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Jonathan Edwards begins Great Awakening
In Massachusetts, beginning in Puritan churches, the Great Awakening revived the spiritual fervor in the colonies. The preachers had sermons that, instead of being dull and dreary, were absolutely full of emotion and "fire and brimstone". The effect on ordinary Americans was enormous. With this teaching, everyday Christians could read their Bible and study it at home, and not have to be taught everything by a minister. The Anglican church lost much authority as people relied on themselves. -
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The French and Indian War
The French and Indian War began because the Bristish thought that the French were invading their lands in the Ohio River Valley. It was fought between the French soldiers brought overseas, their Native American Allies, and the British soldiers and their colonists and their Native American Allies. -
Paxton Boys march on Philadelphia
Paxton Boys were a group of vigilantes who massacred Native Americans because they feared they would take over their lands and kill them. This was a false assumption, but they were absolutely convinced it would happen. They massacred a total of 20 Native Americans. Later they marched on Philadelphia, printed a pamphlet of complaints, and agreed to disperse. Kind of a bipolar group, really. -
Townshend Acts
The Townshend Acts were a series of laws passed by Parliament to raise revenues in the colonies and pay the salaries of the governors and judges in America. They were met with defiance in the colonies as it was putting a strangle-hold on the freedom and independence the colonists thought they deserved. This prompted the occupation of Boston, and ultimately the Boston Massacre and Revolutionary War. Most of these taxes were repealled, but one stayed. The Tea Act. -
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre was an incident that grew out of anger towards Great Britain forcing British troops to occupy Boston and enforcing the dreaded Townshed Acts. The troops, who were always tormented by the colonists, were attacked yet again on March 5. This time the gangs were throwing rock-filled snowballs, sticks, and stones at the soldiers, and they feared for their lives. Aftraid of what might happen to them, the soldiers fired into the riot, killing 5 people. -
Battles of Lexington and Concord
Lexington and Concord were the first true military engagements of the Revolutionary War. Some say the first shot was "heard around the world" because of it's effects. It began the American Revolution, and a heated war fighting for freedom and splitting from a mother country, which had never been done before. After it happened, many colonies began splitting from their original parent countries. The idea of democracy and defending your own land and ideas became a prominent theme in wars to come. -
Thomas Paine's Common Sense
The pamphlet written by Thomas Paine was a document written in plain language that explained a logical reasonable argument as to why freedom from the British was a necessary step in order to secure freedom for Americans. Instead of being philosophical, Paine instead used simple Biblical references and acessed common Prostestant idioms as a means to present an "american" political identity. One that was of the people, by the people, and for the people. -
The Signing of the Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence basically said enough was enough. The colonies had unanimously agreed that the British were no longer their government and that they should have their own. They had governed themselves for years and now it seemed like Britain was trying to take that away, so they sent back this. It was widely distributed in the colonies and newspapers spread it like wildfire. It also is what really made the the Revolutionary War official. -
George Rogers Clark's victories in the West
George Rogers Clark was the highest ranking officer in the Northwest during the Revolutionary War, and he helped drive out the British from forts in the Ohio River Valley. Through his victories, the British could not attack the Americans from the West, and it freed up the areas of the Ohio Valley to be freely protected by the colonists that lived there. Clark's most significant event was when he made the British believe he had an army of thousands when really he only had about 1000 men. -
Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris signified the end of the American Revolution and secured three goals for Americans. These goals were 1) Britain would recognize America as an independent state, 2) The Mississippi River would be the boundary line, 3) Americans could fish off the coast of Canda, and 4) Americans would pay off all debts owed to the British corwn. In a sense, everybody won.