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Proclamation of 1763
King George divided the Appalachion mountains telling the colonists to stay east and the indians west. He did this because he couldn't afford another war. Colonists got angry and called this tyranny. The British sent another 7,500 men to the fronts to expand their army and keep peace. -
The Stamp Act
The british had debts from the French and Indian war so prime minister George Greenville proposed a new act called the stamp act. This act required Americans to buy a stamp for each piece of paper. This made the colonists angry. They protested in newspapers. They also started burrying a taxcollecter alive, until he said he would resign. Finally the stamp act was repealed and the Americans celebrated. -
The Quartering Act
The British parliament passed a law called the Quartering Act. This act required the colonists to provide british soldiers with housing, bedding, and food while the British were off at war. These soldiers were supposed to protect the colonists from dangers. The colonists were angry about this because they saw it was another way to make them pay taxes, while the soldiers weren't doing anything. Still, King George refused to repeal the act and tempers began to rise on both sides of the Atlantic. -
The Townshend acts
Charles Townshend passes the Townshend acts. These laws passes taxes on certain popular goods in the colonies such as paint, glass and tea. The taxes colonists payed, payed the soldiers that were living them and keeping them in line. As a result Colonists boycotted the goods they were being taxed on and due to the bankrupcy of the itms the act was repealed. -
The Tea Act
The British East India company was running out of money so the British lowered the cost of the tea sold by this company and they passed the tea act which stated that colonists could only buy tea from this company. Colonists realized this was just another attempt to tax them without represantation.The result of this was the Boston tea party. atriots dressed up as Native Americans, snuck onto a british ship loaded with tea and dumped 90,000 pounds of tea into the harbor. -
The Intolerable Acts
The British were very angry at the colonists after the Boston Tea Party and therefore passed more new laws. These laws were so harsh that the colonists called them the Intolerable acts. Colonists refused to pay for the tea they had ruined. They organized groups to make sure that colonists boycotted British goods. They also wrote a respectful letter to King George telling him why they were upset. -
Lexington and Concord
General Gage was told that the colonists had a large supply of gunpowder and weapons in the nearby village of Concord. He ordered 700 of his best troops to surprise the colonists and take their weapons. When the British arrived at Concord, the Colonists were waiting for them. An anonymous shot rang out, and both sides started firing until all the colonists were dead or injured. Later Captain Davis gathered many colonists, which then stood up to the British, killing many of them. -
The Secong Continental Congress
The Congress met in Philadelphia to discuss who should lead the New England Army. George Washington and John Adams proposed they make continenla army consisting of tropps from all the colonies. Adams voted voted George Washington to lead it. The delegates all agreed. -
The Siege of Boston
George Washington realized that he didn't have enough gonpowder to attack the British in Boston, so he started a rumor, that he had 1,800 barrels of gunpowde. The British believed this rumor, but even after George Washington had asked for and recieved gunpowder from other colonies he knew he needed more to attck the British. Washington and some of his people stole guns and cannons from the British fort Ticandoroga. They then attcked the British in Boston forcing them and many loyalists to flee. -
The Olive Branch Petition
The Congress sent a Petition to King George lll asking him to end the quarell. Jonh adams called this the 'olive branch petition' because the olive branch is a sign of peace. By the time this petition reached London the King had already ordered his ministers to bring the colonists 'the traitors' to justice. When Washington found out about this he was very angry at being called a traitor and decided that he and his people would fight for independence. -
The Battle of Bunker Hill
Militiamen planned to take over two hills. Israel Putnam led his men to up to Breed'd Hill and made a fort. This worried British General William Howe. He ordered an attack on the Americans but told his troops not to fire until they were very close. Before they got close one of the militiamen fired at the soldiers. They attacked again but were stopped. By the third shot the Amercans had used up all their gunpowder. Many colonists and many British were wounded or killed. A war had begun. -
The Declaration of Independence
Weeks after the British fled Boston, the Continental Congress appointed a comitee to write a formal statement or declaration of Independence. The comittee's youngest memeber, the shy Thomas Jefferson was to draft the declaration. In his writing, Jefferson stated that all man are equal. It also listed all of the King's abuses. Finally the declaration was edited by John Adams and Benjamin Franklin. -
The battle of New York
The American and British armies met in New York to fight. The Americans were defeated by far, losing 1,407 men, while the British lost only 377. The British army thought the war was over, and expected a surrender from General George Washington. Washington, however, simply retreated, without a surrender. -
Ratification of the Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation were the United States first Constitution. This document stated that the State Government had more power than the National Government. The Articles of Confedration were adoped in all States in the US, except Maryland, on November 15th, 1777. -
