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Sugar Act
In 1764 parliament passed the Sugar Act, taxing sugar and coffee. -
Stamp Act
In 1765, parliament passed the Stamp Act which taxed any paper product: newspapers, playing cards, etc. -
Boston Massacre
In March 1770, British soldiers in Boston opened fire on a crowd that was pelting them with snow balls (and rocks). 5 people died, an event the colonist called the Boston Massacre. -
Boston Tea Party
In December of 1773, some colonist hurled a cargo of British tea into the harbor to protest a tax on tea. The incident became known as the Boston Tea Party. -
The Battle of Lexington and Concord
In April 1775, tensions between the colonist and British finally erupted into war at The Battle of Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts. This war became known as the American Revolution. The Continental Congress met again to form an army and named George Washington as it commander. -
Declaration of Independence
In 1776, the Second Continental Congress met and voted to declare independence from Britain. Thomas Jefferson was the main author of the Declaration of Independence.
3 ways it reflects enlightenment
1. Natural Rights
2. Governments duty to protect it.
3. People have the right "to alter or abolish" unjust governments, -
Battle of Saratoga.
The first turning point in the war came in 1777, when American troops defeated the British at the Battle of Saratoga. This victory caused the French to enter on our side, soon the Netherlands and Spain also added support. -
British surrender at Yorktown, Virginia.
In 1781, the French fleet blockaded Chesapeake Bay causing Washington to force a British surrender at Yorktown, Virginia. Two years later, American, French, and British signed the Treaty of Paris that ended the war. -
Constitutional Convention
The Articles of Confederation was our first constitution, but it was too weak to rule the states. So in the 1787, they met in secret Constitutional Convention to “redraft” the articles. -
Constitution was ratified
In 1789, the Constitution was ratified, and it became the supreme law of the land with a unanimous vote, which was not easy to obtain.
2 ways this reflects enlightenment
1. They saw the government in terms of a social contract in which "We the people of the United States" entered. (Constitution is a social contract)
2. There was also a separation of powers among the judicial, legislative and executive branches; a concept borrowed from Montesquieu. (Separation of powers)
