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United Kingdom of Great Britain formed
In 1707, the Acts of Union recieved their royal assent which abolished the Kingdom of Englad and the Kingdom of Scotland to create a unified Kingdom of Great Britain. Anne became the first occupant of the British throne. -
Sugar Act
The Sugar Act of 1764 was a British Law that was passed by the Parliament of Great Britain. The law was designed to raise revenue from the American colonists in the 13 colonies. Taxation without Representation played a huge part in the anger of the colonists, leading to anger and resentment. -
John Quincy Adams is born
John Quincy Adams is born in Braintree, Massachusetts on July 11th, 1767 to John and Abigail Adams. JQA was the first son born to John and Abigail Adams, and witnessed firsthand the birth of the nation. Early on, JQA watched the Battle of Bunker Hill and traveled to France with his father, who was the second president of the United States.
"At birth, John Quincy was the most recent in a long line of illustrious forebears who helped shaped the destiny of the English-speaking world" (Unger 7). -
Boston Massacre
The Boston Masscre occured on March 5th, 1770 when a squad of British soldiers started shooting after being pelted with snowballs. Five were killed after this incident, with a British officer, Captain Thomas Preston, charged with manslaughter along with eight of his men. Although their charges were dropped, the massacre was one of the most important events leading to the American Revolution. -
Boston Tea Party
With the passage of the Tea Act in early 1773, many americans were angry with the imposed tax on tea. Ports in Charleston, New York and Philadelphia began rejecting tea shipments, meanwhile merchants in Boston refused to succumb to the pressure of patriots. On the night of December 16th, 1773 the Sons of Liberty dumped 342 chests of tea into the Boston harbor, resulting in the passing of the Coercive Acts in 1774 and pushed Britain and the United States closer to war. -
Lexington and Concord
General Gage of Britain conducted a plan to send out British soldiers that had been quartered in Boston. The soldiers were ordered to go to two different locations, Lexington where they would capture Colonial leaders Sam Adams and John Hancock, and Concord where their mission was to seize gunpowder. When word of Gage's plot leaked, horseback riders went to warn the countryside that the British were coming to attack. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
On June 17th, 2,000 British soliders landed on the Charlestown Peninsula, sent by Major General William Howe and Brigadier General Robert Pigot, and marched to Breed's Hill. The American soldiers fired, forcing the British soldiers to retreat. Many of the British soldiers were killed or injured in the battle. The British won the battle and the Charlestown Peninsula was now under their rule. -
Olive Branch Petition
The Olive Branch Petition was adopted by the Contenential Congress on July 5th, 1775. John Dickinson wrote the petition directly to King George III in hope of reconciliation between the colonies and Great Britain. King George ultimately refused to recieve the petition, leading to the Patriots realization that Parliament was acting with support and royal knowledge. -
Declaration of Independence
A five-man committee got together in mid June 1776 to draft a formal document of the colonies' intentions. The Contential Congress got together on July 1st, 1775 to reconvene and then the following day 12 of the 13 colonies adopted the resolution for independence. Congress offically adopted the declaration on July 4th, 1775, however it was not signed until early August. -
Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris was negotiated between the United States and Great Britain and was offically signed on September 3rd, 1783. The treaty ended the revolution and helped recognize American independence. The treaty was ratified a few months after being signed in early 1784. -
JQA appointed minister to Prussia
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Napoleon sells Lousiana territory to U.S.
An event that could be considered international was the United States aquisition of the Lousiana territory in 1803. The King of France controlled the Lousiana territroy from 1699 until it was ceded to Spain in 1762. Napoleon, hoping to re-establish an empire in North America, regained ownership of the territory. The dream Napoleon had failed, thus deciding to sell the Lousiana territory to the United States. -
JQA elected as Secretary of State
Two days after President Monroe's inauguration, he appointed John Quincy Adams as secretary of state. During these eight years under Monroe's presidency, JQA was successful in improving relations with Britain. He also successfully negotiated with Spain, leading to the signing of the Adams-Onis Treaty in 1819. -
JQA writes passage in Monroe Doctrine
During his time as secretary of state, one of JQA's biggest diplomatic services was giving suggestions and outlining the Monroe Doctrine. During the outlining, JQA helped establish one of the major foundations for all future American policy. -
JQA becomes President
On March 4th, 1825, JQA is elected by the House of Represenatives as the sixth President of the United States. Henry Clay had shifted votes and was named secretary of state, leading to JQA's winning election. JQA's opponent Andrew Jackson charges a "corrupt bargain" against JQA.
"For the first time in three decades, northerners flocked to Washington to attend the inauguration of one of their own" (Unger 237). -
First passenger-carrying railroad in England
On September 27, 1825, British engineer George Stephenson's Locomotion No. 1 was the first steam engine to carry passengers and freight on a regular basis, hawled its first train on the Stockton and Darlington Railway. The train was 26 miles long and was built in North-Eastern England. -
Ludwig van Beethoven dies
After a lifetime of making beautiful symponies, Ludwig van Beethoven passes away surrounded by family and friends in his home. Arugably one of the best composers of all time, Beethoven lost his hearing around age 40 but he never stopped composing. Beethoven composed nine symponies in his lifetime. -
JQA elected to the House of Represenatives
On November 1st, 1830, JQA became the only former president to be elected to the House of Represenatives. As a member of the House, JQA worked on the abolition of slavery within the framework of the constitution. -
First Opium War
The first Opium War was a war between the Chinese and Britain that began in 1839 because of China's attempts to suppress the opium trade. In March of 1839, the Chinese government confiscated and destroyed more than 20,000 chests of opium that were warehoused by British merchants, resulting in the beginning of the war. Peace treaties were signed a few years after, resulting in the end of the war in 1842. -
JQA defeats Gag Rule
The Gag Rule was the first instance of a traditonal practice for forbidding the House from considering anti-slavery petitions. It was first proposed by James Hammond in December of 1835. Despite JQA's efforts, the House introduced the Gag Rule at every Congress until JQA finally had enough votes to repeal it on December 3rd, 1844. -
John Quincy Adams dies
At 80 years old, the sixth president of the United States passed away in Washington, DC. Two years before his death, he suffered a stroke and made an astonishing recovery and returns to the House. The great life of JQA comes to a close on February 23, 1848, however his legacy lives on even today.
"'This is the end of earth, but I am composed,' John Quincy whispered, then lapsed into a coma," (Unger 310).
