-
French and Indian War
The cause of the French and Indian War was that both France and Britain wanted to claim the upper Ohio River Valley to gain control over the land and to be able to trade with the Indians. The importance of the war was the aftermath. The war was expensive and Britain wanted to recover their costs.
The British began to tax the colonists.
The colonists opposed the taxes, which led to the rebellion against Britain and ultimately the start of the Revolutionary War. -
Proclamation of 1763
The Proclamation of 1763 was issued by King George III and prohibited American colonists from settling on lands acquired from the French, after the French and Indian War. The proclamation sought to protect Native Americans from settlers. The importance of this proclamation was to ease tensions between the colonists and the Native Americans. The colonists feared that if the Indians were unhappy they may be forced into another battle. -
Sugar Act
The Sugar Act was implemented to recover costs associated with the French and Indian War and intended to prevent the illegal trade of sugar and molasses. The Sugar Act was important because the colonists began to experience financial difficulties and they blamed the British government.
The colonists felt the tax was unfair and was implemented only to create wealth for the Crown which eventually led to the boycott of British goods. -
Quartering Act
The Quarting Act was a part of the Intolerable Acts and allowed the British soldiers to live in the colonist's homes. Innkeepers were required to quarter them as well.
The quartering act was an expense to families and businesses. The Quarting Act was important because colonists lost their privacy and their freedom and created motivation to rebel against the British for creating the Intolerable Acts The Quarting Act inspired the 3rd Amendment. -
Stamp Act
The Stamps Act was a tax collected on printed documents such as newspapers, pamphlets, legal documents, and even playing cards. The Stamps Act sought to recover financial losses from the French and Indian War. The colonists protested the Stamps Act and refused to pay the tax. The colonists did not have representation in parliament and felt the tax act was "taxation without representation." This led to the colonists seeking to develop a government in which they could have representation. -
Boston Massacre
What is the Boston Massacre? The Boston Massacre is a historical moment where there was a protest about the taxation laws being passed by the British government. American colonists gathered for the protest and 9 British soldiers shot into the crowd killing 5 citizens, Crispus Attucks, Samuel Gray, James Caldwell, Samuel Maverick, and Patrick Carr. Why is this important? It fueled the hatred toward Britain which led the colonists to be more motivated to fight the British rule for their freedom. -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party is the event where the colonists initiated a protest against taxation and their insufficiency of capability to vote on the taxation of tea. The colonists dumped 342 chests of tea, which was worth 1.7 million dollars into the Boston Harbor as a way of protest. Due to the colonists' actions, the parliament decreed the Intolerable Acts bill which led the colonists to be more defiant, leading to the significance of them accelerating their aid for the American Revolution. -
Boston Port Act
The Boston Port Act was a part of the Intolerable Acts. In response to the Boston Tea Party, the British closed the Boston Port and enforced fines. This was important because closing the port meant that the colonists could not engage in commerce. The colonists did not have a way to exchange goods out of the port since it was closed which created financial hardship and a lack of resources. -
Minutemen
The minutemen were colonists who developed into a citizen military to serve in the Revolutionary War. They were prepared to go to war at a minute's notice, hence their title.
They created a network of militia across the colonies and developed an alarm and muster system where they sent their members on horseback to alert other local militia when the British were coming. It's important because they were the colonists' military defense against the British military. -
Period: to
First Continental Congress
The meeting of the First Continental Congress was held in response to the Intolerable Acts Bill passed by the British.
During the congress, they declared they should have the same rights as the British and declared a boycott of British goods.
The outcome of the decisions made by the congress were sent out to the public in newspapers and pamphlets. It's important as this was the first time that the colonies coordinated together to protest the British parliament's policies. -
Give Me Liberty of Give Me Death" Speech
Patrick Henry delivered a speech to the Virginia Assembly where he became famous for his remark "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death".
In his speech, he stated the need to establish a citizen militia so that they could defend themselves against Britain. This is an important part of history because it rallied the colonists to go to war against Britain, and his idea about developing the militia made it so they could fight the British soldiers. -
Alexander Hamilton
Paul Revere is famous for his midnight ride where he rode his horse from Boston to Lexington in the middle of the night to warn the colonial militia that the British troops were coming during the Revolutionary War. This was an important event because if he hadn't warned them, they would have been ambushed and lost all their weapons and resources making it so they couldn't defend themselves. -
Period: to
Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress met after the Boston Massacre in Lexington, with the Congress preparing for war.
They formed an army that was led by G. Washington. The importance of the SCC was their intention to create a government that was fair and provided representation for the people. They still hoped for a peaceful resolution and drafted the Olive Branch Petition, which was refused to be heard by King George |||. Later the Declaration of Independence was written. -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence is a document that the colonists wrote as a petition to King George because they didn't want the Revolutionary War to continue and were tired of being oppressed under British rule. The colonists wanted their independence. Why this is so important in history because it led to the creation of our democratic republic that granted citizens unalienable rights, along with inspiring other countries to fight for their freedom, their rights, and their democracy. -
Period: to
Hessians
The Hessians were German mercenary soldiers who fought in the Revolutionary War for Britain against the colonists. They began to arrive in America on Aug 15, 1776 In Dec 1776 the Hessians arrived in Trenton. The Hessians were overcome in Trenton, New Jersey the day after Christmas when Washington's military took them by surprise and captured over 900 mercenaries. Hessians were important to the British because they added a large number of troops to the British army. -
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation was adopted by the Continental Congress that established the colonies giving the states their power and documented "A league of friendship" between the 13 states. This is important as it served as an initial step in the American political system and served as the first constitution of the United States, outlining the functions of the national government. Each state was now able to be represented by a delegate and have a vote in Congress. -
French Alliance
The French alliance was signed by King Louis XVI on Feb 7th, 1778 which formally created an alliance between France and America. The French alliance was important because France supplied weapons and troops as well as financial support for America to fight Britain in the Revolutionary War. The alliance showed Britain and the world that America was independent to make foreign alliances as an independent nation. -
Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris was signed in Paris on Sept 3 1783 and was a treaty that ended the Revolutionary War. The treaty asked to 'forget all past misunderstandings and differences that have unhappily interrupted the good correspondents and friendship that they mutually wish to restore." Upon signing the treaty, it was agreed that America was an independent nation. -
US Constitution signed
The US Constitution is a composition articulating the supreme law of America, declaring democracy, righteousness, and the amendments of the US. It designates the arrangement of the government ratifying the liberties of citizens, producing a block in the opportunity for the government to manipulate their capacities or construct unfair advantages for individual citizens. This is important to US history as it formed the right to liberty & the ability to get justice at any time the people find fit.