-
Great Awakening
A period when spirituality and religious devotion were started and altered the religious climate in the American Colonies. This began after the Salem witch craze. The people were pressed to to make personal connections with God, instead of relying on a minister. Some of the newer denominations like Baptist and Methodist grew. -
Stono Rebellion
It was a slave uprising led by Cato and followed by 20 other slaves. Slave codes were put into place allowing owners to punish slaves for trying to escape and allowed them more power over the slaves. After the Rebellion, the Negro Act of 1740was passed putting limits on both whites and slaves. -
French and Indian War
The war was between Great Britain and France also known as the Seven Years War. The war began in 1754 and ended with the Treaty of Paris in 1763. The war had England and Purssia against France, Spain and Austria. The name of the war was because the Indians allied themselves with the French and fought in the war. -
Boston Massacre
This was more of a riot that the Americans called Boston Massacre to let everyone know the dangers of having troops within the colonists. It was started by the British Army, while others thought it was an accident. There were 5 killed in the massacre. -
Boston Tea Party
Protest by the Sons of Liberty, caused by the Tea Act. They were protesting the tax on tea. There were 340 chests of tea destroyed in the Boston harbor. This led to the intolerable acts. -
Battles of Lexington & Concord
British marched into Lexington and concord intending to suppress the possibility of rebellion by taking weapons from the colonists. But this started the first battle of the Revolutionary War. The total losses were British 273 and Americans 95. -
Declaration of Independence
A document stating the separation of 13 North American British colonies from Greay Britain. It was the last of the steps that led the colonies to final split from Great Britain.
Its goal was to rally the troops, win foreign allies and to announce the creation of a new country. It was their right to revolution. -
Articles of Confederation
This was the United States first constitution. It was active from March 1, 1781 until 1789, when the current constitution went into effect. The articles created a flexible confederation of the states and a weak central government, leaving a lot of power in the state governments. This later lead to the Constitutional Convention in 1787. -
Constitution of the United States
The fundamental laws of the US government. It describes the principles of the government and the basic rights of the citizens. It is divided into three parts, the Preamble, seven articles and the amendments. James Madison was the main role in creating the Constitution, referred as the “Father of the Constitution”. The first three words of the Constitution, “We the People” are the most powerful. -
Bill of Rights
Bill of Rights protects the people of the United States. Protects freedom of speech, freedom of religion, the right to keep and bear arms, the freedom of assembly and the freedom of petition. It prohibits the unreasonable search and seizure, cruel and unusual punishment. Madison proposed the bills to win support in both houses of the Congress and the states. These rights are the first ten amendments to the Constitution, our individual rights.