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Zenger Trial
Zenger Trial
Description: John Peter Zenger is brought to trial for publishing a newspaper slamming new gov. William Cosby- "free press protects colonists from corrupt governors"- jurors agree, Zenger goes free
People: William Cosby, Lewis Morris & Rip Van Dam, James Alexander, John Peter Zenger, Andrew Hamilton
Importance: Brit. govs. realised publishers wouldn't get convicted for publishing criticisms of royal officials- press = more free -
The Albany Plan of Union
The Albany Plan of Union
Description: The Albany Plan of Union was a proposal made at the Albany Congress back in 1754 aimed at a formation of a strong union of the colonies under one single government and direction.
People: Albany Congress, Benjamin Franklin, Chief Justice Benjamin Chew, Isaac Norris, Richard Peters
Importance: necessity for defense against threats and consequences posed by the 7 Yrs War but the plan was rejected -
Period: to
Seven Years' War
Seven Years' War Description:
In 1756, war broke out between France and Great Britain. In North America, hostilities between American and Canadian colonists had erupted two years previously. The war led to the fall of New France.
People: George Washington, James Wolfe
Importance: France ceded New France in a treaty signed in 1763 in exchange for keeping the West Indies. -
Treaty of Paris
Treaty of Paris
Description/Importance: ended the Seven Years’ War, Britain emerged as the world’s leading colonial empire
People: American colonies, Britain, France, Native American/Indians -
Period: to
Pontiac's Rebellion
Pontiac's Rebellion
Description: an unsuccessful effort by Native American Indians to prevent Great Britain from occupying the land previously claimed by France
People: the Ottawa Chief Pontiac, American Indian in the Great Lakes region
Importance: culture was lost, hastened the implementation of the Royal Proclamation of 1763 -
Sugar Act
Description: reduced the rate of tax on molasses from six pence to three pence per gallon, listed more foreign goods to be taxed
People: Parliament, the colonies, colonial merchants
Importance: disrupted the colonial economy by reducing the markets to which the colonies could sell, and the amount of currency available to them for the purchase of British manufactured goods, set the stage for the revolt at the imposition of the Stamp Act -
Stamp Act
Stamp ActDescription: new tax was imposed on all American colonists and required them to pay a tax on every piece of printed paper they used
People: Parliament, House of Burgesses, Patrick Henry, Gov Fauquier
Importance: viewed as a direct attempt by England to raise money in the colonies without the approval of the colonial legislatures. If this new tax were allowed to pass without resistance, the colonists reasoned, the door would be open for far more troublesome taxation in the future -
Declaratory Act
Declaratory Act
Description: England wanted to repeal acts w/o appearing weak- affirmed the right of Parliament to make laws that would bind the colonists "in all cases whatsoever"
People: Parliament, colonies, prime minister Charles Watson-Wentworth, King George III
Importance: set the stage for Parliament to impose non-trade taxes on the colonies. -
Repeal of the Stamp Act
Repeal of teh Stamp ActDescription: three pieces of legislation made the repeal of the Stamp Act possible putting an end to the crisis; Declaratory Act, economic legislation which labeled the Stamp Act as detrimental to commercial interest of Britain, Revenue Act
People: Parliament, Charles Watson-Wentworth (Marquis of Rockingham), colonies
Importance: successful b/c Britain realized the distinction between internal & external taxes- external taxes did not affect the principle of “no taxation without representation” -
Boston Massacre
Boston MassacreDescription: pre-Revolutionary incident growing out of the anger against the British troops sent to Boston to maintain order and to enforce the Townshend Acts- troops fired into a rioting crowd and killed five men: three on the spot, two of wounds later
