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Zenger Trail
John Peter Zenger was put on trail because of accusations stating that he was printing false and seditious statements about colonial officials. His trail, which he was found innocent, ultimately “promoted the idea of freedom of the press” which was later used in the protest against the Stamp Act. (date is wrong, but year right) -
Albany Congress
• Congress to debate the uprising French threat and how to become allies with the surrounding Native population. Benjamin Franklin made a proposal in which he made it apparent that the colonists should join together and create new layers of government and a president would oversee it all. This plan was rejected by the colonial assemblies because of thought that it gave too much power to the crown. -
Seven Year War begin
The last imperial war of the 18th century also known as the French and Indian War in the colonies it was the last of the Anglo-French colonial war disputes between the English and the French for land. In the end the French were defeated and their land in the mainland America divided. The British becoming the undisputed rulers of the east coast. -
Seven Year War ends
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Treaty of Paris
Ended the Seven Years War and was signed by England, France and Spain, in which Britain emerged the superior world power on main land America. Much land was ceded to Britain from both France and Spain. -
Pontiac’s rebellion (2)
relied on the French for firearms which they didn’t believe they would receive from the English. They didn’t want to be loyal to a new monarch (King George III). This instance demonstrates British power and expansion. -
Pontiac’s rebellion (1)
• This rebellion took place after the Seven Years War when France gave up the Pontiac’s land to the British. They proclaimed that the land that the French gave to the British on grounds of their treaty wasn’t the French land to give in the first place. The Pontiac natives stated that the French never colonized them. The French were good trading partners and the Pontiac did not trust the British. The British didn’t practice a frontier of inclusion like the French did and also the Pontiac relied.. -
Sugar Act
Law passed to raise revenue in America for Britain because of debt caused by the Seven Years Wars, suggested by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Grenville. Taxes were placed imported sugar/molasses. This demonstrated British power over the colonist. -
Stamp Act
• Another law passed to raise revenue in America for Britain because of debt caused by the Seven Years War. This law required that a specific paper, which would be taxed, be used for legal documents, official documents, dice, etc. Again it was suggested by Grenville. This demonstrated British power over the colonist. -
Declaratory Act
Law that accompanied the repeal of the Stamp Act stating that Parliament had the power to legislate for the colonies “in all cases whatsoever. -
Repeal of the Stamp Act
The British repealed the stamp act due to protest from the colonizes (nonimportation and nonconsumption). -
Boston Massacre
This is when a mob of American colonist gathered at the Customs House in Boston and began to assault British troops until British Captain Thomas instructed his men take up their arms. The “Patriots”, as the colonists called themselves, continued to harass the soldiers until shots were fired that killed 5 people and injured 3 others. The first to go down was an African American named Crispus Attucks. This was important because this was the first death of the American Revolutionary War. -
Tea Act
Imposed by the British Parliament, put a tax on tea and made it difficult for colonists to smuggle tea into the colonies. They also enabled their East India trading company to not have to pay taxes when trading within America. This upset the colonist because the British rather see the colonist smugglers not make a profit than to see their East India Company struggle and the fact that the Company didn't have to pay taxes was insulting. This was regarded as “Taxation without Representation". -
Boston Tea Party
• This was a protest by the colonists against the Tea Act and the fact that the British Parliament was imposing taxes without representation. The Sons of Liberty are the organization that led these protests and the main people who led the Sons of Liberty was Samuel Adams. During the Boston Tea Party members of the Sons of Liberty dressed up as Indians and dumped tons of tea into the Boston Harbor. -
delagates of First Continental Congress (2)
Pennsylvania: Joseph Galloway, John Dickinson, Charles Humphreys, Thomas Miffin, Edward Biddle, John Morton, George Ross
Delaware: Caesar Rodney, Thomas McKean, George Read
Maryland: Matthew Tilghman, Thomas Johnson, William Paca, Samuel Chase, Robert Goldsborough
Virginia: Peyton Randolph, Richard Henry Lee, George Washington, Patrick Henry, Richard Bland, Benjamin Harrison, Edmund Pendleton
North Carolina: William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, Richard Caswell -
First Continental Congress begins
• The objective of the Congress was to make the British Parliament and King aware of the grievances of the colonies. -
delagates of First Continental Congress (3)
South Carolina: Henry Middleton, Thomas Lynch, Jr., Christopher Gadsden, John Rutledge -
delegates of First Continental Congress
New Hampshire: John Sullivan, Nathaniel Folsom
Massachusetts Bay: John Adams, Samuel Adams, Thomas Cushing, Robert Treat Paine
Rhode Island: Stephen Hopkins, Samuel Ward
Connecticut: Eliphalet Dyer, Roger Sherman, Silas Deane
New York: Isaac Low, John Alsop, John Jay, Philip Livingston, James Duane, William Floyd, Henry Wisner, Simon Boerum
New Jersey: James Kinsey, William Livingston, Stephen Crane, Richard Smith, John De Hart -
Intolerable Acts (1)
• The Intolerable Acts were what the colonists called the Coercive Acts passed by Parliament in response to Boston Tea Party. The Intolerable Acts consisted of: Because of these Acts the colonies came together for the Continental Congress. -
Intolerable Acts types (2)
Administration of Justice Act- if any British troop was accused of a crime they would have their trial either in another colony or in England to ensure a fair trial.
Quartering Act- the colonist of Massachusetts had to provide British troops with housing and supplies out of their own pockets.
