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French-Indian War
The French and Indian War was a fight between Britain and France, fought mostly in North America, over territorial and economic control. It ended with the British winning, leading to territorial gains for Britain. -
The Navigation Acts
The Navigation Acts were British laws in the 17th and 18th centuries that restricted colonial trade to benefit England's economy by controlling exports and imports. -
Quartering Act
The Quartering Act of 1765 required American colonists to provide housing and food to British soldiers stationed in the colonies. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act of 1765 was a British law that created a tax on printed materials in the American colonies, requiring them to be stamped to show payment. -
Townshend Acts
The Townshend Acts of 1767 were a number of British laws that created taxes on imported goods like glass, tea, and paper in the American colonies. -
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre of 1770 was an incident in which British soldiers killed five colonists during a confrontation in Boston, contributing to the American Revolution -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party of 1773 was a protest in which American colonists, disguised as Native Americans, dumped British tea into Boston Harbor to protest the Tea Act and its taxes. -
Intolerable Acts (aka Coercive Acts)
The Intolerable Acts (or Coercive Acts) of 1774 were a series of laws passed by Britain in response to the Boston Tea Party, aimed at maintaining control over the American colonies. -
Battle of Lexington & Concord (aka “The Shot Heard Around the World”)
The Battle of Lexington and Concord, fought in 1775, was the first military conflict of the American Revolution. -
Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress was a meeting of colonists that managed the American war effort, eventually leading to the Declaration of Independence from Britain. -
Olive Branch Petition
The Olive Branch Petition was a final attempt by Congress to avoid war with Britain by offering loyalty to the Crown and requesting to get rid of excessive laws, but it was rejected by King George III. -
Common Sense
Common Sense, written by Thomas Paine in 1776, was a pamphlet that argued for American independence from Britain, causing many colonists to support the revolutionary cause. -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence, adopted on July 4, 1776, was a formal statement declaring the American colonies' independence from Britain -
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation were the first governing document of the United States, creating a weak central government with limited powers, which proved to be ineffective in uniting the states. -
Daniel Shays’ Rebellion
Shays' Rebellion was an uprising led by former Revolutionary War soldier Daniel Shays, protesting weak government under the Articles of Confederation, bringing up the need for a stronger federal government. -
Constitutional Convention (aka Philadelphia Convention)
The Constitutional Convention was a gathering of delegates from the states to draft a new constitution, replacing the Articles of Confederation and creating a stronger federal government.