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The Enlightenment was about using reason and science instead of just tradition. Writers and thinkers pushed for individual rights and freedoms. It influenced revolutions in America and France.
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The Sons of Liberty were a secret group against British taxes. They used protests and sometimes violence to make their point. They helped push the colonies toward independence.
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The Stamp Act taxed paper goods like newspapers and legal documents. Colonists were angry because they had no say in British Parliament. Protests forced Britain to repeal the law. :3 -
British soldiers shot into a crowd of colonists in Boston. Five colonists were killed, which made people angry. It was used as propaganda to build bad feelings toward the British. -
Colonists dumped British tea into Boston Harbor. They were protesting the Tea Act and unfair taxes. Britain punished them with worse new laws. -
These laws were Britain’s punishment for the Boston Tea Party. They closed Boston Harbor and limited self-government. Colonists saw them as a threat to their freedom.
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These battles started the American Revolution. Colonists and British soldiers clashed outside Boston. The “shot heard round the world” came from here. -
Colonists fought the British near Boston. They lost the hill but proved they could fight well. The famous line was “Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes.” -
The colonists sent this to Britain asking for peace. They still wanted to avoid a full war. King George rejected it, making war more likely. -
George Washington crossed the Delaware River on Christmas night. His army surprised and beat the Hessians. This win boosted American morale a lot. -
This was the last major battle of the Revolution. American and French forces trapped the British army. Cornwallis surrendered, ending the fighting.
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This treaty officially ended the Revolutionary War. Britain recognized the United States as independent. It also set new borders for the country. -
It said enslaved people counted as 3/5 of a person for representation. This gave southern states more power in Congress. It was a big argument during the Constitutional Convention. -
It settled how states would be represented in Congress. Big states got representation by population, small states got equal votes. That’s why we have the House and the Senate today. -
The Bill of Rights is the first 10 amendments to the Constitution. They protect freedoms like speech, religion, and the press. They were added to make sure people’s rights were guaranteed.