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French and Indian War
England and her colonies defeated France and Native American allies. British treasury drained. Britain thought colonists should pay their share. -
Stamp Act
The British Parliament first put a tax on imports called the Sugar Act, then started taxing items such as newspapers and pamphlets. -
Boston Massacre
The deadly riot on King Street in Boston. Started as a fight between American colonists and one British soldier. Later, it became a bloody slaughter of 5 colonists. -
Boston Tea Party
The colonists became very angry over the Tea Act. A group of colonists climbed onto a British cargo ship and threw all the tea into the harbor below. -
Navigation Acts
Parliament passed these acts to regulate colonial trade and manufacturing. These acts weren’t strictly enforced though that meant smuggling was common. -
Tea Act
An act passed by the British Parliament that forced the colonist to order tea, trade tea, no use the ships of the East India Tea Company. The British also placed a tax on that tea. -
First Continental Congress
The representatives of the 12 colonies met in Philadelphia because of the rising tension against the British. John Adams, George Washington, and Benjamin Franklin were some of the participants that were attending the meeting. -
Coercive/Intolerable Acts
The 5 laws that were created to punish the people after their Tea Party protests. The colonists though that they were unfair because the acts punished everyone, not just those who protested. The acts united the colonists and pushed them closer to war. -
Battles of Lexington and Concord
The start of the war between the colonists and the British. These were the first shots of the American Revolution in Massachusetts. -
Second Continental Congress
The second big meeting of the 12 colonies soon after the war started. They set up a continental army and put George Washington in command. -
Declaration Of Independence Adopted
Congress took a big step to declare independence from Britain. Further stating in the Declaration, people had the right “to alter or to abolish” an unruly government. -
Battle Of Saratoga
The battle was the turning point of the wat because the Americans beat the British. The French brought the Americans supplies, trained soldiers, and ships. -
Winter at Valley Forge
The harsh winter conditions, lack of supplies, and accommodations were awful. Nearly 1/4th of the of the soldiers didn’t make it to see spring. Called “The Birthplace of The American Army,” because of all the soldiers had to endure in becoming a true fighting unit. -
Battle Of York Town
This was the last big fight of the American Revolution War, lasting 20 days. The British army surrendered and their government began to consider a peace treaty. Finally, General Cornwallis signed the British surrender -
U.S. Constitution Written
Due to the weakness of the Articles of Confederation, George Washington, James Madison, and Thomas Jefferson came together to create the Constitution. It formed a strong and flexible government. -
U.S. Constitution Adopted
The United States stood out to Europeans who longed for liberty and freedom. Under the Constitution, people had many enjoyable rights but always responsibilities to abide to laws.