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The War of Spanish Succession
When the Spanish King Charles II died childless in 1700, he named Philip, the grandson of French King Louis XIV, as his successor. The rest of the European powers, concerned about a French state becoming too powerful, formed the Grand Alliance to oppose the appointment. -
Seven Year's War
France, Spain, Austria, and Russia are defeated by Britain and Prussia. France loses North American colonies, Spain gives Florida to Britain in exchange for Cuba. -
James Wolfe
General James Wolfe takes French Quebec for Britain -
The beginning of the Industrial Revolution
A shift from agricultural societies to industrialized and urbanized societies led to the Industrial
Revolution. The railroad, the cotton gin, electricity and other inventions permanently changed society. -
British Industrial Revolution begins
Prior to the introduction of machines, steam power, and factories, manufacturing was a laborious, manual process, resulting in slow output and high costs. 18th-century Inventions such as the steam engine in 1712 (improved upon in 1765 by James Watt), the Flying Shuttle in 1733, the Spinning Jenny in 1764, and the Cotton Gin in 1794, allowing for a quicker, more efficient, and far larger production. -
James Watt invents the Steam Engine
Watt, a Scottish inventor, mechanical engineer, and chemist, improved the steam engine in 1776 with his Watt steam engine. This made a huge impact to the changes brought by the Industrial Revolution in both Great Britain and the rest of the world. -
Boston Massacre
It was a riot that occurred on March 5, 1770, that started the Boston Massacre. It took place on King Street in Boston. It began as a street brawl between American colonists and a British soldier. It quickly escalated to a bloody slaughter. The conflict energized anti-Britain sentiment and paved the way for the American Revolution. -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was a protest that occurred on December 16, 1773, at Griffin’s Wharf in Boston, Massachusetts. The American colonists were very frustrated and angry at Britain for imposing “taxation without representation,” therefore they dumped 342 chests of British tea into the harbor. This event was the first major act of opposition to British rule over the colonists. -
The Declaration of Independence is approved
The Congress formally adopted the Declaration of Independence. It was written by Jefferson in Philadelphia on July 4, a date now celebrated as the birth of American independence. -
The French Revolution begins
The French Revolution was a turning point in modern European history that began in 1789 and ended in the late 1790s with the ascent of Napoleon Bonaparte.