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Early Piety Published
Foreshadowing the First Great Awakening, was the publication of a book entitled Early Piety by several New England ministers arguing that the original New World settlers were very strong in thier faith but the current generation had drifted somewhat in the comfort and eas that America now possessed and encouraged them to seek a higher spirituality. -
The Yamasee War
Carolina's English settlers were attacked, by the Yamasee Indians, with a vengeance, leading the settlers to believe that is was there intention to wipe them out or chase them out of the county. Fortunately, the profits of the trade between the settlers and the Indians was too beneficial to be lost and this fact quelled the hostilities. -
The Great Awakening
Promoting the idea that people needed to abandon thier worldly lifestyles and pursue God. The Great Awakening was known for its emotionally triggering revival meetings, a strong emphasis on sin and repentance, and the emphasis on individualism in faith and salvation. -
The Delaware/ Pennsylvania land agreement
Delaware negotiated to sell Pnnsylvania as much land as a man could circumnavigate in a day. Pennsylvania hired runners to do the circumnavigating and ended up with approximately 1,200 square miles, which was much more than Deleware had expected to sell, which caused lasting hostilities between the states. -
The Stono Rebellion
While the English settlers attended church, about eighty slaves congregated under a banner with "Liberty" written on it and marched towards Fort Mose, a free black settlement near the Georgia/Florida border, burning and killing as they went. Eventually, the militia stopped their march executing many of them and shipping others to the West Indies. -
Slavery is legalized in all New American colonies
While the nature of slavery varied from state to state, it was completely formalized by this point. In Virginia alone, there were roughly 100,000 slaves or approximately 40% of the state's population. -
The Beginning of the Seven Years War
Otherwise known as the French and Indian war, this conflict was a struggle between Britan and France over the boundaries of thier respective colonies in North America. This took a huge tole on the English colonies through the loss of life and faith as people converted to Catholicism to be able to remain in the french territory. -
The Quakers Criminalize Slavery
As a concept fundamentally against thier religious standards, the Quakers were the first to ban slavery and would exile any Quaker who was involved in the slave trade from thier meetings. -
The Treaties of Paris at Hubertusburg
Marking the end of the seven years war, the treaties of Paris re-worded the national boundaries of the American territories. As the victor, Britan received large portions of Canada and North America expanding their empire and even further expanding their control and the accompanying difficulties. -
The Proclamation of 1763
The Currency Act restricted the colonies ability to usee thier own paper money and forced them to use "hard" currency, which was harder to come by. The Sugar Act put a tax on sugar consumption and abolished trial by jury for smugglers causing the colonist to fear future and greater limitations on their freedom. -
Pontiac's War
Prompted by the prophet Neolin, who claimed to have received a vision instructing them to expel the Europeans from thier country, Pontiac, a leader of the Ottawas, began attacking settlements and forts in his efforts to obey Neolin's vision. Although ultimately unsuccessful, Pontiac's war did change Britan's Indian policy and caused them to give the territory beyond the Appalachian Mountains to the Indians. -
The Stamp Act
Rather than enforcing pre-existing policies, like the Sugar Act, The Stamp Act was a direct tax on the colonists. In addition, a larger population was affected by this tax. Instead on only merchants having to pay a tax now everyone who used paper had to pay a tax. ( Printers, Lawyers, College students, etc.) -
The Stamp Act Repealed/ The Declaratory Act.
Much to the joy of the colonists thier protests and boycotts worked and England was forced to repeal the Stamp Act; however, even as they repealed it they also passed the Declaratory Act, which maintained Parliament's rights to tax the colonies at thier discretion -
The Boston Massacre
A mob gathered outside of the Boston customs house and began harassing the sentry on guard. When other soldiers came to support him, the crowds became violent, throwing snowballs and yelling insults until the soldiers fired at them. Five Bostonians were killed and this conflict was used as fodder for the increasing hostilities between the Americans and the British. -
The Tea Act
After buying out the East India company, the English government sought to dispose of thier newly acquired tea on the American colonies in addition to accumulating some revenue to pay thier war debts through taxation. Although this system made tea cheaper, the colonist refused to drink it or pay for it as a matter of principal. -
The Boston Tea Party
Rather than pay the duty on tea, which was due once the tea was unloaded from the boat, the Boston Sons of Liberty, including Samuel Adams and John Handcock, first refused to allow the tea ladened ships to unload and then when this failed to carry the point, boarded the ships and emptied the tea chests into Boston Harbor -
The First Continental Congress
Representatives from every colonies, except Georgia, gathered to compose a Declaration of Rights and Grievances containing the ever-increasing list of complaints against the British government and its treatment of the colonies. -
The Colonies Take up Arms
Following a British attempt to take the powder and ammunition from the storehouses in Concord and Lexington, on April 19th, 1775, which lead to armed resistance on the part of the colonies. Congress composed a Declaration of the Causes of Necessity of Taking up arms to justify thier actions accompanied by an Olive Branch Petition to promises loyalty to Britan if they would listen. -
Thomas Paine published Common Sense
Appealing to the common sense of the people, Thomas Paine laid out all of the argumentation and logic behind seeking independence. He declares the illegitimacy of the British government's authority and his work fired the American people up for independence. -
Congress approves the Declaration of Independence
Written by Thomas Jefferson with the assistance of John Adams and Benjamin Franklin, the Declaration of Independence presented the colonist's grievances one last time and declared America's intention of throwing off the government which was causing them. -
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The War for Independence
Desperately outmanned and outgunned, the American army struggled against the British trying to avoid battlefield combat and stressed for supplies. It was not until they were joined by the French in 1778 that they made some headway. After defeating General Cornwallis at Yorktown, the war was all but over and peace was declared. -
The Articles of Confederation
These articles defined the nature of the new American Government and detailed its powers and explained the state's role in it. However, it gave the government no power to tax, regulate commerce, or establish a court system, which would be problematic later on. -
Shay's Rebellion
Due to crushing debt many Massachusetts farmers struggled after the way. In order to prevent foreclosure, a group of veterans, under Daniel Shay, blocked the courthouse and claimed to be protecting the people's rights. Massachusetts Governor James Bowdin thought otherwise and instigated a mass arrest. -
The Constitution is Ratified
After much debate, Congress ratified the U.S. Constitution, which solved many of the inadequacies of the Articles of Confederation. It outlined the three branches of government and included a list of the people's rights. -
George Washington Elected President
George Washington was elected unanimously as the first president of the United States. John Adams was the Vice President, Thomas Jefferson was Secretary of State, and Alexander Hamilton was Secretary of the Treasury. -
The Whisky Rebellion
A tax on Whisky initiated under Alexander Hamilton's financial plan made things difficult for western farmers whose primary commodity was grain used to produced whiskey. Several men attacked a tax collector in Pennsylvania and persisted in violently resisting the tax until the government was forced to interfear. -
Jay's Treaty
The relationship between America and Britain remained stressed after the war and a special was found in trans-Atlantic trade. John Jay negotiated a treaty calling the English to leave thier trade alone in addition to abandoning several forts in America. -
John Adams Elected President
John Adams' election showed that the political system that the Constitution outlined could function smoothly. If anything, this was the smoothest part of his election.
