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1492
Columbus Lands in the Caribbean
Columbus sailed around the world in an attempt to find a new route to get to India and China before anyone else did, discovering new land, and providing a new home for new settlers. -
Jamestown Founded
Settlers sailed to Jamestown, Virginia to gain freedom, but ended up suffering due to being unprepared. The population decreased quickly because of starving settlers, Indians killing them, and various diseases that they didn't know how to treat. However, their discoveries were crucial to the uncovering of the 13 colonies, as this discovery led to more and more discoveries about what is referred to today as the U.S. -
Pilgrims Land in Plymouth
The Pilgrims named their home Plymouth Plantation and elected a governor, John Carver. When Carver passed away, William Bradford replaced him. As more people came to Plymouth and settled, the population grew and so did the amount of towns. The Pilgrims' arrival marked the beginning of a new discovery in government structure. -
French-Indian War
The French and the Native Americans fought against the British and the Colonists over land in the Colonies. It started when the British settled in the Ohio River Valley, and the French tried to take the valley back. It wasn't until the Proclamation of 1763 was created that the war finally came to an end. The poverty that resulted from the war caused events or acts that were later issues for the British and the colonists, and caused a whole different war. -
Albany Plan of Union
Benjamin Franklin offered a plan of defense against the French and told people that if they didn't join, they would die because the French would kill them if they had no plan of defense. The plan was to unite under one government to organize a plan of attack. The colonists rejected this offer, therefore they were left defenseless until a new idea came to mind. This proposed plan was the first idea that began the Colonists' consideration coming together and uniting under a government. -
1763 Treaty of Paris
This was when the French surrendered land to the British, and the British gained control over land on the Mississippi River. This ended the French-Indian War and began a new era in the history of the British and the Colonists. Peace was expected in the Colonies, but they knew little of the British plan to regain expenses from the war. -
Proclamation of 1763
The Proclamation of 1763 stated that there was no settling west of the Appalachian Mountains. King George III created this law because he wanted to round up the Colonists in order to keep them under his watch without them knowing. The Colonists resented this because they didn't like feeling limited on where they could settle and they didn't like their land being taken away. -
Stamp Act
The British didn't know how to pay off large debt from the French Indian War, so George Grenville came up with putting taxes on stamps and making a law that every piece of paper that was used had to be stamped. This made the Colonists angry because they had no representatives in the Parliament, meaning that they had to say in the matter anyway. This act led to many more, each act being more and more infuriating for the Colonists until a war finally broke out. -
Quartering Act
The Colonists were forced to provide housing for the British troops but they didn't want to, nor did they want to be forced to, so the New York Assembly did not approve the funds toward the British, making the troops stranded on their ships so that they didn't need housing because they weren't even on dry land. Out of the need to protect their only source of defense against attackers, the British suspended the New York Assembly, meaning the British could sail to the Colonies and find quarters. -
Townshend Act
The British were in debt because they payed to help Colonists during the Seven Years War, so they put taxes on things that they sold like paper, tea, glass, paint and candles. The colonists, while the British were trying to get them to buy more goods that they made, were protesting and began to only buy goods made in America. This showed the Colonists that they didn't need British goods to live normally, and began to detach from the British. -
Boston Massacre
The Colonists felt invaded by the British in their territory, so as a group of the Bostonian soldiers came upon a small group of British soldiers, they threatened them, yelled at them, and threw ice at them. This caused the British to fight back and kill five Colonists. The fight proved that the British were a strong opponent for the Colonists because those eight British soldiers killed five Colonists and were brave enough to fight against a huge group of them before being arrested for murder. -
Boston Tea Party
In the night, the Bostonians cut open 342 chests of tea brought by the British soldiers in the Tea Act and dumped it into the Boston Harbor. This act of protest was to signify that the Colonists were strong enough to resist the product because of the taxes and the lack of Bostonian representatives in the Parliament. The Colonists felt that the British were not understanding that they didn't want to pay them taxes, so they had to do something big to catch the British's attention. -
Tea Act of 1773
The British approved of the East India Company taking tea and heading straight to sell it in Boston. The initial prices were dropped dramatically so that smugglers were no longer a problem, but the tea was still taxed. Though the British thought their offer of very low-priced tea was irresistible, they were disappointed to find that the Colonists refused to invest in British taxes. The British wouldn't leave the Boston Harbor until tea was bought, but the Colonists had a plan to get them out. -
Intolerable (Coercive) Acts
