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Zenger Trial
John Peter Zegner, the german publisher and editor in New York City, was involved in a trial where he was his own defendant against seditious libel. Layed the foundation for American Press freedom. -
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Seven Years War (in Colonies)
See Seven years war in Europe -
Albany Congress
Benjamin Franklin had a plan of Union to unite all of the colonies in order to win the Seven Years War. The idea was to have "one general Government" with an appointed executive and a Grand Council elected by colonial delegates to raise money for defense. Motto = "JOIN OR DIE" -
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Seven Years War (in Europe)
History of WarThe French and English in fourth and final of the Imerial War series, fight for control of the ohio river valley in an effort tio control more land and more trading networks. -
Treaty Of Paris
The formal end to the British hostilities towards france and Spain. -
Sugar Act
History TimelinesThe Sugar Act doubling the duties on foreign goods reshipped from England to the colonies. A court is established in Halifax, Nova Scotia with jurisdiction over all of the American colonies in trade matters. -
Stamp Act
Law passed by parliament to raise revenue in America by requiring taxed, stamped paper for legal documents, publications and plaing cards. -
Repeal of Stamp Act
Parliament repeals stamp act and reduces duties under Sugar Act due to the nonimportation movement. (movement in which there is a tactical means of putting economic pressure on britain by refusing to buy its exports to the colonies) -
Boston Massacre
After months of increased friction between townspeople and the British troops stationed in the city, British troops fired on American civilians in Boston. -
Tea Act
Act of parliament that permitted the East India Company to sell through agents in America without paying the duty customarily collected in Britain, thus reducing the retail price. -
Boston Tea Party
Incident in which Bostonians, disguised as indians, destryed 10,000 (euros) worth of tea belonging to the British East Indian Company in order to prevent payment of the duty on it. -
Intolerable Acts / Coercive Acts
Legislation passed by parliament including the:
Boston Port Act - closes the port
Mass Government Act - appointed government for Mass
Quartering Act - Legal to force housing of troops
Administration of Justice Act - British judges are to be tried in England -
First Contental Congress
Meeting of Delegates from most of the colonies in response to the Coercive (intolerable) acts. The congress endorsed the Suffolk Resolves, adopted the declaration of grievancesand agreed to establish the Continental Association. -
Lexington and Concord
The Battles of Lexington and Concord were the first military engagements of the American Revolutionary War. About 700 British Army regulars, under Lieutenant Colonel Francis Smith, were given secret orders to capture and destroy military supplies that were reportedly stored by the Massachusetts militia at Concord. Through effective intelligence gathering, Patriot colonials had received word weeks before the expedition that their supplies might be at risk and had moved most of them to other locat -
Fort Ticonderoga
The Capture of Fort Ticonderoga occurred during the American Revolutionary War on May 10, 1775, when a small force of Green Mountain Boys led by Ethan Allen and Colonel Benedict Arnold overcame a small British garrison at the fort and looted the personal belongings of the garrison. Cannons and other armaments from the fort were transported to Boston and used to fortify Dorchester Heights and break the standoff at the Siege of Boston. -
Second Continental Congress
Meeting of the colonial delegates in which military action was given in which the colonies provided troops for the revolution and George Washington was the head of the militia. Th olive branch petition was also part of the discussion in which a peace offering to the british was offered, but rudely declined. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
Battle over the the city of Boston in which the british have a pirate victory but are severily wounded and have many casualties. -
Olive Branch Petition
At the second Continental Congress, the delegates passed this petition written by John Dickinson of Pennsylvania. In it, they professed to king George peace to prevent further casualties. Was rejected by King George. -
Common Sense
Presented the American colonists with an argument for freedom from British rule at a time when the question of seeking independence was still undecided. Paine wrote and reasoned in a style that common people understood. Forgoing the philosophical and Latin references used by Enlightenment era writers, he structured Common Sense as if it were a sermon, and relied on Biblical references to make his case to the people -
Virginia Declaration of Rights
The Virginia Declaration of Rights is a document drafted in 1776 to proclaim the inherent rights of men, including the right to rebel against "inadequate" government. It influenced a number of later documents, including the United States Declaration of Independence (1776), the United States Bill of Rights (1789), and the French Revolution's Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen (1789). -
Decleration of Indepedence
The document that the Second Continental War announced and justified its decision to renounce the colonies' allegiance to the British Government. INDEPENDENCE -
Battle of Long Island
The Battle of Long Island, also known as the Battle of Brooklyn or the Battle of Brooklyn Heights, was the first major battle in the American Revolutionary War following the United States Declaration of Independence, the largest battle of the entire conflict, and the first battle in which an army of the United States engaged, having declared itself a nation only the month before. -
Declaratory Act
Law passed to accompany the repeal of the Stamp Act that stated that Parliament had the authority to legislate for the colonies "in all cases whatsoever" -
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Battle of Saratoga
The Battles of Saratoga (September 19 and October 7, 1777) conclusively decided the fate of British General John Burgoyne's army in the American War of Independence and are generally regarded as a turning point in the war. -
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Valley Forge
Area of Pennsylvania about 20 miles Northwest of Philadelphia where general George Washington's continental troops were quartered while british troops occupied Philadelphia during the revolutionary war. -
Reatification of Articles of Confederation
The formal ratification by all 13 states was completed in early 1781. Even if not yet ratified, the Articles provided domestic and international legitimacy for the Continental Congress to direct the American Revolutionary War, conduct diplomacy with Europe and deal with territorial issues and Indian relations -
Battle of Yorktown
The Battle of Yorktown was a decisive victory by a combined force of American Continental Army troops led by General George Washington and French Army troops led by the Comte de Rochambeau over a British Army commanded by Lieutenant General Lord Cornwallis. -
Treaty of Paris 1783
The Treaty of Paris ended the American Revolutionary War between Great Britain on one side and the United States of America and its allies on the other. -
Land ordinance of 1785
Act passed by congress under the Articles of Ceonfederation that created the grid system of surveys by which all subsequent public land was made for available for sale. -
Bill for Establishing Religious freedom
A bill suthored by Thomas Jeferson establishing religious freedom in Virignia. -
Northwest Ordinance of 1787
Legislation that prohibited slavery in the NorthWest territories and provided the model for the incorporation of futrue territories into the union as co-equal states. -
George Washington Inauguration
The inauguration marked the commencement of the first four-year term of George Washington as President. John Adams had already taken office as Vice President since April 21. Sworn in by Chancellor of New York Robert Livingston during this first presidential inauguration, Washington became the first President of the United States following the ratification of the Constitution.