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First Great Awakening
The First Great Awakening begins revitalizing religion throughout the colonies. -
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War begins. Great Britain and its colonies fight the French for control over territorial disputes (mainly the Ohio River Valley). The war left Britain in great debt. -
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution began as the colonial economy began to shift from agricultural to industrial. -
Pontiac’s Rebellion
Native Americans rebelled against the British in Pontiac’s Rebellion. The natives managed to take control of a few British forts before being shut down. This proved that Britain had weak surveillance on its new territory. -
Treaty of Paris of 1763
France and Britain signed the Treaty of Paris of 1763 ending the French and Indian War in a victory for the British. -
Royal Proclamation of 1763
The king released the Royal Proclamation of 1763 which prohibited colonists from establishing settlements west of the Appalachian Mountains. -
Sugar Act
Parliament passed the Sugar Act which halved the molasses tax from the Molasses Act to gain revenue and manage commerce. -
Currency Act
Parliament passed the Currency Act which prohibited the colonies from creating any form of paper currency. -
Stamp Act
Parliament placed the first direct tax place on the colonies through the Stamp Act. This act taxed paper goods like playing cards, newspapers, and legal documents. -
Sons of Liberty
After more riots and protests against the tax, some colonists like Samuel Adams and John Hancock formed the Sons of Liberty to further fight against unfair taxation. -
Declaration of Rights and Grievances
Colonists in the Stamp Act Congress wrote the “Declaration of Rights and Grievances” that claimed the colonists should have the same rights as the people living in Britain. This included no taxation without representation in government. -
Repealing the Stamp Act & Passing the Declaratory Act
Parliament repealed the Stamp Act. To save face, they also passed the Declaratory Act that said they had the right to tax the colonies or impose whatever laws they saw fit. -
Townshend Acts
The Townshend Acts put duties on items like lead and glass and stationed British officials to watch over the ports to prevent the smuggling of goods. -
Repealing duties
Parliament repealed almost all of the previous duties leaving only the one on tea. -
Boston Massacre
Tensions about the new duties grew. Many colonists began to riot or boycott British goods. One day, colonists decided to assault the house of a sentry in an act of rebellion. British soldiers tried to diffuse the situation, but it quickly got violent and 5 colonists, namely Crispus Attucks, were killed by the soldiers. News of this Boston Massacre spread quickly as drawings of and articles about the encounter were published in newspapers. -
Tea Act
The East Indian company owned by Britain was struggling financially and had an excess of tea. To help them gain revenue, Parliament passed the Tea Act which allowed for the company to sell tea directly to colonies without the export tax. Although this would make tea cheaper, the colonies resisted because they did not want to accept the fact that they still had to pay a duty on the tea. -
Boston Tea Party
To show their disapproval of the Tea Act, the Boston Sons of Liberty dumped hundreds of chests of tea into the sea. This Boston Tea Party encouraged the colonists and many people began dumping imports of tea throughout the next year. -
Intolerable Acts
Parliament passed the Intolerable Acts which shut down the Boston port, took control of the Massachusetts Government, forced accused individuals to have their trial overseas, and required colonists to welcome British soldiers in their homes. -
Battle of Lexington and Concord
The first shots of the Revolutionary war were fired at the Battle of Lexington and Concord. This battle ended in a victory for the colonists. -
Battle at Bunker Hill
The Battle at Bunker Hill ended in a British victory. -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was written and signed by members of the Second Continental Congress. This document outlined the colony's grievances and cut their ties to Britain. -
Battle of Saratoga
The colonist’s victory at the Battle of Saratoga boosted morale and encouraged foreign nations to provide help for the colonies. -
Winter at Valley Forge
The winter at valley forge killed many American soldiers. -
Articles of Confederation
All 13 colonies ratified the Articles of Confederation. -
Battle of Yorktown
The British General Cornwallis surrendered to General George Washington at the Battle of Yorktown. -
Treaty of Paris
The United States and Britain signed the Treaty of Paris which signified the end of the Revolutionary War -
Constitution
The Constitution was written and signed. -
Abandoning the Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation were abandoned. -
George Washington
George Washington was inaugurated as the first president of the United States. -
First Bank of the US
The first bank of the United States designed by Alexander Hamilton was opened. -
Bill of Rights
The Bill of Rights written by James Madison was ratified. -
Cotton Gin Invention
Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin which made cleaning cotton easier. This greatly increased the demand for cotton which, in turn, increased slavery. (The date below was the day that Eli Whitney applied for a patent on his cotton gin.)