-
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War was a North American conflict that primarily involved British colonists and the French, with various Native American tribes supporting each side. It was part of the larger global conflict known as the Seven Years' War and took place between 1754 and 1763, not 1756–1763. The main focus of the conflict was control of the Ohio Valley region, and the British ultimately won a significant victory that secured vast territories in North America for the British Empire. -
Navigation Acts (1763)
The British Parliament created a number of regulations known as the Navigation Acts, which placed limitations on colonial trade. Mercantilism, the foundation of British economic strategy, sought to strengthen British state finances and power by using the American colonies. -
Stamp Act
In 1765, the British Parliament imposed the Stamp Act, a levy on paper goods. The purpose of the tax was to generate funds for the post-French and Indian
War British troops stationed in North America. In the American colonies, there were violent protests against the Stamp Act. -
Quartering Act
The British Parliament enacted a number of legislation known as the Quartering Acts, which mandated the American colonies house and feed British soldiers. As part of a succession of controversial legislation and taxes that precipitated the American Revolution, the acts were a reaction to the French and Indian War. -
Townshend Acts
The British Parliament enacted a number of levies known as the Townshend Acts in 1767 in order to generate money for the administration of the American colonies. Charles Townshend, the chief of the British treasury at the time, was honored by the acts' names. -
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre was a violent confrontation between British soldiers and a crowd of colonists on March 5, 1770. The soldiers fired on the crowd, killing five people and wounding many others. The event was a catalyst for the American Revolution. -
Boston Tea Party
On December 16, 1773, a political demonstration known as the Boston Tea Party occurred. In Boston Harbor, American colonists seized British ships and threw 342 tea chests into the sea. The Tea Act of 1773, which let the British East India Company to sell tea in the colonies without paying taxes, sparked the outcry. -
Intolerable Acts
The Boston Port Bill, the Massachusetts Government Act, the Administration of Justice Act, and the Quartering Act were among the major pieces of the "Intolerable Acts," also referred to as the "Coercive Acts," a set of laws passed by the British Parliament in 1774 with the intention of punishing the colony of Massachusetts for the Boston Tea Party. These laws effectively tightened British control over the colonies and sparked strong opposition that ultimately fueled the American Revolution. -
Olive Branch Petition
In 1775, the Second Continental Congress delivered King George III a petition known as the Olive Branch Petition. It was a last-ditch effort to keep the American colonies and Great Britain from going to war. -
Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress was a series of meetings held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1775 and 1776. It was a meeting of delegates from the Thirteen Colonies who united to support the American Revolution. -
Battle of Lexington & Concord
The Battles of Lexington and Concord were the first military engagements of the American Revolution, taking place on April 19, 1775. The battles were fought in Massachusetts and resulted in an American victory. “The Shot Heard Around the World” -
Common sense
A key document in the struggle for American independence, "Common Sense" is a powerful pamphlet written by Thomas Paine during the American Revolutionary War that made a strong case for the American colonies to declare their independence from Great Britain. By making the case in an understandable and straightforward manner, Paine greatly influenced public opinion in favor of the cause of revolution. -
Declaration of Independence
The 13 American colonies broke their political ties to Great Britain on July 4, 1776, when the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration enumerated the reasons why the colonies wanted to become independent. -
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation was the first constitution of the United States, in effect from 1781 to 1789. It established a weak central government and a loose political union between the 13 states. -
Daniel Shays’ Rebellion
Shays' Rebellion was an armed uprising in Massachusetts in 1786 led by Daniel Shays, a former Continental Army Captain. The rebellion was a response to the state government's efforts to collect taxes and debts from the citizens. -
Constitutional Convention (aka Philadelphia Convention)
The Constitutional Convention, also known as the Philadelphia Convention, was a meeting in 1787 where delegates from the United States states created the United States Constitution. The convention took place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from May 25 to September 17, 1787.