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The Mayflower lands at Plymouth Rock
The Mayflower landed at Plymouth Rock in 1620 which is now what is known as Provincetown. It is believed to be the first place that William Bradford and the pilgrims set foot on the New World. -
Pennsylvania Becomes a Colony
The King signed it off to become a state on March 4th 1681 and on April 2nd of the same year it was officially declared a colony. It was named in honor of William Penn’s father. The colony was made with 16,000 dollars, it was a debt that the King owed to William Penn’s father. -
The French and Indian War
This was a conflict between Great Britain and France that began in North America. It started in 1754 and ended in 1763. This is a war that the British Empire would win and gain a lot of North American land. The war was fought to determine who would have the most land. -
The Sugar Act
The Sugar Act also known as the American Revenue Act. The purpose of this act was to raise the revenue in America passed by the British Parliament. It was put into place to try to pay for the Seven Years War. It taxed sugar and decreased taxes on molasses. This restricted smuggling. -
The Currency Act
This act also known as the Paper Bills of Credit Act was designed to regulate the paper money issued by the North American colonies. It was designed to protect the merchants from colonial currency. This led the colonies to suffer a shortage of money. This would lead to the colonies protesting. -
The Stamp Act
England wanted to pay their troops in the colonies, so they passed the Stamp Act. It put a tax on papers, documents, and other stuff. If the colonists didn’t pay, they were punished unfairly without a jury. The colonists hated this act. For them, it was an example of “taxation without representation.” -
The Quartering Act
The British signed this act on March 24, 1765 and it aimed to increase the revenue from the British colonies in America. Another part of the act stated that people living in the colonies had to provide food and housing to British Soldiers. It made maintaining soldiers much cheaper and easier for Britain. -
The Townshend Revenue Act
The Townshend Act was named after Charles Townshend. The main goal was to increase revenue for the British Empire by taxing people living in the North American colonies. Charles Townshend estimated that that would make up to 40,000 pounds in revenue. It was designed to help pay the expenses of the British colonies. -
The Boston Massacre
This was a confrontation in Boston where British soldiers shot and killed a group of men that they mistook to be a mob. This event was publicized by people like Paul Revere and Samuel Adams, both of which were leading Patriots. This event helped unite colonies against Great Britain. It made the colonists want independence. -
The Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was a political protest held in Boston, Massachusetts. It was held because the colonists were mad at the British for “taxation without representation”. This would lead the colonists to dump 342 chests of tea imported into the country into the ocean. This protest fueled the tension between Britain and America. -
The First Continental Congress
The first Continental Congress was a meeting of people that came from 12 of the 13 colonies. They are known for declaring the Declaration of Independence that labeled the United States as their own independent country. They basically governed the United States until 1779 when they were replaced by the U.S Constitution. -
The Second Continental Congress
This was a meeting of about 60 people from the 13 American colonies that united during the American Revolutionary War. They basically turned into the first functional government. They appointed ambassadors, created their own paper currency and appointed generals to lead the army. They were also in charge of raising armies. -
Patrick Henry’s “Give me Liberty or give me Death” speech
Patrick Henry’s speech argued that there should be a volunteer militia in all the counties of Virginia to protect themselves from the British Empire. The speech also talked about how the people wanted freedom at all costs and that they were willing to die if they did not get it. -
The Ride of Paul Revere
This was a poem called “Paul Revere’s Ride”. It was written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and was written to commemorate the actions of Paul Revere who was an American Patriot. The poem was written about how on April 18, 1775 Paul Revere rode on horseback to deliver a warning to the colonies and the militia about the British Attack. -
George Washington named Commander in Chief
The Continental Congress named George Washington Commander in Chief on June 19, 1775. They hoped that he would unite the colonies during The Revolutionary War. He was chosen because of his prior military experience even though he did not have any experience in a big conventional army. He led the U.S to establish their independence from the British.