People: British troops, British captain Thomas Preston, prosecutor Robert Treat Paine, defense lawyers John Adams & Josiah Quincy
Importance: increase of support for the independence & Rev. War -
Tea Act
Tea Act
Description: designed to prop up the East India Company- tea was shipped directly to the colonies & sold at a bargain price
People: Parliament, colonies, East India Company
Importance: led to the Boston Tea Party, launched the final spark to the revolutionary movement in Boston -
Boston Tea Party
Boston Tea PartyDescription: Whigs and other smugglers (in fear of loss in business), convinced the consignees to resign and leave their post before the ships came- when the three ships reached dock and set camp, about a hundred men boarded the vessels and immediately threw out all boxes and chests of tea into the water
People: Whigs/smugglers, consignees secretly buying tea, leader Adams, a hundred men
Importance: inspiration to American nationalism, the spark of the American Revolution -
Battle at Lexington and Concord
Lexington & ConcordDescription: first shots fired of Rev. War fired at Lexington, MA; Dr. Joseph Warren learned Brit plans = Paul Revere "1 if by land, 2 if by sea"- hung 2 & he, William Dawes & Dr. Samuel Prescott rode to Lexington to alert Samual Adams & John Hancock (they escaped); prepared militia = "Minutemen"
People: Dr. Joseph Warren, Paul Revere, William Dawes, Dr. Samuel Prescott, John Hancock, Samuel Adams, Brit. soldiers, Minutemen
Importance: started Rev. War -
Intolerable Acts
Intolerable ActsDescription: series of laws sponsored by British Prime Minister Lord North and enacted in 1774 in response to the Boston Tea Party; Impartial Administration of Justice Act, MA Bay Regulating Act, Boston Port Act, Quartering Act, Quebec Act
People: British Prime Minister Lord North, colonies, Parliament
Importance: harshest so far of all the Acts passed by Parliament- stirred the revolutionary spirit to a fever pitch -
First Continental Congress
First Continental CongressDescription: representatives from each colony, except Georgia, met in Philadelphia to discuss their response to the British "Intolerable Acts", their relationship with Britain, and how to assert their rights with the British government
People: representatives from each colony (except Georgia)
Importance: three objectives: compose statement of colonial rights, identify British parliaments violation rights, provide plan to convince Britain to restore rights; members agreed to boycott British goods -
Fort Ticondergoga
Ticonderoga book source according to WikipediaDescription: British garrison of 48 soldiers was surprised by a small force of Green Mountain Boys led by Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold- captured the fort
People: Ethan Allen, Benedict Arnold, fort's commander Captain William Delaplace
Importance: gave Patriots large supply of cannons & such- cannons were instrumental in ending the Siege of Boston when they were used to fortify Dorchester Heights -
Second Continental Congress
Second Continental CongressDescription: members met at the State House in Philadelphia- started with the battle of Lexington and Concord; established militia as Continental Army to represent 13 states (elected George Washington as Commander in Chief)
People: members of the Second Continental Congress, John Hancock from MA, Thomas Jefferson of VA, Benjamin Franklin from PA, George Washington
Importance: created militia, made G. Washington Comm. in Chief -
Battle of Bunker (Breed's) Hill
Battle of Bunker (Breed's) HillDescription: fought during the Siege of Boston- started when the colonists learned about the British plan to occupy Dorchester Heights; in order to beat the British to the high ground, General Prescott took 1,200 of his soldiers to dig into and fortify Bunker Hill- did not actually fortify Bunker's Hill, but Breed's Hill instead
People: General Prescott, Brit. Gen. Gage, colonists, Brit. sold.