Trenton
Late in the night on December 25, 1776, George Washington and his army surprised the British troops in Trenton, New Jersey. The Americans attacked the sleeping men and took 868 hostages. Nobody was killed. The British realized they would have to fight hard to defeat the colonists. -
Saratoga
General John Burgoyne led his troops toSaritoga Springs on the Hudson River where he found Militia waiting for him. Although the Rebels outnumbered the soldiers, Burgoyne ordered an attack, and lost miserably. This gave the Americans new hope. -
Yorktown
In April 1781, General Cornwallis and his troops were tired of marching around the country looking for the Amercans so they decided to stop for a long rest in Yorktown. A trap had been set up there by the Americans. They moved in on the British troops while their allies the French sealed off the bay. After several days of fighting, Cornwallis discovered that the British Navy would't be rescuing him so he and many from his army surrendered. -
The Treaty of Paris
Months after the Battle of Yorktown King George finally accepted defeat. Early in 1783, the United States and Britian signed a peace treaty in Paris. The treaty of Paris had three key points. First, Britian would recognise the US as an independent nation, second the Brtish gave up all land between the Atlantic Coast and the Missisipi river and finally the Americans would give back all property taken from the loyalist during the war. The Americans had won the Revolution, and the war was over. -
Shay's Rebellion
Shay's Rebellion was a rebellion of angry farmers. They were upset because the Government was taking away their property. They burned down a courthouse and and arsenal, and eventually Congress decided to change the Articles of Cnfederation. -
Constitutional Convention
AS a result of Shay's rebellion, Congress decided to meet to revise the Articles of Confederation.They realized it was difficult when they all had different views and opinions. -
Ratification of the US Constitution
On September 17th, 1787 the US Constitution was finished. It consisted of 27 amendments, 10 of which were the bill of rights. This Constitution was to be approved by at least 9 out of 13 states. -
The Louisiana Purchase
The Missisipi river was much used by Americans for trading their crops. Across the Missisipi was the unexplored land of Lousiana. Both france and America wanted this land for Farming. In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson sent James Monroe to France, where France signed a treaty, officially giving Louisiana to America for 15 million dollars. -
Spain gives Florida to the US
The US were interested in Florida, and the Spanish rule was becoming weak so Andrew Jackson marched into Florida with his troops. The Spanish didn't want war, so they gave Florida to the US for 5 million dollars and in exchange for Texas. -
The Indian Removal Act
President Jackson, decided that the "Five Civilized tribes " of Indians had to go. He wanted to move them to the west. Urged, by President Jackson , Congress passed the Indian Removal Act. This law allowed the president to make treaties in which Native Americans in the East traded their lands for new territory on the Great Plains. Some groups resisted but some went willingly. -
The "Trail of tears"
Thousands of Indians were forced to leave their homes, and herded west by federal troops. They had to leave behind everything, except for the clothes they were wearing. Four thousand Indians died on the journey, The ones that survived this horrible journey, remembered it as the trail of tears. -
Texas is annexed
Texas became an independent country and remained like that for 10 years. America wanted Texas, because Texas was good for growing cotton, and finally Congress voted Texas to be annexed. -
The Oregon Treaty
By 1825, America and Britian had claims on a territory called Oregon. Finally, settlers from both countrys decided to live together on the territory in peace. The current president of the US, James Polk decided he wanted a bigger claim of the Oregon territory so he made a treaty with Britain to split Oregon evenly between the two countries. -
The war with Mexico
On April 25th, Mexican soldiers fired at the Americans after President James Polk offered to buy parts of Mexico and were deniedby the Mexican government. The Americans declared war after the shooting and after two years of fighting America gained control of California, and some other areas in Mexico. In 1848, the US and Mexico agreed to sign the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which gave the US Texas and a part of Mexican land. For this land, the US gave the Mexican government $15 million. -
The Fugitive Slave law
Under this law, anyone arrested as a runaway slave, had practically no legal rights. Northerners were upset at this law, and did not want to enforce it. -
The Novel "Uncle Tom's cabin"
This Novel told a story of a slave and his master, and it turned millions of people against slavery. It upset the Southerners very much because it promoted anti-slavery. -
The Kansas-Nebrasca Act
This act scrapped the Missouri compromise , and opened Kansas and Nebrsaca to Slavery. This uspet the Northerners -
The Civil War
The American civil war started because 11 states succeded (they became the confederacy). There were several reasons for this, one of them being slaverly. The North (the remaining states/ the union) was against it and the South was for it. Another issue was Abraham Lincoln's election as president. After a lot of battles, and thousands of deaths, the confederacy surrendered on April 9th, 1865. -
Abraham Lincoln's election
Abraham Lincoln was elected as president with 40 percent of the votes. Southerners were upset at this, because they knew that Lincoln was planning on banning slavery in the US.
