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French and Indian War
In the year 1755 Britan sent about 1,400 troops to Virgina, their job was to clear the French out of the Ohio Valley. The march into the Ohio Valley was a disaster. Two-thirds of the soldiers were killed. The French and Indian War went on for 7 years. The turning point came in 1759, when the British troops captured Canada. In the year 1763, Britan and France signed a peace treaty ending the war. In the treaty France gave Canada to Britan. -
Proclamation of 1763
After the French and Indian War, the British government faced many problems. One of them was how to break the fights up between colonists and Native Amercians, as many settlers went west, back in England George the third simply drew a line down the Applachin Mountains. Tell the settlers to stay east, and the Indians to stay west. The Americans complained. But, the British government ignored the arguements. To keep peace, the British government decided to expand the British army to 7,500 men. -
Stamp Act of 1765
One of the British governments problems was how to pay off the debt from the French and Indian War. Prime Minester George Grenvile (leader of the British government) came up with a solution. The English people were already paying taxes on everything, and Americans were probably the most lightly taxed people in the British Empire. Grenvile came up with a new law called the Stamp Act , this law required the colonist to buy a stamp for every piece of paper they used. -
Boston Massacre
A fight broke out between soldiers and colonists in Boston. When everything was cleared five Bostians were dead, and 10 severly injured. Trouble had been brewing in Boston for months before the riot. Boston Patriots were the worst troublemakers to the British. It all started with a mob, trying to fight and threaten guards, that were guarding the Boston Customs house. Patriots saw the Boston Massacure as proof that the British should pull all of their troops out of the colonies. -
Boston Tea Party
In 1773, when the British East India company's boats sailed into the Boston Harbor, some angry protestors kept them from unloading their tea. And, the Boston govener ordered that the boats can not leave until all of the tea is unloaded. On the night of December 16, 1773, The Sons of Liberty decided to dress as Mohawk Indians and boarded the three ships. The PATRIOTS dresseed as Indians; threw about 342 chest fo tea overboard. -
Intolerable Acts
This was now about British control over the colonies.Britan's anger led paraliment to pass a new series of laws called the Intolerable Acts. These harsh laws were punishment to Massachusetts for the Bosotn Tea Party. First law, closed all of Boston Harbor until the ruined tea was paied for. Second law, place the Massachusetts government under British control. And third, soldiers who were accused of murder were tried in England. -
First Continential Congress
The First Continential Congress was a meeting led by 12 colonies in Philadilphia. This meeting brought together delegates from most of the British colonies. Most of the delegates thought they were citizans of their own colonies. But, the strong Patriots believed that thet were strong Americans. The Dlegates agreed to send a message to King George, this message told him to consider the complaints and conserns. They also planned a boycott, and the delegates would meet again the following May. -
Revolutionary War
The Revolutionary War was the former British colonies in America struggling to gain their independence from Great Britan This was a conflict between the 13 North American colonies and colonial government. After the French assistance helped the Contenitial Armyforced the British to surrounder in Yorktown, Virginia in 1779. The Americans had effectively won their independence. -
Second Contiental Congress
The Second Contiental Congress was a convention for the delegates from the 13 colonies. It adopted the Declaration of Inependence, and acted as the national government of what eventually became the United States. -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence is the founding document for the ideas of the United States. It says that all men are created equal and have the same rights, and the government must exist to protect those rights, it was a statement to the world that the 13 colonies broke away from Britan. And, the document was written by Thomas Jefferson. -
The Treaty of Paris
The treaty of Paris was an peace treaty between the Loyalist and Patriots in Paris. There were three important parts to the treaty. First, Britian agreed to recognize the U.S. as an independednt nation. Second, Great Britan gave up all their claim to land between the Atlantic coast and Missisippi River, from Canada to south Florida. and Third, The U.S. agreed to return all rights and properities taken from the Loyalist during the war. -
Shay's Rebellion
The new U.S. nation had serious money problems. The paper money printed during the war was worthless. So, people started printing their own currency. No one knew what it was worth, but it wasn't worth much. Farmers could not earn enough to pay their debts and taxes. In Massachusetts they ordered the farmers to sell all their land and livestock to pay off debt. So, farmers rebelled. And, Massachusetts sent miltia troops to Springfield to stop the rebellion. -
Constitutional Convention
The Constitutional Convention was held to deal with the problems of the weak central government. They created the constitution, and it gave the government specific powers. -
Northwest Ordinance
The Northwest Ordinance was a law that divided The Northwest territory into smaller territories. each gverned by a territorial governer. When the territory reached 5,000 free adult males, it could elect it's own legislature, or lawmaking body. Eventually, when a territory reached 60,000 free adult males, it could apply to be a state. And, slavery was banned in the Northwest Territory. -
Constitution
The constitution is a written plan that provides the basic framework of government. And the founders were Alexander Hamilton and James Madison. -
Bill of Rights
One of the task of the new congress was to amend the constitution by adding a Bill of Rights. And, to get an equal vote congress would have to RATIFY. The MAGNA CARTA was an agreement signed by King John, and once he signed it, The English people had won their government. But, everyone in England had to agree to an act/law known as the Bill of Rights.
