-
1492
Columbus Lands in the Americas
Columbus leaves Spain and sails west to find India and China, but he lands in the Americas instead. Opens up exploration and settlement in America. -
Jamestown Founded
English settlers arrive in Virginia in order to gain more resources. They are the first permanent colony to settle in America. -
Pilgrims Land in Plymouth
The Pilgrims land in Plymouth Bay to escape religious prosecution in England. It was the first permanent European colony to be established in New England. -
French and Indian War
France and the Native Americans fight against Britain and its colonists. This war lead to the expansion of British land in the Americas, the Proclamation of 1763, the Albany Plan of Union, and it lead to Britain amassing a large amount of debt. -
Albany Plan of Union
Benjamin Franklin told the colonists to "Unite or Die" against the French, but his plan was rejected by the rest of the colonists. This was the first time someone had suggested to unite the British colonies. -
1763 Treaty of Paris
In order to end the Seven Years War, the French give up land in North America. This leads land expansion for the British and the Proclamation of 1763 -
Proclamation of 1763
The King of England says that none of the colonists should move past the Appalachian Mountains. This angers the colonists because they wanted to settle in the land they earned in the war. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act required colonists to buy a stamp for every sheet of paper they used. The colonists grew angered at the British because they had no representation in Parliament, so they believed they should not be taxed. -
Quartering Act
Britain told the colonists to house the soldiers that they were sending over. This angered the colonists further because housing them costed money, worsening the relationship between Britain and its colonies. -
Townshend Act
In the Townshend Act, Britain placed a duty on common items, like glass, paper, tea, lead, and paint. The Massachusetts House of Representatives sent a letter about protesting against this act that united the colonies for the first time. -
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre was when British soldiers and colonists got into a fight that ended up killing five people. The tension between Britain and its colonies grew much worse than it was before because of the Boston Massacre -
Tea Act of 1773
A new act called the Tea Act allowed the colonists to buy the tea from the East India Company for less, but they were only allowed to buy their tea. Even though the tea cost less, this act still made the colonists mad because the East India Company had a monopoly on all tea in the colonies. -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was an event in which patriots called the Sons of Liberty dumped tea from a ship overboard as a way to stand against the Tea Act. This made the British and the Colonists angered at each other. -
Intolerable (Coercive) Acts
The Coercive Acts, called the Intolerable Acts by the patriots, were four acts passed over the span of 1774 that were put in place to punish the colonists for the Boston Tea Party. This made the colonists mad and caused the tensions between Britain and its colonies to grow. -
First Continental Congress
Representatives from twelve colonies met in the First Continental Congress in order to plan the next steps regarding the British, and in the end they decided not to fight and to instead economically coerce the British by not buying their goods. This meeting resulted in the colonists not buying any British items, and it lead to the Second Continental Congress. -
Battle of Lexington
The Battle of Lexington was a battle in which the British and Colonists fought over ammunition in Lexington. This caused the American Revolution. -
Battle of Concord
The Battle of Concord was fought right after the Battle of Lexington. In this battle, the colonists were able to kill many British soldiers. -
Period: to
American Revolution
The colonies decide to break away from the British and fight them in the Revolution, which they would eventually win. This allows the colonies to be their own country and have their own government. -
Second Continental Congress
In the Second Continental Congress, the representatives from the 13 colonies decided to war against the British. This directly caused the American Revolution to start. -
Olive Branch Petition
The Continental Congress offered an "olive branch" to the king in a last attempt to prevent war. After the King rejects the Olive Branch Petition, the colonists decide to fight. -
Common Sense
Thomas Paine argues that its only common sense to detach from the British government. This riled up the colonists even more than before, making them more willing to fight. -
Declaration of Independence
The Second Continental Congress writes the Declaration, explaining what they believed their rights to be and how the king had prevented them from having these rights. This lead to the American Revolution because they were declaring that they wanted to break off from England. -
Treaty of Paris 1783
The American Revolutionary War ends with America and some European countries coming together to sign the Treaty. This means that America is officially its own country. -
Shays' Rebellion
Shays, a farmer, leads a protest stating how the government is imposing unfair taxes on the people. Many people question how strong the government really is because of Shays' Rebellion. -
Congress Ratifies the U.S. Constitution
Congress passes the Constitution, creating the new government for the nation. This replaces the Articles of Confederation, a highly flawed document, with a stronger and more stable government. -
Whiskey Rebellion
Many farmers rebel against the government after a tax is placed on whiskey, a major source of income for the farmers. The Whiskey Rebellion is often said to be the first time the new government was truly tested, and it also made the citizens of the U.S. respect the government more. -
XYZ Affair
The French attack U.S. ships after the U.S. allies with the British and refuses to help them fight their own war with Britain. This tests the diplomatic skills of the presidency regarding foreign affairs and changes the relationship that the United States has with France and Great Britain. -
Period: to
War of 1812
The U.S. and the British fought a war that lasted two years, ending with a treaty stating that neither country won. Although the U.S. didn't win, they were able to prove that they could fight, but the war was costly and hurt the economy.