-
The French and Indian War was fought between Great Britain, France, the colonists, and many Native American tribes. It was fought over territories and differences in opinions about the expansion further into the Americas. The war was eventually won by Great Britain in 1763.
-
The Boston Massacre was the result of an American colonist mob taunting British soldiers guarding the Customs House in Boston. When one of the officers ordered his troops to aim their bayonets at the crowd, they responded with throwing snowballs at them, which quickly escalated to gunfire. Five colonists were killed and three were injured. -
The Boston Tea Party was the first major act of defiance against the British, taking place at Griffin's Wharf in Boston, Massachusetts. American colonists dressed as Native Americans dumped 342 chests of tea, imported by the British East India Company, into the Boston Harbor. This was in retaliation to the British taxing the colonists without any representation. It resulted in rallying colonists across the 13 colonies into fighting for independence. -
The Intolerable Acts were a series of four laws that were passed in order to punish the colonists for the Boston Tea Party. They included the Boston Port Act, the Massachusetts Government Act, the Administration of Justice Act, and the Quartering Act. The colonists were outraged once these were passed, and it only led to their rebellion growing. -
The First Continental Congress consisted of delegates from twelve of the thirteen American colonists, prompted by the outrage from the Intolerable Acts. It was held to discuss the British rule and what it would mean for the future of the colonies.
-
This was the first battle in the American Revolution where British troops marched into Lexington and Concord, hoping to suppress the growing rebellion. Instead, Massachusetts colonists defied their authority and fought back, eventually defeating the British and chasing them away from their home. -
The Battle of Bunker Hill was one of the first major battles of the American Revolution and was fought in Charleston during the Siege of Boston. After the Battles of Lexington and Concord, troops started to gather in Boston in hopes of keeping the British in Boston at bay, and to maybe even chase them away. Even though the British won this battle, the colonists persistence proved that they could hold their own against such a large army. -
Thomas Paine wrote Common Sense in support of the Patriot cause, rallying the colonists to break apart from British rule. Common Sense really resonated with the colonists, and helped move them towards independence. It highlighted the fact that the British had been responsible for so many colonist problems, and stated that this problem could only be solved by separating from Britain. -
The Battle of Trenton was a smaller, but still very important war in the American Revolution. General George Washington and his army defeated a garrison of Hessian mercenaries at Trenton after crossing the Delaware River in a terrible storm. They were also able to capture important supplies, including food and clothing. -
The Articles of Confederation served as the United States first constitution. It's goals were to create a sort of "league of friendship" between the states, as well as to establish the new form of government for America. It was adopted by the Continental Congress and went into full effect with the Constitution. -
The Battle of Yorktown was the last major land battle of the American Revolution, ending with the surrender of the British army. British forces were occupying Yorktown under Charles Lord Cornwallis. American and French forces sieged Cornwallis and his men, continuing to fight for 22 days.
-
The Treaty of Paris, signed by the American colonists and Great Britain, officially ended the war of the American Revolution. The signing of this treaty solidified Americas status as a free country, and Britain formally recognized the independence of its 13 former colonies. -
The Constitutional Convention was held in Philadelphia, consisting of the states representatives. They gathered to discuss the issues with the weak central government that was a result of the Articles of Confederation. The Constitution produced in this convention instead provided a strong central government and refined federal system.
-
The Great Compromise was an agreement reached during the Constitutional Convention between delegates of states with both large and small populations to make sure everyone was represented. It defined the structure of Congress and the number of representatives each state would have. With this compromise, each state would have two representatives in the Senate and a proportional amount of representatives in the House based on their population. -
The United States Constitution was ratified and put into effect on June 21st, 1788, setting the framework for the government of the U.S. This process consisted of the individual states holding conventions in order to vote on this document. New Hampshire was the ninth state to sign off on it, allowing it to be officially ratified.