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House of Burgesses
The House of Burgesses was the first representative legislature in the American colonies. It was located in Virginia and modeled on English legislatures. -
The Mayflower Compact
Compact that established the first form of direct democracy in the American colonies. -
Birth of John Locke
John Locke is born in Wrington, England. Locke's enlightenment ideas of natural rights would serve as the basis for many of The United States' founding principles -
Navigation Acts
A series of British parliamentary acts that aimed to restrict trade between England and its American colonies. -
Bacon’s Rebellion
In colonial Virginia, royal governor William Berkeley denied Jamestown residents' requests to eliminate a nearby Native population. In response, Nathaniel Bacon gathered a large group of colonial Virginian farmers to torch Jamestown. -
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1st Great Awakening
An intense period of religious revival in colonial America. Spearheaded by preacher George Whitefield -
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The French & Indian War
War fought between the English and the French over land in the colonies. The French had strong native American support, while the English had strong colonial support. The impacts of this war helped spur the revolution. -
Albany Plan
A colonial plan to join the 13 colonies into a sovereign government. Headed by Benjamin Franklin in Albany, New York. -
Proclamation of 1763
Proclamation issued by the King of England, prohibiting colonists from settling west of the Appalachian mountains. -
Stamp Act
Act placed upon colonists by the British government, taxing paper goods like stamps. -
Townshend Acts
A series of acts placed on the colonists by the British government, taxing goods like glass, lead, paint and tea. -
Boston Massacre
The killing of 5 colonists by British soldiers in Boston. The British soldiers felt threatened by a provocative group of colonists, and shot into the crowd. -
Intolerable Acts
4 laws passed by the British government in response to the demonstrations of colonists in the Boston Tea Party. These laws served to punish the colonists for their acts of rebellion. -
Battles of Lexington and Concord
The first significant battle of the American Revolution. The first shot fired is known as the "shot heard around the world." -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence served as the document formally announcing the intent of the American colonies to form a sovereign nation separate from Great Britain. -
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation served as the first outlining document/constitution for the American colonies. The articles gave States more powers, but were viewed as weak and later led to the creation of The Constitution. -
Constitution of the United States
The modern US constitution is ratified. This document serves as the outline for our government, and was made after deliberation at the Philadelphia Convention between federalists and anti-federalists.