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The French and Indian War was a war between Great Britain and France. Both sides utilized Native American allies and fought for 9 years. It was part of the larger Seven Years' War fought on a global scale. The war stemmed from competing colonial claims in North America. In the end Britain gained significant territory, but created a lot of tension between Native Americans and like every war it costed them a lot of money and troops.
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The Boston Massacre was major rally that ended in a deadly shooting. On March. 5 1770, in Boston colonist were harassing British sentry, which quickly escalated resulting into shots being fired. It resulted in 5 dead colonist, including Crispus Attucks. This event caused tensions between the Colonist and the British to rise. -
Colonists were angry with Britain's taxes because they got no representation in Parliament. The Tea act got recently passed in result colonists led by Samuel Adams plotted a response. On December, 12, 1773 the group of colonist dressed up as Native Americans, boarded British ships, and dumbed 342 chests of tea into the harbor. The Boston Tea Party brought more colonist into the resistance, but made British soldiers tighten their leash. -
The Intolerable Acts, also known as the Coercive Acts, were four laws passed to punish Massachusetts for the Boston Tea Party. These acts were an attempt to strengthen British authority and to have more control over the colonies. The 4 acts were the: Boston port act, Massachusetts government act, Administration of justice acts, and finally the Quartering act. These acts were met with angry colonist and widespread resistance leading to the First Continental Congress. -
The First Continental Congress was held in Philadelphia on October 26, 1774, 12-13 colonies sent there delegates to address the tensions with great Britain. It was held because of the recent passing of the Intolerable Acts. The Congress went over the colonies complaints, then developed a unified response, sent it out to Britain, and finally waited for response. They also planned a Second Continental Congress if their concerns were not addressed. -
The Battle of Lexington and Concord, fought on April 19, 1775, was the first military battle of the American Revolutionary War. British troops were sent to seize arms and arrest rebel leaders. These events sparked by rising tensions between the colonies and Great Britain, marked the beginning of open conflict. As for the battle the British were forced to retreat back to Boston where they were constantly harassed on their journey back. -
The Second Continental Congress was held in Philadelphia. The Congress formed in response to the armed conflicts with Great Britain. Their goal was to unite the colonies, mange the war efforts, and find a resolution with the British Crown. This hearing was a pivotal moment because it was a transition from colonial rule to self governance. -
The battle which actually took place on Breed's Hill, saw American militiamen dominate British forces. Despite eventually being forced to retreat due to lack of ammunition, the colonist showed their fighting ability and resistance, boosting the morale for Revolutionary cause. Since the British had three attacks on the hill and got defeated twice, finally succeeding the third time they lost way more troops, and didn't look as powerful as previously perceived. -
The Declaration of Independence stated the separation of the 13 colonies from Great Britain. The document goes over all the complaints the colonist had against the British crown and declares the United States as a free and independent nation. It also founded American political thought, emphasizing that all men are created equal and are born with the rights including, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. -
The Articles of Confederation was the first constitution of the United States. It made a "league of friendship" between the 13 colonies. It also created a central government with limited power. The government was unable to tax, regulate commerce, or enforce laws, leading to an eventual replacement. -
The Great Compromise created the U.S. legislative branch. At the constitutional convention there was a debate over representation in the U.S. Congress, the resolve was creating a bicameral legislature. This legislature consists of the Senate where each state had two representatives, and the House of Representatives, where representation is based on population. The compromise was vital for preventing the collapse of the convention and leading to the ratification of the Constitution. -
The Battle of Yorktown was arguably the most crucial battle during the Revolutionary War, because it concluded with the surrender of the British General Cornwallis. The victory resulted from a combined land and naval effort from the French and American armies. It is widely considered a turning point, leading to the end of the Revolutionary War. It was the last major battle of the War, though the Treaty of Paris wasn't signed until 1783.
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The Treaty of Paris is actually made up of multiple peace treaties signed in Paris. The most important ones are the ending of the American Revolutionary War, and the one concluding the Seven Years' War. The 1783 treaty recognized the independence of the U.S. while the 1763 treaty altered the colonial landscape of North America. The Treaty of Paris also issued related to debts and Loyalist property. -
The bill of rights went over American's rights in relation to their government. It promised civil rights and liberties to the individual such as freedom of speech, press, and religion. It sets rules for the process of law and reserves all powers not given to the Federal Government to the people or the States. The bill of rights are actually the first 10 amendments written by James Madison our 4th president. -
On June 21, 1788 the U.S. Constitution became the law of the U.S as New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify it. This was crucial because it met the requirement needed for the Constitution to go into effect. Following New Hampshire, Virginia and New York also ratified the Constitution shortly after, with North Carolina and Rhode island following later. According to Portsmouth "Joy sat on every face without a cloud, "As in the day of opening Paradise."