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Zenger Trial
John Peter Zenger (A German printer, publisher, and editor) was a defendant in a legal case.This case was based on American Press Freedom. The Zenger Trial began when Zenger was arrested and charged with seditious libel. -
Albany Congress
The Albany Congress was a meeting that included representatives from 7 of the 13 original colonies. This was because there was much needed discussion regarding relation with Indian tribes and defenses against the French. -
The Seven Year War
The seven year war (also known as the "French and Indian war") was between Great Britain against the French and Indian colonies. What ignited the war was when the French were trying to colonize down the Ohio river which resulted in many skirmishes between the two colonies. -
Fort Ticonderoga
This was built as a fort for the seven year war and played an important part for the strategy used in the war. This fort had a defending 4,000 French against an attacking 16,000 British and the defendants still won. -
Treaty of Paris
This treaty was signed by the French, Spanish, British, and Portugese; ending the seven year war. This treaty was successful due to the British having victory over Spanish and the French. This marked British dominance which is why the treaty was almost non-refusable toward the others. -
Pontiac's Rebellion
This war was due to the Indians who were dissatisfied the British's post war policies after the victory of the seven year war. This rebellion was to drive out British soldiers and settlers from the northern region. During this rebellion, British fought back with brutal tactics such as biological warfare, spreading smallpox. A group called the Paxton Boys were also around to fight back at the Indians, killing 20. -
Sugar Act
The Sugar act was a revenue-raising act that was the follow up of the molasses act which taxed colonists on molasses. This act and another were the set ups for a much bigger act which is known as the stamp act. -
Stamp Act
This act was a direct tax set by British Parliament that was set specifically on the new colonies of British America. The act made it so many printed materials must be printed on stamped paper. This included documents, magazines, newspapers, and many mroe. The purpose of this act was to help fund the troops stationed in America after the victory of the Seven Year War. -
Repeal of Stamp Act
The repeal of the Stamp Act was after 4 months of protestors in America. Even Benjamin Franklin made an appeal and then the British House of Commons and Parliament voted to finally repeal the act. At the same day of this repeal, the Declaratory Acts came along making sure that the British had rule over the colonies. -
Declaratory Act
This act was made on the same day of the Stamp Act repeal. The purpose of the act was to remove the freedom that the colonies had and give the British free rule and legislative power over the colonies. -
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre was when British regulars killed 5 people due to the tension of the American colonies. This was because people were upset over the Townshend Acts which enforced a heavy tax burden over the colonies. -
Tea Act
The objective of this act was to reduce the massive surplus of tea that the British East Indian Company and London warehouses had. The act was also supposed to convince colonists to purchase the Company's tea on which the Townshend duties were paid, which "showed" that you agreed that Parliament has a supreme right of taxation. -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was a revolt in which the Americans were upset over the Tea Act. This resulted in a American ship raid where they dumped all the tea into the sea as revenge over the unfair taxation that the British Parliament set on the colonies of America. -
First Continental Congress
A convention of delegates from 12 of the British North American colonies. This meeting was called in response to the Intolerable Acts that were past after the Boston Tea Party, which were made to punish Boston for the Boston Tea Party. -
Intolerable Acts
These were punishment for the colonies behavior but only caused more chaos within the colonies. Protest and resistance within all 13 colonies led to many rebellions and acts against the British. -
Lexington and Concord
These were the first places that the American Revolutionary War fought at. This war was between the British and the American colonists of all 13 colonies. -
Second Continental Congress
The second Congress managed the colonial war effort, and moved incrementally towards independence, adopting the United States Declaration of Independence on. By raising armies, directing strategy, appointing diplomats, and making formal treaties, the Congress acted as the de facto national government of what became the United States. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
The Battle of Bunker Hill took place on June 17, 1775, mostly on and around Breed's Hill, during the Siege of Boston early in the American Revolutionary War. -
Olive Branch Petition
The Olive Branch Petition was adopted by the Continental Congress in an attempt to avoid a war with Great Britain. The petition affirmed American loyalty to Great Britain and entreated the king to prevent further conflict. In August 1775 the colonies were formally declared in rebellion by the Proclamation of Rebellion, and the petition was rejected de facto, although not having been received by the king before declaring the colonists traitors. -
Common Sense
A phamplet written by Thomas Paine which argued for American freedom. The phamplet mostly relied on Bliblical references to make a case for the people listening, connecting independence with Protestant beleifs. -
Virginia Declaration of Rights
The Virginia Declaration of Rights is a document drafted in 1776 to proclaim the inherent rights of men. This also included rights to rebel against unfair government. It was an influence of later documents such as the Declaration of Independence. -
Declaration of Independence
This was the day Americans were finally free of British rule and granted their own indepenence based on self government and democracy. Thomas Jefferson being the principal author of the declaration. -
Battle of Long Island
The Battle of Long Island, also known as the Battle of Brooklyn or the Battle of Brooklyn Heights, fought on August 27, 1776, was the first major battle in the American Revolutionary War following the United States Declaration of Independence, the largest battle of the entire conflict, and the first battle in which an army of the United States engaged, having declared itself a nation only the month before. -
Bill for Religious Freedom
This bill promoted religious freedom for the state of Virginia. Thomas Jefferson and James Madison promoted the bill for several consequtive years until it was finally passed by the Virginian legislature. -
Battle of Saratoga
Decided the fate of British General John Burgoyne's army in the American War of Independence and are generally regarded as a turning point in the war. The significance here was that British morale fell and colonies were at the upper hand. -
Ratification of Articles of Confederation
The Articles were signed by Congress and sent to the individual states for ratification on November 15, 1777, after 16 months of debate. Bickering over land claims between Virginia and Maryland delayed final ratification for almost four more years. Maryland finally approved the Articles on March 1, 1781, affirming the Articles as the outline of the official government of the United States. -
Valley Forge
Valley Forge in Pennsylvania was the site of the military camp of the American Continental Army over the winter of 1777–1778 during the American Revolutionary War. Soldiers stayed over here during the harsh winters. -
Battle of Yorktown
Troops led by George Washington and others led by Comte de Rochambeau had a major battle part of the American Revolutionary War. The French and Americans won over the British and they had to negotiate to end the conflict. -
Treaty of Paris
This was made to end the American Revolutionary War that involved conflict between Great Britian and USA. Other countries that were somewhat involved with this war had a seperate agreement with different terms. This treaty expanded American freedom a very great deal. -
Land Ordinance of 1785
The Land Ordinance of 1785 was adopted by the United States Congress. Under the Articles of Confederation, Congress did not have the power to raise revenue by direct taxation of the inhabitants of the United States. Therefore, the immediate goal of the ordinance was to raise money through the sale of land in the largely unmapped territory west of the original states acquired at the 1783 (Treaty of Paris) after the end of the Revolutionary War. -
Northwest Ordinance of 1787
This was an act of the Congress of the Confederation of the US. The primary effect of the ordinance was the creation of the Northwest Territory as the first organized territory of the United States out of the region south of the Great Lakes, north and west of the Ohio River, and east of the Mississippi River. -
George Washington Inauguration
George Washington was marked for a 4 year term on this date of his inaguration. John Adams at this time took place of the Vice President. The Chancellor of NY Robert Livingstone sworn in George Washington.
