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This war lasted 7 years. It was a global conflict between Great Britain and France, along with their respective Native American Allies. The conflict started over wanting the Ohio River Valley, with both sides seeking control of this strategic area. Ultimately, the war led to significant territorial changes in North America and contributed to tensions that fueled the American Revolution.
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The Stamp Act of 1765 was a British law that imposed a direct tax on the American colonies by requiring them to pay a tax on all printed materials, represented by a stamp. This tax was to help offset the cost of maintaining British troops in the colonies after the French and Indian War. The act was met with resistance from the colonists, who viewed it as a violation of their rights and a form of taxation without representation. -
The Townshend Acts of 1767 was British laws that placed taxes on goods imported into the American colonies, including glass, lead, paint, paper, and tea.
These acts also wanted to increase British control over colonial trade and governance, leading to widespread resistance and ultimately contributing to the American Revolution. -
The Boston Massacre was a fatal riot that happened in the city of Boston in Massachusetts on March 5, 1770. Soldiers shot into a crowd of civilians killing 5 and injuring another 6. Motivated by the growing hostilities between the troops and the colonists, this event has been referred to as another critical incident in the march toward American independence. -
The Boston Tea Party was a significant act of defiance by American colonists against British rule and taxation without representation. This took place at Griffin's Wharf in Boston, involved the dumping of 342 chests of British East India Company tea into Boston Harbor. The value of the destroyed tea is estimated at roughly $1.7 million in today's currency -
The First Continental Congress was in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The primary goal was to address the Intolerable Acts, a series of punitive measures imposed by the British Parliament following the Boston Tea Party. -
The Battle of Bunker Hill was a early battle of the American Revolutionary War. Though a British victory, it was a costly one, and boosted American morale. The battle, which actually took place primarily on Breed's Hill, demonstrated that the American colonists could stand up to the British, despite being outnumbered and largely untrained. -
In many respects, the Declaration was an indictment of men with regard to the American Colonies, which were claiming independence from Great Britain and in which they outlined appropriate justifications for separating from. This was not a small, insignificant step in the formation of United States and has received global recognition for it certainly backs up the right of people to select their government. -
The Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, after the war had begun. The meeting took place in the State House of Pennsylvania (now Independence Hall). The Congress was composed of delegates of the thirteen American colonies and was important in leading the colonies in the war and the altogether effort of independence. -
General George Washington and the Comte de Rochambeau came with the Franco-American force to besiege and trap the British army under the command of General Lord Cornwallis. The surrender of the British on October 19 meant the end of all major fighting in the war and, in effect, the dawn of American independence.
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Treaty of Paris ended the American Revolutionary War, and that established the United States as an independent nation with boundaries. But Paris has had many treaties throughout the years: including treaties to end the Napoleonic Wars, treaties ending the Crimean War. -
The Constitutional Convention was a meeting of delegates from 12 of the 13 American states in Philadelphia in the summer of 1787. It was undertaken to revise the Articles of Confederation of the United States however, the delegates decided to create an entirely new structure for the U.S. government, now called the United States Constitution.
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The Great Compromise, was a crucial agreement during the 1787 Constitutional Convention that resolved the dispute between large and small states over representation in the U.S. Congress. It established a bicameral legislature with a House of Representatives based on population and a Senate with equal representation for each state. This balanced the interests of both large and small states, preventing the convention from collapsing. -
The Constitution of the United States was ratified when New Hampshire became the ninth state to approve the document. It’s important to remember that the ratification process didn't end there. North Carolina ratified the Constitution in November 1789, and Rhode Island, the last of the states to ratify it, did so on May 29, 1790. The new government functioned under the Constitution beginning March 4, 1789.
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The Bill of Rights, which consists of the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution, was adopted on December 15, 1791. It was added to the Constitution to address concerns raised during the ratification debates about the lack of specific protections for individual liberties against potential government overreach. James Madison played a crucial role in drafting and promoting the Bill of Rights in the First Congress.