can use this money to provide more security for the colonies and also because the British wanted the colonies to sell their goods to them instead of selling to other countries.This made the colonists very angry because they felt that they were paying more/ loosing money for buying the same amount of product. This lead to colonists boycotting. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was a tax that was imposed on all American colonists which required them to pay a tax on every piece of printed paper they used which included ship's papers, legal documents, licenses, newspapers, other publications, and even playing cards.This money was so to pay the British the cost of defending and protecting the American Frontier near the Appalachian Mountains. Patrick Henry had resolves agaisnt this act but only 4 resolutions were adopted and but ended up not being approved. -
Declaratory Act
It was an act the the British Parliament passed because of the repeal of the Stamp Act which declared that the British had the authority to make and pass any laws for the colonies. -
Repeal of the Stamp Act
The repeal happened because the colonists had resisted against the British and it was repealed after contentious debates where William Pitt delivered a historic speech in defense of the Americans with the help of two dramatic speeches by Edmund Burke. -
Tea Act
An act so that the eighteen million pounds of unsold tea from the East India Company could be shipped directly to the colonies and sold at a bargain price but the colonists of Philadelphia and New York turned the tea ships back to Britain,and in Charleston the cargo was left on the docks.The Royal Governor held the ships in port but the colonists did not allow them to unload. Soon the harbor was filled with cargos of tea, irritaing the colonists which soon led to the Boston Tea Party. -
Boston Tea Party
Caused by the Tea Act, after vessels were boarded, cargo was taken from holds and placed on the decks, then the 342 chests were split open and thrown into the harbor, which was all done by a group of 50 men disguised as Mohawk Indians. -
First Contiential Congress
This congress met in Carpenter's Hall in Philadelphia, from September 5, to October 26, 1774 in which all of the colonies sent delegates except for GA, to discuss the rules England was giving them because Britain was passing laws that it had no right to pass. -
Fort Ticonderoga
This was the Battle of Ticonderoga in Lake Champlain. This fort was built by the French and it was the scene of the battle between the British and American colonists and the French under the Marquis de Montcalm.The fort was surprised and captured by the Americans Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold. Ticonderoga again became the route from the Hudson River to Canada, but this time to resist British invasion. -
Intolerable Acts
The Coercive Acts known as the Intolerable Acts in the colonies,were acts passed by parliament which believed the colonies should be punished for insulting the parliament and interfering with trade after the incident of the Boston Tea Party. There was the Boston Port Bill, the Massachusetts Act, the Administration of Justice Act, the Ouartering Act, and the Ouebec Act, which all limited power/liberty to the colonies. -
Lexington and Concord
This was when Britain's general Gage sent regiments of British soldiers quartered in Boston to Lexington and Concord to capture colonial leaders Sam Adams and John Hancock and then seize gunpowder but Gage's plane was spread through all the colonies, mainly by Paul Revere's famous quote, "The British are coming!" -
Second Continential Congress
Right after Lexington and Concord when the Redcoats fired again to Boston, the Second Continental Congress was held in PA, where they agreed that a continental army would be created with George Washington being the supreme commander. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
Many of rebels wanted to drive the British out of the colonies, therefor these rebels took position on Bunker Hill aswell as Breed's Hill, but the British attacked before any of the rebels' plans could be done. Eventhough it's the Battle of Bunker Hill. it took place in Breed's Hill and the outcome of this battle was the British winning and killing about 1000 redcoats -
Olive Branch Petition
A petition drafted by John Dickinson ,adopted by the second continental congress which was an attempt to assert the rights of the colonists while maintaining their loyalty to the British crown, but the King refused to read the petition. -
Common Sense
Writin by Thomas Paine and published in 1776, was the way Paine argued for independence from Great Britain and for the ability of the young country, (reffering to the colonies) to prosper. By writing it with such plain language, Paine was able to connect with the common people of America. -
Virginia Declartion of Rights
A document which influenced other colonies by serving as a strong example for them so that they can aswell make their own declarations or bills of rights to include many of the same ideas, which were men are equally free and independent and to enjoy the rights of life and liberty and equality to entitle the free exercise of religion. -
Battle of Saratoga
This started because the British felt that they needed to cut New England off from the rest of the states in order to finally crush the Revolution, but they ended up loosing to the Americans, mainly because the French also helped the Americans in this battle because they thought that America had a chance in winning. -
Declaration of Independence
It all started with a five-man committee which included Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and Benjamin Franklin in which they all gathered in PA in June and drafted a formal statement of the colonies' intentions. A month later ( July 4, 1776) Congress adopted The Declaration of Independence. -
Battle of Long Island
Battle in which George Washington's army was involved for the purpose to stop the British from seizing New York because it was an important coastal city, yet they lost to the British. -
Bill for Establishing Religious Freedom
It was written by Thomas Jefferson whcih promoted religious freedom towards the states of VA. Jefferson along with James Madison promoted the bill for years before it was passed by the Virginia legislature. -
Valley Forge
It was the turning point of the Revolutionary War. It was the six month encampment of the Continental Army commanded by General George Washington and formed in the US. Even though there was no battle fought here, it becames sacred ground because it was a stuggle on elments and low morale. -
Ratification of Articles of Confederation
The Articles were signed by Congress and sent to the individual states for ratification on November 15, 1777, but it took 16 months for them to actually be ratified, Maryland being the last state which approved them. The Articles were the outline of the official government of the U.S. and continued to be a guide for the Nation until 1789, when the current constitutioni came in place. -
Battle of Yorktown
The Battle of Yorktown, Virginia, was the climactic battle of the American Revolution. It started because British General Cornwallis believed that in order to have control over the Carolina's, he would have to take control of Virginia. Once Cornwallis settled his troops, General George Washington, ordered that Cornwallis and his troops be blockaded. Cornwallis and his army of 8,300 men surrendered on OCT.19. -
Treaty of Paris
This treaty was what officially ended the Revolutionary War which was signed in Paris by Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and John Jay, representing the United States. It's purpose was to establish peace between Great Britain and the allied nations of France, Spain, and the Netherlands. Also Britain recognized the independent nation of the United States of America and agreed to remove all of it's troop from the US. It aslo set new borders in the US and the US payed all debts to Britain. -
Land of Ordinance of 1785
A law passed by Congress that allowed sales of the Northwest Territoy and along with the idea of selling mile-square sections of land. -
Northwest Ordidance of 1787
A law which basically was to subdivide and sell land in the Northwest Territory (west of the Applachian mountains). -
George Washington Inauguration
Washington is trying to set a precedent of being a good, honest leader who has good morals and respects the will of the people. To accomplish this his desire was to lay the national government on foundation of free government and lay down principles of private morality. This was all because he wanted to see the US perserve liberty in the future.
