-
Navigation Acts
The Navigation Acts were supposed to regulate trade and manufacturing in the colonies, however they were not enforced very well. -
French and Indian War Ends
After the war, Britain gained the entirety of French Canada, as well as rich islands in the Caribbean. It also drained the British Treasury. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act taxed items like newspapers and pamphlets. The taxes were not very harsh, the colonists claimed they were an attack on their rights. They protested, saying, “No taxation without representation.” -
Boston Massacre
British soldiers fired at a crowd that was heckling them by throwing snowballs at them. 5 colonists were killed. -
Tea Act
A tax set on tea. Colonists were infuriated by the tax, and lashed out against the British. -
Boston Tea Party
A group of colonists hurled a new shipment of British tea into the Boston harbor after the British taxed tea. Other colonies supported the Massachusetts colonists, while Parliament was going to punish Massachusetts. -
Coercive/Intolerable Acts
A series of 4 laws set by the British to punish the colonists from Massachusetts for the Boston Tea Party. -
First Continental Congress
Representatives from twelve colonies meet in Philadelphia to discuss Parliaments actions against Massachusetts. John Adams, George Washington, and Benjamin Franklin all attended. -
Lexington and Concord
Conflict between colonists and the British erupted into a war in Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts. This battle ultimately began the American Revolution. -
Second Continental Congress
After the battles of Lexington and Concord began, the twelve representatives gathered again. They created a Continental ar,y, and named George Washington as General. -
Declaration of Independence Adopted
Thomas Jefferson wrote a document claiming the British were taking away the rights of the American people, and that they could rebel and govern themselves. The representatives signed the document, and America was declared a free country. -
Battle of Saratoga
A pair of battles fought in New York, and won by the Americans. This caused the French, Dutch, and Spanish to side with the Americans. -
Winter at Valley Forge
A harsh winter that carried through the beginning of 1778 and heavily affected American soldiers. They suffered from the cold, hunger, and disease. Washington managed to help the army through the harsh times. -
Battle of Yorktown
The Americans and French, fighting together, forced a British fleet to surrender in Yorktown, Virginia. This ended the British war attempt. -
U.S. Constitution Written
The second iteration of the constitution, and the one used to this day, was written by James Madison, Benjamin Franklin, and George Washington during the summer. -
U.S. Constitution Adopted
The constitution was finished and signed on this day.
