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The Beginning of our Country
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Jamestown Settlement
Life in JamestownIn 1607, 13 years before the Pilgrims landed in Massachusetts, a group of 104 English men and boys began a settlement on the banks of Virginia's James River. -
Birth of Benjamin Franklin
Born in Boston in 1706, Benjamin Franklin organized the United States’ first lending library and volunteer fire department. His scientific pursuits included investigations into electricity, mathematics and mapmaking. He helped draft the Declaration of Independence and the U.S Constitution, and negotiated the 1783 Treaty of Paris, which marked the end of the Revolutionary War. -
Birth of George Washington
George Washington Biography George Washington was born on February 22, 1732 in Westmoreland County, Virginia. Washington was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, serving as the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War (1775–83) and, subsequently, the first president of the United States (1789–97). -
American Revolution
Shot Heard Around the World: Schoolhouse RockAlso known as the Revolutionary War, began in 1775 when colonists in America wanted independence from England, due to a lot of tension between England and the colonies in previous years. The war started with battles at Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts. Reason for the War: The British government tried to pass some laws, enforce several taxes, and increase control over the colonies. The colonies strongly objected to these laws and taxes and wanted England to have no control over them. -
Declaration of Independence
The Second Continental Congress appointed a committee of five men to write a Declaration of Independence from British Rule. Thomas Jefferson wrote the first draft. The committee declared it to be almost perfect. The committee presented the document to the Congress after making a few corrections. Following a few more changes, Jefferson's work was approved. Church bells rang out on July 4, 1776, the day the Declaration of Independence was adopted and our nation was officially born. -
Creation of the U.S. Constitution
Creation of the ConstitutionIn 1787 a group of men (Framers) met to write the Constitution. They did not like the way the country was going so they fixed it by creating the Constitution. Familiar framers: G. Washington and Ben Franklin. The Constitution says how the government works. It creates the Presidency, Congress, the Supreme Court. The Constitution is not perfect and the framers knew that it would have to be improved. These changes are called "amendments". The Bill of Rights was added as a set of amendments.
