-
1492
Columbus lands in the New World
Columbus tried to sail to India but landed in the Americas. There was more land for Europe to explore and inhabit. -
Jamestown Founded
About 110 Englishmen arrived in Jamestown to begin a new settlement in the New world.
It marked the beginning of English settlements in the New world, as it was the first. -
Pilgrims land in Plymouth
102 passengers, 41 of them being Pilgrims looking for a new life in America to practice their religion freely, sailed on the Mayflower until they decided to land in Cape Cod, developing a government among the people who settled there for survival.
They were the first colony in the New World and it served as a role model for self-government and democracy in colonies. -
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War lasted 7 years and was a conflict between the British and French, with Native Americas allies over the control of land.
It ended French control over North America, giving the British massive amounts of land, while also ending salutary neglect. -
Albany Plan of Union
Benjamin Franklin proposed the idea for all of the 13 colonies to unite together to form one government.
It was the first attempt at trying to get the colonies to become one, which the colonies later would do, becoming the United States. -
Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris was signed by the French to surrender their land over to the British after being defeated in the war.
This gave the British the massive amounts of land which they were fighting the French for. -
Proclamation of 1763
England prohibited American colonists from settling past the Appalachian Mountains.
The colonies resented this limitation. The British still ruled over the colonies which could've led to the fight for America's independence. -
Quatering Act
The Quatering Act was when the British forced the colonists to house British soldiers.
This is important because it costed the colonists money to house these soldiers, making the colonists protest against this act. -
Stamp Act
This act enforced by the British Parliament made the American Colonists pay taxes for stamps.
This is important because it helped the British pay off their debt after the French and Indian War. -
Townshend Act
British leaders wanted to put a tax on the colonies to pay for the army so they put duties on certain good they export to the colonies.
This is important because the colonists questioned the power the British held and they protested that it increased the colonies dependence on Britain. -
Boston Massacre
British soldiers guarding the Boston customs house fired their weapons into a crowd of violent protesters.
This contributed to the American Colonies wanting to split from Britain's rule because instead of listening to the protests and what the colonists wanted, they fired and injured and kill some of them. -
Tea Act 1773
The Tea Act made the tea import taxes to the colonies more cheap so that they'd be willing to buy it.
This is important because even thought the British lowered the taxes on the tea, the colonists still refuse to take it, not wanting any of their money taxed and going to the British. -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was a violent protest where colonists disguised as Native snuck on to a ship and destroyed all of the tea inside.
This is important because it prevent the British from selling tea to the colonies and it costed the British money. -
Intolerable (Coercive) Acts
The Intolerable Acts were 5 laws passed by the British on to the American Colonies.
These forced acts were a way of the British Parliament showing their power or control over the colonies, like giving them punishments to keep them in line. -
First Continental Congress
It was a meeting of all leaders of the different colonies in Philadelphia. They gathered to plan steps to take with challenges from the British rule.
This showed the unity of the colonies and helped formulate a plan of their own to reply to the British's acts by boycotting British imports and not buying anything from them. -
Battle of Lexington and Concord
British soldiers led by Thomas Gage marched over to Lexington to confiscate weapons from the colonists. A fight then broke out between the colonists and the British.
This event is important because it ended all possibilities of the colonies and the British's relationship being fixed and it marked the beginning of the American Revolutionary War. -
Second Continental Congress
It was another gathering of leader from the colonies to help make up a plan for what to do after they had started the war with the British.
This created defense for the colonies with the Continental Army led by George Washington and also created the Olive Branch Petition which asked for peace with Britain. This show the Colonies first steps to becoming independent. -
Olive Branch Petition
The Olive Branch Petition was a letter sent by the Second Continental Congress to King George to ask for peace and to avoid war with England.
This was ignored by the king, which further fueled the colonists to want to continue fighting for their independence by realizing that the king didn't care and didn't want to resolve anything with the colonies. -
Common Sense by Thomas Pine
Common Sense is a book which provided reasons to explain why the American colonies should break relations with Great Britain.
His book spread the idea and convinced many of the colonists to want independence. This helped gain a lot of support for their freedom. -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence is a document that states rights all men under a government should have and if the government prevents that, they should be overthrown.
The document declared America as it's own nation as well as giving reason as to why they revolted against the British's tyranny. -
American Revolution
The American Revolution was when all of the American colonies united to revolt against the British rule.
This ended in America gaining independence from the British, granting them their freedom. -
Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris was signed by the representatives of the U.S. and the British.
This ended the American Revolution, giving America independence and western territory. -
Shay's Rebellion
Farmers in America were upset about having to pay off taxes that they weren't able to so they protested and rebelled against the weak government.
This is important because it showed that America's government was weak by not being able to stop a local rebellion and that they needed a change. -
Congress ratifies the U.S. Constitution
-
Whiskey Rebellion
Taxes were put on whiskey and people begin to prostest and rebel eventually leading to violence, as the group surround and destroyed the home of a tax inspector.
The rebellion group begin to grow in numbers and threatened to march to the city of Pittsburgh. George Washington had to make a very risky decision to stop this situation. -
XYZ Affair
A negotiation that french diplomats to ask for a bribe and a loan to let them meet with the French foreign minister.
This demand offended the U.S. and moved them closer to war with the French. -
War of 1812
The War if 1812 was between the British and the United States over the impressment of the U.S. sailors by the British navy. This war ended with a tie and neither the U.S. nor Great Britian won.
Though the they tied, this led to widespread patriotism and pride over America, with the citizens proud of their country. America was also now seen as a major country after this war as well, being able to to hold a off a powerful country such as Great Britain.