Importance: one of the most important colonial victories in the U.S. War for Independence -
Olive Branch Petition
Olive Branch PetitionDescription: outlined Congress's issues and asked the British government to respond and deal with them- King George III of England refused & believed America = rebelling
People: Congress, King George III, Americans
Importance: "official declaration of independence", King George III sent over troops to begin fighting -
Common Sense (pamphlet)
Common Sense
Description: pamphlet- Thomas Paine argues for American independence; generally about government and religion, then progresses onto the specifics of the colonial situation
People: Thomas Paine, colonists
Importance: urges colonies to declare independence from Britain -
Viriginia Declaration of Rights
Virginia Declaration of Rights
Description: a document created by reps. of VA stating their rights
People: Thomas Jefferson, George Mason
Importance: widely copied by the other colonies and became the basis of the Bill of Rights -
Declaration of Independence
Declaration of Independence
Description: document written by Thomas Jefferson and signed by 56 colonists from 13 colonies formally declaring independence from Britain
People: Thomas Jefferson, 13 colonies (& the signers), America, Britain
Importance: declared independence for 13 colonies, created a ripple effect that nudged a host of other nations toward independence -
Period: to
Battle of Long Island
Battle of Long Island
Description: Brit. attacked Brooklyn Heights after marching through Jamaica Pass- most Amer. troops = Manhattan- tried to move to Brooklyn- Wash. prevented further damage&held Brook. Heights- retreated to Manhattan- 9000 in 1 night- Amer. = defeated in Long Island
People: Gen. William Howe, Ad. Richard Howe, Gen. George Washington, Israel Putnam, Lord Stirling, Gen. John Sullivan, Clinton
Importance: Brit. captured NYC&surr. areas- Wash.forced retreat to NJ/PA- attributed to splitting army in 2 -
Bill for Establishing Religious Freedom
Bill for Establishing Religious Freedom
Description: promoted religious freedom for the state of Virginia
People: Thomas Jefferson, James Madison
Importance: guarantees religious freedom for the individual, while erecting a wall of separation between church and government -
Battle of Saratoga
Battle of Saratoga
Description: started in Bemis Heights, NY- Brit captured Ft. Ticonderoga; Brit surrendered (a gen. tried to lead the troops but = shot- ended fight
People: Gen. John Burgoyne, Gen. Horatio Gates
Importance: brought French into war, setback Brit. force -
Period: to
Valley Forge
Valley Forge
Description: American Continental Army camped on about 2,000 acres of ground in PA, no battles- actually a campground
People: American Continental Army, George Washington
Importance: Valley Forge story was "rediscovered" mid-19th cent.- adopted as a national symbol of perseverance and sacrifice resulting in eventual triumph -
Ratification of Articles of Confederation
Ratification of the Articles of Confederation
Description: fighting over land between MD&VA delayed ratification for almost 4 yrs- then MDfinally approved Articles = official gov't of US
People: all 13 colonies
Importance: outline of the official government of the United States- national guidelines -
Period: to
Battle of Yorktown
Battle of Yorktown
Description: Washington learned Cornwallis camped near Yorktown-decided to quietly attack; Battle of the Chesapeake- de Grasse defeated British&lead away from bay- later attacked Cornwallis in Yorktown- colonists pounded the Brits&Cornwallis surrendered after out of ammo&couldn't shift army
People: Gen. George Washington, Lt. Gen. Lord Charles Cornwallis, Lt. Gen. Jean-Baptiste Ponton de Rochambeau, Franco-Amer army, Brit army
Importance: last maj. engagement of Amer. Rev.&ended in Amer. favor -
Treaty of Paris (1783)
Treaty of Paris (1793)
Description: British recognition of U.S. independence and the delineation of boundaries that would allow for American western expansion
People: US, Great Britain, France, Spain, Netherlands, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, John Jay
Importance: between the American colonies and Great Britain, ended the American Revolution and formally recognized the United States as an independent nation -
Land Ordinance of 1785
Land Ordinance of 1785Description: law passed by Congress that allowed for sales of land in the Northwest Territory and set up standards for land sale that became precedents- among them was the idea of selling mile-square sections of land
People: US citizens
Importance: allowed for NW expansion of US -
The Northwest Ordinance of 1787
The Northwest Ordinance of 1787
Description: the land north of the Ohio River and east of the Mississippi would be settled according to Congress of Confederation- states = Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin
People: Congress of the Confederation, Thomas Jefferson
Importance: provided creation of 3-5 states -
George Washington Inauguration
George Washington Inauguration
Description: first chief executive took his oath of office in April in New York City- John Adams was elected Vice President
People: George Washington, John Adams, electoral college vote castors
Importance: Washington became first president of US
