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The Stamp Act
Any legal document or newspaper had to have a stamp provided by the British government. Because of the associated cost, this "tax" elevated the already tense relationship between Americans and British governance. Trade between America and Britain was halted for a while, until the Act was repealed. (Collier and Collier, 1998). -
Townshend taxes and the "Circular Letter"
In response to a rise in taxes on imports, Massachusetts legislature, led by Samuel Adams, issued the "Circular Letter." This stated that there would be no accepted taxation without representation (Collier and Collier, 1998). -
Boston Massacre
Tensions with British soldiers stationed in Boston lead to a crowd trapping and heckling a sentry. 8 soldiers break through the crowd for rescue, killing 5 civilians (Collier and Collier, 1998). -
Boston Tea Party
Over 5000 people protested the tea trade with Britain, with 60 people boarding the ships and tossing the cargo overboard. They ruined over $1. 5 million in goods, resulting in the Coercive Acts, putting choices for officials in the hands of the British government (Collier and Collier, 1998). -
First Continental Congress
In Philadelphia, a group of men established the belief that Americans should be able to government themselves. This was the principle of political equity. The threat of revolution was imminent (Collier and Collier, 1998). -
Second Continental Congress
Though there were several things discussed in Philadelphia, the Second Continental Congress appointed George Washington as General of the American Army (Collier and Collier, 1998). Washington, an experienced soldier, was also a farmer in Virginia. -
Paul Revere's Ride
Paul Revere and William Dawes, dispatch riders, inform local leaders in Lexington and Concord that British "regulars" are coming (Collier and Collier, 1998). He is intercepted halfway through his ride, his horse confiscated, and he is made to walk all the way back to Boston. -
"Shot Heard 'round the World"
British soldiers and American Militia face each other at Lexington, and though there is no battle, a shot is fired. After a volley of shots, 8 Americans are dead and another 10 are wounded, as well as 1 British soldier. With this, the American Revolution had started (Collier and Collier, 1998). -
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Revolutionary War
The war was hard on American troops. The British army had access to resources and supplies, while the American troops were a ragtag group, surviving on charity, half starving and half defeated. Battle victories kept the Militia alive and enthusiastic, but the war was long and hard on the Americans (Collier and Collier, 1998). -
Battle of Bunker Hill
American armies erected forts on hills overlooking the harbor, and defeated British armies. The victory was key to the war, but came at great loss, over 42% of the American forces were killed (Green, 2002). -
The American Crisis by Thomas Paine
Including "Common Sense," this publication helped shape public opinion during the American Revolution (Library of Congress, 2018). -
Declaration of Independence
Created by the Continental Congress, the Declaration of Independence declared the United States of America independent of British control (Kurin, 2013). -
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation was the first constitution of the US, putting the majority of power with state governments. It's weaknesses led to the First Constitutional Convention (Library of Congress, 2018). -
Treaty of Paris
After a peace commission in summer 1782, England, America, France, Spain, and Holland signed the Treaty of Paris. The treaty did three things: gave the colonies their freedom, guaranteed free passage along the Mississippi River, and established territory ownership (Green, 2002). -
Constitutional Convention
The Convention established the Constitution, which outlined the nature, functions, and limits of the government. The government established was comprised of three branches, with a series of checks and balances to protect rights. It was finished in September, and sent to be voted upon (Green, 2002). -
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Signing the Constitution
11 states ratified the Constitution by May 1788. It took another year for North Carolina, and another for Rhode Island. -
Washington Becomes President
Washington's presidency, established by popular vote, set a precedent. America was to be led by someone who was elected by, rather than imposed upon the people. -
Creation of Political Parties
Tensions surrounding the formation of the next government split political figures into two schools of thought. The first, spearheaded by John Adams ad Alexander Hamilton, were the Federalists, would develop into today's Republicans. The Anti-Federalists, including Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, would be called Republicans, then Democratic Republicans, then Democrats (Maestro and Maestro, 2009). -
Battle of Fallen Timbers
Because of forced relocation of native tribes and continually breaking treaties with tribe in the area, Native populations fought back against white settlers moving westward. A new Army was created to fight the land away from the natives, claiming the Ohio teitory, which included states immediately West of the 13 colonies (Maestro and Maestro, 2009) -
Formation of Bank of the United States
In order to pay debts, secretary of treasury Alexander Hamilton established a federal bank.the money came from selling bonds, tariffs on goods, and taxation (Maesto and Maestro, 2007). -
Alien and Sedition Acts
These Acts limited free speech, and were opposed by many Anti-Federalists as unconstitutional. Though only in place for two years and rarely used, the Acts deepened the rift between the parties (Maestro and Maestro, 2009). -
Peaceful transition of Power
When Jefferson was elected president in 1801, power was shifted to the Anti-Federalists. He make many changes, including minimalizing taxes, repealing the Naturalization Act requiring 14 years of residency to be declared a citizen, and reducing the size of the Army and Navy (Maestro and Maestro, 2009). -
The Louisiana Purchase
With unrest between France and Spain, France required money to fund the war. Jefferson siezed the opportunity to gain new land and secure trade routes along the Mississippi River. For 15 million dollars, the United States purchased the Louisiana Territory, the largest single land purchase in US history. The US also agreed to protect Spanish and French trade in the area (Maestro and Maestro, 2009). -
Lewis and Clark Expedition Begins
Merriwether Lewis and William Clark lead an expedition, one of many sent by President Jefferson to chart the Louisiana Territory and make peace with Native tribes. This expedition encountered many tribes, not all on friendly terms, and charted a route from St. Louis to Fort Clatsop in what is now Washington, and back (Maestro and Maestro, 2009). -
The Embargo Act
With this law, Jefferson halted trade with all nation's. Rather than cease harassment of American ships at sea, it was a heavy blow to the American economy. Madison reopened trade after being elected President in 1809 (Maestro and Maestro, 2009). -
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War of 1812
President Madison was pressured to declare war on England to improve the image of the new nation. The US entered the war with few soldiers who were not well trained, and despite major losses, intermittent victories boosted morale. As the war moved Westward, control of forts on the Great Lake shifted back and forth. Despite their advantage, 2 US victories encouraged the British to end the war. A peace treaty was signed in 1814, but the war did not end until June 1815 (Maestro and Maestro, 2009).
