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Navigation Acts (1763)
The Navigation Act of 1763 was a law passed by the British government to control trade in the American colonies. The main goal was to make sure that the colonies were only trading with Britain and using British ships for their imports and exports. This way, Britain could benefit from all the profits and maintain control over colonial trade. -
French-Indian War (1756-1763)
The French-Indian War, which took place from 1754 to 1763, was a conflict between the British and the French, along with their respective Native American allies, over control of North America. The main issue was who would dominate the fur trade and control key territories. -
Townshend Act
The Townshend Acts, passed in 1767, were a series of laws by the British Parliament that imposed taxes on common goods imported into the American colonies, like glass, tea, paper, and paint. The purpose was to raise revenue to pay for the salaries of British officials in the colonies and to assert Britain's authority over the colonies. The colonists were not happy with these taxes because they felt it was another example of "taxation without representation." -
Quartering Act
The Quartering Act of 1765 was another law passed by the British Parliament that required American colonists to provide housing, food, and supplies for British soldiers stationed in the colonies. Essentially, if there weren't enough barracks or public houses for the soldiers, colonists had to let them stay in their homes or other buildings at their own expense.
This act was really unpopular among the colonists because it felt like an invasion of their privacy and added financial burdens. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act of 1765 was a law passed by the British Parliament that required colonists to pay a tax on a wide range of paper goods, like newspapers, legal documents, and even playing cards. Basically, anything made of paper had to have an official stamp on it to show that the tax had been paid. -
Boston Massacre(1770)
The Boston Massacre was a confrontation on March 5, 1770, in which British soldiers shot and killed several people while being harassed by a mob in Boston. It was a significant event leading to the American Revolution. -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was a political protest on December 16, 1773, where American colonists, frustrated by British taxation without representation, dumped 342 chests of British tea into Boston Harbor. This event was a key moment leading up to the American Revolution. -
Intolerable Acts (aka Coercive Acts)
The Intolerable Acts, also known as the Coercive Acts, were a series of punitive laws passed by the British Parliament in 1774 after the Boston Tea Party. These acts were meant to punish the Massachusetts colonists for their defiance and included measures such as closing Boston Harbor and revoking the Massachusetts Charter. -
Battle of Lexington & Concord (aka “The Shot Heard Around the World”)
The Battle of Lexington and Concord, often referred to as "The Shot Heard Around the World," took place on April 19, 1775. It marked the start of the American Revolutionary War. The battles were fought between the British troops and American colonial militia, and they signaled the beginning of the colonists' fight for independence from British rule. -
Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress convened on May 10, 1775, in Philadelphia. It served as the governing body of the American colonies during the early years of the Revolutionary War. The Congress managed the colonial war effort, moved incrementally towards independence, and eventually adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. -
Olive Branch Petition
The Olive Branch Petition was a final attempt by the American colonists to avoid war with Britain. Sent to King George III in July 1775, it expressed loyalty to the crown and requested a peaceful resolution to the conflicts. However, the king rejected the petition, leading to further escalation towards the American Revolution. -
Common Sense
"Common Sense" is a pamphlet written by Thomas Paine in 1776. It argued for American independence from Britain, using clear and persuasive prose to explain the advantages of self-governance. The pamphlet had a significant impact on public opinion and helped to galvanize support for the Revolutionary cause. -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence, adopted on July 4, 1776, was a document declaring the American colonies' independence from British rule. Written primarily by Thomas Jefferson, it outlined the colonies' grievances against King George III and articulated the principles of individual liberty and government by consent of the governed. -
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation were the first constitution of the United States, ratified in 1781. They established a loose confederation of sovereign states and a weak central government, which left most power with the state governments. This structure proved ineffective, leading to the drafting of the U.S. Constitution in 1787. -
Daniel Shays’ Rebellion
Daniel Shays’ Rebellion was an armed uprising in 1786-1787 by Massachusetts farmers facing economic hardship. Led by Daniel Shays, the rebellion highlighted the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation and the need for a stronger central government, which eventually led to the drafting of the U.S. Constitution. -
Constitutional Convention (aka Philadelphia Convention)
The Constitutional Convention, also known as the Philadelphia Convention, took place in 1787. Delegates from 12 of the 13 states met to address the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation. The outcome was the drafting of the U.S. Constitution, which established a stronger federal government with a system of checks and balances.