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The French and Indian War
After the French and Indian War, Great Britain gained colossal amounts of land such as, all of French Canada. As a negative result, the British treasury was drained. King George III and advisors thought the colonists should help for pay these wars. To tax the colonists to an even greater extent, Parliament passed the Sugar Act and the Stamp Act. These acts angered the colonists and started their revolt. -
The Boston Massacre and The Boston Tea Party
In March 1770, five protesters died in the Boston Massacre. In December 1773, the colonists revolted again during the Boston Tea Party. These events and many other violent clashes made it clear that the colonists needed to discuss a plan to move towards freedom. They did just that in 1774 in Philadelphia in a Continental Congress. This first meeting led to more, and gave the people a place to speak their minds. Here, they thought of ways to gain their independence from Britain. -
The Declaration of Independence
During the Second Continental Congress in 1776, the colonists voted to officially declare independence from Britian. Many of the ideas reflected in the Declaration of Independence, came from John Locke's ideas. Some ideas included the government's obligation to protect natural rights, a right to revolt, and the principle of popular sovereignty. American leaders pledged "our lives, our forture, and our sacred honor" to creating and protecting the new United States of America. -
The Treaty of Paris Ends the War
After gaining France's support during the war, the French aided in Washington forcing the surrender of a British Army at Yorktown, Virginia. Subsequently, the British war effort collapsed. The Treaty of Paris was signed two years later by American, French, and British diplomats which ended the war. This victory resulted in Britain's recognition of the independence of the United States of America. -
The Constitution
When the Articles of Confederation proved to be too weak, the nation's leaders gathered secretly once more in Philadelphia in 1787 to redraft the new constitution. This document instituted a government run by the people, for the people. The Constitution created a federal republic with check and balances. The Bill of Rights recognized the basic rights of the people. In 1789, the Constitution became the supreme law of the land.