Quebec Act- didn’t really have anything to do with Massachusetts. It gave power to Canada’s Catholics, enabled religious tolerance and granted land west of the Appalachians to the French. -
Intolerable Acts types (1)
o The Boston Port Bill- was meant to close down the Port of Boston until the colonists of Boston had compensated the East India Company for the tea and paid the British Parliament their taxes. o Massachusetts Government Act- stated that the Governors of Massachusetts would no longer be elected by their Assembly, but instead would be appointed by the crown. It also gave the Governors full power over town meetings and the appointment of local officials and juries. -
First Continental Congress ends
in Philadelphia -
Lexington and Concord (2)
where they were greeted by Militia and Minutemen from the surrounding areas who were warned, like Parker of the British attack, by Paul Reveres ride. The British were out matched by the colonists fighting tactics of shooting from behind trees and in small groups. This concluded the first battle of the Revolutionary War. -
Lexington and Concord
• The British General Thomas Gage was ordered to destroy the colonial rebel’s ammunition stores in Concord Massachusetts, but was confronted by a rebel militia in Lexington led by John Parker. In their confrontation the first shot that was fired is unknown from which side it was shot, but when the British heard this fire they began to shot at the colonist’s militia and thus ensued the first battle of the American Revolution. Smith had to retreat and when he did then British went on to Concord... -
Olive Branch Petition
• A direct appeal to the King George III to attempt peaceful resolution and declared their loyalty to the Crown. King George the III refused the proposal and instead hired Hessians to get the rebellious colonist under control. This made the colonist feel less like their British brethren and ultimately led to a declaration of independence. -
Fort Ticonderoga
• Samuel Adams realized that there was no hope in obtaining Canadian support against the British due to the Quebec Act of 1774, so he and rebel leaders turned their sites on striking Fort Ticonderoga. This fort had many of the necessities needed by the rebels like artillery, was lightly defended, and its location was a strategic point between the lakes Champlain and George. This position would be useful if Samuel Adams speculation that the Canadians may ally with the British, ..... -
Fort Ticonderoga (2)
in the way that the rebels could cut them off before they reached the colonies. The fort was taken over by both Ethan Allen of Connecticut and Benedict Arnold of Massachusetts. -
Second Continental Congress
Congress focused on how they could meet the military threat of the British Army. Their solution to the problem was to form a Continental Army which would be led by George Washington. To solve the issue of how to pay for supplies the Congress authorized the printing of money. The Congress also appointed a standing committee in charge of starting relations with foreign governments in case the colonies ever needed help. The Congress had now become a governing body less dependent on England. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
• This was another skirmish between the British and the Continental Army, where the British came out victorious, but not without a heavy loss in troops. The British may have taken control over Bunker Hill, but the colonist message that they were going to defend their rights was heard loud and clear. General William Howe was the leader of the British troops. The colonists realized that they were able to inflict heavy damage on the British. General Artemas Ward led the colonial troops. -
Common Sense
• Thomas Paine’s Common Sense challenged the British government and monarch and was the first work of literature to openly ask for independence. It spoke to the common people and influenced beliefs. -
Virginia Declaration of Rights
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Declaration of Independence
The colonist were first fighting the British for the right to be regarded as subjects of the British Crown, but as the fighting and time progressed the movement for independence became stronger. On July 4, 1776 Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and Benjamin Franklin were commissioned to write up the first draft of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress. It was written mostly by Jefferson, but in any case, it was the first formal work of literature declaring independence from GB. -
Battle of Long Island
This battle was between the British and the Continental Army over New York , because New York was a point of communication between the northern and southern colonies. The British troops led by General Howe wanted to isolate New England from the rest of the colonies. The Continental Army, led by George Washington, was able to escape. -
Bill for Establishing Religious Freedom
This bill was written by Thomas Jefferson and promoted religious tolerance in Virginia which was recognized as Anglican Church being the state religion. It was finally passed in Virginia, “disestablishing that denomination” of the Anglican Church. -
Battle of Saratoga
General John Burgoyne of the British forces was moving south from Quebec to gain control of the Hudson River Valley, but was confronted by the Continental Army. Though the Continental Army lost the initial fight, they inflicted a major blow on the British Army’s numbers. This let the British know that the colonist were serious about obtaining their independence. In a later battle the colonist got Burgoyne to surrender. -
Valley Forge begin
this was a time of suffering for the American Armed forces under the command of George Washington known as the Continental Army. During this time there was scarce food, little shelter and even smaller supplies. The men were forced to eat a mixture of flour and water known as firecakes. The soldiers were noted to be nearly naked with worn out shoes and their bodies frozen from the cold weather that amputation was resorted to. -
Valley Forge ends
Though they went through all of this hardship, in the end they emerged more organized and disciplined through drills with Baron Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben. -
Ratification of Articles of Confederation
With the approval of Maryland the articles became the outline of the official government of the United States. It took four years to be approved and was weak because it granted the states to have whatever power the articles did not specify. The states had relatively independent governments until the Constitution was ratified in 1788. -
Battle of Yorktown begins
This was the last battle in the American Revolution when George Washington commanding a force of 17,000 French and Continental troops against the British troops of General Charles Cornwallis. They surrounded the British troops and got Cornwallis to surrender ending the War for Independence. -
Battle of Yorktown ends
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Treaty of Paris 1783
Treaty that officially ended the Rev. War, which was signed by Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and John Jay in Paris. The treaty recognized the United States of America as an independent nation. It also had the Americans agree not to persecute Loyalist and let British troops leave. The boarders for the United States were also set from the Great Lakes to Florida and the Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi River. -
Land Ordinance of 1785
A systematic way to organize land out to the west proposed by Thomas Jefferson so that land owners wouldn’t be confused on their lands boundaries. -
Northwest Ordinance of 1787
An Ordinance recommended by Thomas Jefferson indicated that the western lands north of the Ohio River, west of the Alleghenies and east of the Mississippi River would be settles and become states on a par with existing ones. -
George Washington Inauguration
This was the first ever presidential inauguration and made George Washington the official President of the United States of America. John Adams became the vice president.
