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Enlightenment
The Enlightenment brought a new focus on secular thought to Europe, reshaping the understanding of issues such as liberty, equality, and individual rights. -
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French and Indian War
The French and Indian War started in 1754 and concluded with the Treaty of Paris in 1763. This war resulted in significant territorial gains for Great Britain in North America. However, disagreements over future frontier policy and the payment of war expenses caused dissatisfaction among the colonies, eventually leading to the American Revolution. -
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Stamp act 1776
The Stamp Act required the colonists to pay a tax, represented by a stamp, on various forms of papers, documents, and playing cards. It was a direct tax imposed by the British government without the approval of the colonial legislatures and was payable in hard-to-obtain British sterling, rather than colonial currency. -
Boston Massacre
On March 5, 1770, seven British soldiers fired into a Boston crowd, killing five and wounding six. British sentries at the Boston Customs House also shot into a civilian crowd, killing three and injuring eight, two mortally. -
Intolerable Acts
Intolerable Acts (1774) were four punitive measures enacted by the British Parliament in response to colonial defiance in U.S. colonial history. -
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Thomas Paine's Common Sense
Common Sense strongly argued for independence and blamed British rule for colonial issues, insisting that the 1770s crisis could only be resolved through colonial independence. -
Second Continental Congress meets
The Second Continental Congress voted to adopt the Declaration of Independence on July 2, 1776, which led to the colonies becoming the United States of America. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
On June 17, 1775, the American troops demonstrated their valor in battle. Despite being defeated, the American patriots unequivocally proved that they could hold their own against the British Army. -
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Battle of Trenton
On the morning of December 26, 1776, the Battle of Trenton took place in Trenton, New Jersey, and played a crucial role in the American Revolutionary War. -
Battle of Camden
The Battle of Camden resulted in the worst American defeat in the field and temporarily gave the British control of the southern colonies. This boosted Cornwallis's reputation but ended Gates's career as he was replaced. The British victory paved the way for an invasion of North Carolina. -
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Battle of Yorktown
During a three-week siege, British troops were outnumbered and outfought, sustaining significant losses. They eventually surrendered to the Continental Army and their French allies. This last major land battle of the American Revolution led to negotiations for peace with the British and the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1783. -
Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris, signed on September 3, 1783, formally ended the American Revolution and established the United States as an independent nation. This historic agreement marked the culmination of years of conflict and paved the way for the United States to take its place among the community of nations' treaty, signed on September 3, 1783 between the American colonies and Great Britain, ended the American Revolution and formally recognized the United States as an independent nation. -
3/5 Compromise
The Three-Fifths Compromise was reached during the 1787 Constitutional Convention. It stated that three out of every five slaves would be counted for legislative representation and taxation purposes. -
Great Compromise
Oliver Ellsworth and Roger Sherman, along with others, proposed a bicameral legislature with proportional representation in the lower house and equal representation of the states in the upper house, a compromise sometimes called the Connecticut or Great Compromise. -
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Bill of Rights Adopted
A joint House and Senate Conference Committee settled remaining disagreements in September. On October 2, 1789, President Washington sent copies of the 12 amendments adopted by Congress to the states.