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French and Indian War
As the French empire expanded it collided with the growing British empire. One major area od confliction was the rich Ohio River Valley. In 1754 the French built Fort Duquesne in the region despite the fact that Virginia governer sent militia ( a group of ordinary citizens who performed military duties, to evict the French. That was the opening to the French and Indian War. -
Treaty of Paris
The war had officially ended when the signing of the Treaty of Paris. Great Britain claimed Canada and virtually all of North America east of Mississippi River. Britain also tooik control of Florida from France.The treaty permitted Spain to keep possession of its lands west of Mississippi and the city of New Orleans, which it had gained from France is 1762. -
Proclamation of 1763
To avoid conflict with the Native Americans, the British government prohibited colonists from settling west of Appalachian Mountains. The Proclamation of 1763 established a Proclamation Line along the Appalachians, which colonists were not to cross. -
Writ of Assistance
A written order from court instructing law enforcement to do certain tasks. -
Sugar Act & colonists response
The Sugar Act did three things. It halved the duty on foreign-made molasses in the hopes that colonists would pay a lower tax rather than the risk arrest by smuggling. It placed duties on certain imports that had not been taxed before. Most important, it provided that colonists accused of violating the act would be tried in a vice-admiralty court rather than a colonial court. Colonial merchants complained that the Sugar Act would reduce their profits. -
Stamp Act & colonists response
This Act imposed a tax on documents and printed items such as wills, newspapers, and playing cards. A stamp would be placed on the items to prove that the tax had been paid. It was the first tax that had an affected colonists directly because it was levied on goods and services.In May the colonists united to defy the law. -
Declaratory Act
On the same day that it repealed the Stamp Act, Parliment passed the Declaratory Act, which asserted Parliment's full right to "bind the colonies and people of the America in all cases whatsoever." -
Sons of Liberty is formed & Samuel Adams
Samuel Adamds was a tax colector but was also the leadet of the Sons of Liberty. The acts imposed tax on tea the most popular drink in the colonies. -
Townshend Act & colonists response. Why they repealed
In 1767, the Parliament passed the Townshend Acts, named after Chris Townshend, leading the govenment minister. The Townshend taxed goods that were imported into the colony from Britain, such as lead, glass, paint, and paper. The colonist boycotted once again. -
Boston Massacre
A mob gathered in front of of the Boston Customs House and taunted the British soldiers standing guard there. Shots were fired and five colonist including, Crispus Attucks, were killed or mortally wounded. -
Tea Act
In 1773, Lord North devised the Tea Act in order to save the nearly bankrupt British East India Company. The act granted the company the right to sell tea to the colonies free of taxes that colonial tea sellers had to pay. -
Boston Tea Party
On the moonlit evening of DEcember 16th, 1773, a large group of Boston rebels disguised themselves as Native Americans and proceeded to take action against thre British tea ships anchored in the harbor. The "Indians" dumped 18,000 pounds of the East India Company's tea into the waters of the Boston harbor. -
Intolerable Acts - all 3 parts
One law shut down Boston Harbor. Another, the Quartering Act, authorized British commanders to house soilders in vacant private homes and other buildings. In addition to these measures, General Thomas Gage, commander-in-chief of British forces in North America, was appointed the new governor of Massachusetts. To keep at peace he placed Boston under martial law, or rule imposed by military forces. -
First Continental Congress meets
In September1774, 56 delegates met in Philidelphia and drew up a declaration of colonial rights. They defended the colonies' right to run their own affairs and stated that, if British used force agaisnt the colonies, the colonies should fight back. -
Minutemen
Civilian soldiers who pledged to be ready to fight against the British on a minutes notice - quietly stockpiled firearms and gunpowder. -
Battle of Concord
Between 3,000 to 4,000 minutemen fired at British troops from behind stone walls and trees. The bloodied and humiliated British tropps fled. -
Midnight riders: Revere, Dawes, Prescott
Colonist in Boston were watching on the night of April 18, 1775 and they all rode out to spread the word that 700 British troops were headed for Concord. -
Battle of Lexington
The king's tropps "redcoats" reached Lexington and commanded the men to stay down. One fired and 8 minutemen were killed, 10 injured, and only 1 British injured. This was the only battle in the Revolutionary War to last 15 minutes. -
Secont Continental Congress
In May of 1775, colonia leaders called the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia to debate at the Second move. Some argued for independence others for reconciliation. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
On June 17th, 1775 Thomas Gage sent 2.400 British soldiers up the hill. The colonists held their fire until the last minuter and then began to mow down the advancing redcoats before finally retreating.The colonist had lost 450 men while British suffered over1,000 casualties The deadliest battle of the war. -
Olive Branch Petition
On July 8th Congress sent the king the so cslled Olive Branch Petition, urging a return to "the former harmomy" between Britain and the colonies. -
Loyalist and Patriots
Loyalist- those who opposed independence and remained loyal to the British king - included judges and governments as well as people of more modest means.
