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Navigation Acts
The Navigation Acts were laws that limited how the American colonies could trade. They were part of Britain's plan to use the colonies to increase its wealth and power. Only English ships could bring goods over into England. -
French-Indian War
The French and Indian War was a fight between France and Great Britain for control of North America, lasting from 1754 to 1763. It was also part of a bigger worldwide war known as the Seven Years' War. -
Stamp Act
The British government passed the Stamp Act to help pay for the British soldiers who were in the American colonies after the Seven Years' War. This law made colonists pay a tax on things like newspapers, legal papers, and playing cards by buying a stamp for each item. -
Quartering Act
The Quartering Act was to make American colonies provide housing for British soldiers in their towns. Colonists had to give them food, drinks, fuel, and transportation. The law said soldiers could stay in barracks or public buildings, but if there wasn’t enough room, they could stay in inns, taverns, or barns. -
Townshend Acts
The Townshend Act put new taxes on items like glass, lead, paper, and tea brought from Great Britain to the colonies. The money from these taxes was used to pay colonial governors and judges and cover the cost of running the colonies. Many colonists stopped buying British goods through a method called nonimportation. -
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre happened when British soldiers in Boston clashed with colonists. The colonists were upset about taxes and the British troops being in their city. They started throwing snowballs and other things at the soldiers, which led to a violent confrontation. -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was an protest where around 60 colonists threw 342 chests of tea into Boston Harbor. They were angry about the tea tax, and thought was unfair, and the control the East India Company had over the tea trade. -
Intolerable Acts
The Intolerable Acts closed Boston Harbor and made it harder for colonists to have fair trials and let British soldiers stay in their homes. The colonists were really angry and wouldn't follow these laws, which is why they were called "intolerable." -
Olive Branch Petition
The Olive Branch Petition was a letter from the American colonists to King George III and the British government. It was meant to calm tensions and try to make peace between the colonies and Britain. -
Battle of Lexington & Concord
The Battles of Lexington and Concord were the first fights of the American Revolution. British soldiers tried to take weapons from the American colonists, but they faced resistance. The first shot known as the "shot heard 'round the world." This battle made many Americans realize they needed to fight for their independence from Britain. -
Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress was a meeting of leaders from the 13 American colonies. They came together to support the fight for independence from Britain. In the meeting they set up the Continental Army and made George Washington its leader, and later declared independence in 1776. This helped create the United States. -
Common Sense
Common Sense was a 47-page booklet written by Thomas Paine. It made a strong case for the American colonies to stop being controlled by Britain and become independent. Paine’s ideas helped many colonists believe that independence was the right thing to do. -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence written by Thomas Jefferson. It declared the American colonies independence from Britain. It showed reasons for the separation, emphasizing the colony's rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The document criticized King George III for abusing power and showed the colony's decision to form their own government. -
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation were the first rules for the U.S. They set up a weak central government and gave most power to the states. The government couldn't tax or control trade and most decisions needed many states to agree. -
Daniel Shays’ Rebellion
This started because many farmers were in debt and faced high taxes after the American Revolution. It mainly took place in Massachusetts but other states also had similar money problems. The rebellion showed that the government was weak and helped lead to the creation of the U.S. Constitution. -
Constitutional Convention
Constitutional Convention delegates from every state except Rhode Island met in Philadelphia. They decided the best way to fix the country's problems was to replace the Articles of Confederation with a new constitution.