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The Navigation Act
The Nacigation Act allowed the Commonwealth to regulate England and it’s colonies international trade, promoting self sufficiency within Greabt Britain. -
End of the French and Indian War
The French and Indian war was ended with the Treaty of Paris, which was signed by Great Britain, France, and Spain. This brought about peace for a short while before the American Revolution. -
The Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was a tax on stamps implemented by the British parliament to help pay off debt from the Seven Years’ War. -
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre was a shooting caused by American ‘patriots’ harassing a squad of British soldiers. Several colonists were killed, sparking a number of patriotic thinkers to speak. -
Tea Act
The Tea Act was a part of the Intolerable Acts, designed to bail out the East India Company. The act allowed English ships to sail directly to America with their product, causing it to cost less. This hurt American vendors, however, and eventually led to the Boston Tea Party. -
The Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was caused by colonial rage over the Townsend Acts of 1767 (which, despite the fact that they technically lowered the price of tea, still caused outrage due to taxation without representation in Congress). -
The Intolerable Adts
The Intolerable Acts were measures the British government took as punishment for the Boston Tea Party. The act said that the Boston Port would be closed until the East India Company was payed back for the loss of product. -
The First Continental Congress
The First Continental Congress met for the first time ever in Carpenter’s Hall, the seat of Pennsylvania Congress. Every colony, excluding Georgia, sent delegates. -
The Battles of Lexington and Concord
The Battles of Lexington and Concord are widely recognized as the battles that kicked off the Revolutionary War. The battles were spurred when hundreds of British troops marched from Boston to Concord to take control of weaponry. Colonists confronted the troops, and a battle began. -
Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress met in Independence Hall, a building in Philadelphia, to establish a Continental army, elect George Washington as Commander in Chief, and send the Olive Branch Petition to King George. The Olive Branch Petition failed miserably, with King George refusing to hear it. -
Adoption of the Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was a document penned by Thomas Jefferson that officially severed the Colonies’ ties with Great Britain, causing outrage with the King. -
The Battle of Saratoga
The battle of Saratoga was an eighteen day battle caused by the British merging three of their armies in Albany. This lead to a third of the army meeting with the Continental Army, spurring a battle. -
Winter at Valley Forge
George Washington leads his troops into Valley Forge to huddle down for a brutal winter. He’d hoped to provide his men with much needed medical assistance and food, but Congress had no money to spend on these things. -
The Battle of Yorktown
This is the final major battle of the American Revolution, where general Charles Cornwallis surrendered to George Washington. -
Writing of the U.S. Constitution
The Consitution is a document listing a number of rights given to the people. It was created as a plan for a stronger federal government during a time that the nation was weak and divided. It was mainly written by John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay. -
Adoption of the U.S. Constitution
The U.S. Constitution became the official plan for government almost a year after it was written.