Patriots- the supporters of independence - drew their numbers from people who saw political and economic opportunity in an independent America. -
Redcoats push Washington's army across Delaware River into Pennsylvania
Although the Continental Army attmpted to defend New York in late August, the untrained and poorly equipped colonial troops soon retreated. By late fall, British pushed Washingtons's army across the Delaware River. -
Publication of Common Sense
In a widely read 50- pages pamphlet titled Common sense , Thomas Paine attacked King George and the monarchy. Paine, a recent immigrant, argued that responsibility for the British tyranny lay with the "royal brute of Britain." -
Declaration of Independence
Virginia lawyer, Thomas Jefferson, was chosen to prepare the final draft.The document declared the rights of "Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness" to be the "unalienable rights ones can never be taken away. The Declaration states flatly that "all men are created equal." On July 4, 1776, they adopted the Declaration of Independence and the colonist declared their freedom from Britain. -
Washington's Christmas night surprise attack
In the face of the storm, he led 2,400 men in small rowboats across the ice-choked Delaware River. They marched into - Trenton, New Jersey- and defeated a garrison of Hessians in a surprise attack. The British regrouped and in September of 1777 they captured the American Capital at Philadelphia. -
Saratoga
Burgoyne planned to lead an army down a route of lakes from Canada to Albany where he would meet British troops as they arrived to New York. While Burgoyne didn't realize that his troops weren't coming to help, American troops surrounded him. In Saratoga he surrendered on October 17,1777. The surrender turned out to be the most important. -
French- American Alliance
Since early 1776, the Saratoga victory bolstered France's belief that the Americans could win at war. The French signed an alliance with the Americans in Febuary 1778 and openly joined them to fight. -
Valley Forge
Washington and his army were low on food and supplies. They fought to stay alive at winter camp in Valley Forge, Pensylvania. More than 2,000 soldiers died. -
Friedrich von Steuben and Marquis de Lafayette
In 1778 Friedrich von Steuben, a Prussian captain and talented drillmaster helped to train the Continental Army. Marquis de Lafayette also arrived to offer help.Lafayette lobbied France for French reinforcements in 1779 and led a command in Virginia in the last years of war. -
British victories in the South
At the end of 1778 the British captured Charles Twon, South Carolina in May 1778.British kept trying to conquer land in the south. -
British surrender at Yorktown
By late September about 17,000 French and American troops surrounded the British on the Yorktown peninsula and began bombarding them day and night. Less than a month on October 19, 1781, Cornwallis surrendered. -
Treaty of Paris
Peace talks began in Paris in 1782. The American negotiating team included John Adams, John Jay of New York, and Benjamin Franklin. In 1783 the delegates signed the Treaty of Paris which confirmed U.S. independce and set the boundaries of the new nartion. -
Continental Army
The Congress reognized the colonial militia as the Continental Army and appointed George Washington as its commander. -
John Locke's Social Contract
Locke maintained that people have natural rights to life, liberty, and property. He contended every society is based on a social contract - an agreement in which the peoples consent to chooseand obey a government so long as it safeguwards their natural rights.
