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Period: to
Colonial times
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The War at Sea
Congress had voted to create a Continental Navy as early as 1775. But American shipyards were able to build only a few warships. With only a small navy to go against the powerful British fleet, the Americans became skilled at making hit-run attacks on British shipping. -
African Americans in the war.
From the beginning African American took part in the war. At least nine served as ,inute men at Lexington and Concord. Peter Salem fought at Bunker Hill and Saratoga. Enslaved people served as well. -
Common Sense
50-page pamphlet written by Thomas Paine, titled Common Sense was published in Philadelphia. The pamphlet stimulated broad support for independance. -
The Declaration of Independance
A clear message to Great Britian saying that the American colonies were free and independant states. Starting with the preamble, the document spells out all the reasons the people of the United States have the right to break away from Britian. -
Nathan Hale
American spy who had a mission to collect information about British battle plans on Long Island. Known for his famous words, "I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country''. -
Deleware Crossing
Washington led 2,400 men across the Deleware river in small boats.Very poorly supplied some soldiers had no shoes while the were trying to stay warm as the river froze to their faces. On December 26, they attacked Trenton from two sides, achieving complete suprise. -
The Articals of Confederation
While the States were writing their constitutions , the continental congress created a plan for the nation as a whole. It was called the Articals of Confederation. Congress adopted the Articals in 1777. -
Benedict Arnold
In addition to Cornwallis's forces, the British had troops under the command of American traitor Benedict Arnold. Early in the war, Arnold had fought bravely for the patriots. But Arnold felt congress undervalued him. -
Final battle
Over a five-month period, Patriot forces swept through the deep south. By late summer, only Carles Town and Savannah remained in British hands. On October 19,1781, the Americans and French lined up in two facing columns. The British marched between the two columns and tossed their weapons into a pile on the ground. -
Treaty of Paris
Britian reconized the independance of the United States. The boundries of the new nation were set at the Atlantic on the East, Canada on the North, the Mississippi River on the West, and Flordiaon the South. Flordia itself was returned to Spain. -
Land ordinance of 1785
Congress had to devise a system for land sales and settlement. Under the Land Ordinance of 1785, surveyors were to divide public lands into townships, 6 miles on each side. This would result into a grid of squares. Within each township there would also be a grid, 1 mile on each side. These 36 sections would be sold for no less than 1$ an acre. -
Government by the States
As the Continental Congress began moving towards independance in 1776, leaders in the individual states began creating governments. Eleven of the 13 states wrote new constitutions to support their governments. -
Shays' Rebellion
In Augest 1786, a former Revolutionary War captian named Daniel Shays led an uprising of about 1,000 Massachusetts farmers. When the farmers tried to seize arms from a state warehouse, the state called out the militia. Shays and other leaders were arrested -
the Great compromise
A compromise is an agreement which each side gives up part of what it wants. Roger Sherman of Connecticut worked out a compromise that he hoped would satisfy both the large and small states. -
Bill of Rights
In 1789 Congress wrote a set of 10 amendments that are known today as the Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights aims to protect people against abuses by the federal government. Many of them came out with colonist against Britian.