These acts were the Boston Port Act, the Massachusetts Government Act, the Quartering Act (1774), and Administration of Justice Act. These were called the Coercive Acts by the British because coercion, or threats were used to gain money. The Colonists called them the Intolerable Acts because the acts infuriated them so much, that they were intolerable. These acts were the last ones passed on the Colonists because they were pushed over their limit and began to organize defense against the acts. -
First Continental Congress
The first continental congress got together to discuss their idea of economic coercion. They wanted to prove a point to the British that they were completely against purchasing any good with taxes, so they avoided purchasing British goods altogether. This was the first of many fights put up by the Colonists against the British laws. -
Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress met to discuss a plan of defense. They decided on creating a continental army, assigning George Washington as said army's leader. This army fought in wars and, eventually, fought for America's freedom. Having this army was crucial to the Colonies becoming the U.S. because the army is what fought for the U.S.'s freedom. -
Battle of Lexington
The Battle of Lexington was fought over freedom for the colonists. It gave the Colonists hope to fight for independence, as the British experienced disaster. The Colonists felt stronger knowing that they won the battle, and this gave them confidence to fight for more. As for the British, they had to step up to the plate, as they realized that the Colonists were strong and were worth a fight. -
Battle of Concord
While British soldiers were defending the North Bridge, the colonists encountered them. The British made the first move, but were defeated in the battle when the Colonists fought back. The Battle of Concord was the mark of the beginning of the American War of independence, the war that gained America's freedom. The hopes of the British were low, considering they lost that last two battles against the Colonists, but they had to keep fighting if they wanted to keep control over the Colonies. -
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American Revolution
The American Revolution consisted of The Battles of Bunker Hill, Trenton, Saratoga, Brandywine, Yorktown, the Colonists' inhabitance in the Valley Forge, and the second Treaty of Paris signing. Some battles were won and some were lost, but these events led up to America's freedom and represent the fight for the Colonies' independence. After the Colonists captured Yorktown, the British surrendered because they were outnumbered and not in a mental, physical, or financial state to fight anymore. -
Olive Branch Petition
The Colonists wrote a letter to the King of England, telling him how respectful they were of him and how gracious he was. Little did the king know that they were complimenting him and calling themselves his subjects simply because they wanted to keep peace and not go to war. When the King bypassed this letter, it lead to the only result after peace, which was war. This caused a rally in the Colonies, and led to the American War of Independence, or the Colonists' detachment from Britain. -
Common Sense by Thomas Paine
Thomas Paine knew that it was just common sense to know that independence is important in all countries. He printed a pamphlet using the printing press to spread the idea throughout the Colonies, and excitement about it buzzed all over. This pamphlet caused the Colonists to come together on Thomas Paine's idea to fight for freedom. Their teamwork and hope was crucial to winning independence. -
Declaration of Independence
The declaration of independence states that all men are born with equal rights (life, liberty, and happiness). If the rights cannot be fulfilled by their government, the individual has the right to leave the government as long as they state their issue. Considering that the American War of Independence was over, the Declaration of Independence gave the Colonists hope, as they were ready to live freely without the British rule. -
Treaty of Paris (1783)
The Treaty of Paris began the setting or the U.S.'s boundaries after the revolution. This effected all 13 colonies and ended the American Revolution, as the U.S. doubled in size. Gaining much more territory and independence led into a new era of freedom in the U.S. -
Shays's Rebellion
When the Colonists got back from the American War of Independence, they were low on money because the government promised that they would provide a reward for those who fought, and they couldn't make money because their farmland was unhealthy due to the absence of care while they were gone. This caused them to be angry because they were headed into poverty, it was the governments fault, and the government was still collecting taxes from them. -
Congress Ratifies the U.S. Constitution
Anti-federalists get what they want as the government chooses to stay by the Constitution's guidelines. The anti-federalists were picked against, and they are not happy. This means that for the rest of the future in the United States, rules that go with the Constitution such as following one central government and having a standing army are now in motion. -
Whiskey Rebellion
When farmers found a new way to make money, turning corn into whiskey, they sold it and it became a big hit. The government thought of a way to make even more money, which was by adding taxes to the whiskey. The civilians were outraged and went to a famous tax collector's house and started a riot. This lead to many more protests until Washington sent his army to stop the riots. This led to the civilians having to learn that they can't just protest and get whatever they want. -
XYZ Affair