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Georgia Colony Established
This colony was established for social reasons. James Oglethorpe formed the colony in 1733 as a place for imprisoned debtors and convicts sent from England. -
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French and Indian War
By the 1750s, the British claimed control of the Ohio River Valley just across the Appalachians from the British colonies. Meanwhile, the French had built forts along the Great Lakes and claimed control of the Ohio River Valley, southwest of their settlements. War between Britain and France broke out in 1754. Since many Indian tribes sided with the French, the conflict became known in North America as the French and Indian War. In 1756, the war spread from North America to Europe. -
Proclamation Line of 1763
Following the victory in the French and Indian War, many colonists hoped to move to the new western lands. King George III issued a royal proclamation to prevent further Indian attacks. The Proclamation Line of 1763 said that colonists could not settle west of the Appalachian Mountains. This line was resented by the colonists. In addition, the British continued to keep an army in North America. Colonists saw these actions as evidence of a British desire to maintain to control them. -
The Sugar Act
This act reduced the tax on imported sugar in half, but also took steps to enforce it more strictly. Samuel Adams, a journalist and politician in Boston, organized protests against the Sugar Act, whih was repealed in 1766. -
The Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was passed by the British Parliament on March 22, 1765. The new tax was imposed on all American colonists and required them to pay a tax on every piece of printed paper they used. Ship's papers, legal documents, licenses, newspapers, other publications, and even playing cards were taxed. Congress decided to openly protest, boycott, attack tax collectors, pass resolutions, and produce petitions to the king. -
Townshend Acts
The Townshend Acts were a series of laws passed by the British government on the American colonies in 1767. They placed new taxes and took away some freedoms from the colonists including the following: New taxes on imports of paper, paint, lead, glass, and tea. Americans colonists held rallies and organized into groups like the Sons of Liberty. To influence public opinion, they circulated, pamphlets, newspapers, and political cartoons criticizing the new taxes. -
The Boston Massacre
A disagreement between a soldier and colonists drew attention and became an angry mob of colonists against 12 British soldiers. The colonists threw snowballs, rocks, and used clubs against the soldiers. A soldier was knocked down and shots were fired killing 5 colonists. Crispus Attucks was the first person killed. This was called a “Bloody Massacre” by Paul Revere and Samuel Adams. This event was used as propaganda to gain support for fighting British policies and laws. -
Tea Act
This law required colonists to buy their tea from the British East India Company, which was owned by King George III.
The tea was still being taxed. This act led to the Boston Tea Party. -
The Boston Tea Party
On December 16, 1773 at Griffin’s Wharf, a group of approximately 50 Bostonians disguised as Native Americans boarded the ships Beaver, Dartmouth, and Eleanor, and proceeded to dump 342 crates of tea into the Boston harbor. In doing so, they destroyed almost 10 thousand pounds sterling worth of tea—worth about $1.7 million today—that belonged to the British East India Company. -
The Intolerable Acts
After the Boston Tea Party, the Boston Harbor was closed until the people agreed to pay for the destroyed tea. This act also eliminated the colonists’ elected government. Additionally, King George III eliminated all positions in the government and required colonists to house soldiers in empty buildings and in the homes of the colonists (Quartering Act). Also, no public meetings were allowed. -
First Continental Congress
In 1774, representatives from the colonies met in Philadelphia to discuss their common concerns in the growing crisis. This assembly, known as the First Continental Congress, decided to continue protesting British taxed. They felt that the British government failed to redress colonial grievances. -
Lexington and Concord
Open warfare broke out between British soldiers and colonial militia, known as "Minutemen." It began when British soldiers were sent to Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts to arrest several Patriot leaders and to capture a suspected storehouse of weapons. No one is sure who fired the first shots, but it was the "Shot Heard Around the World." This event marked the start of the American Revolutionary War. -
Declaration of Independence Issued
Representatives of the Second Continental Congress began discussing the issue of American independence in 1776. After much debate, Thomas Jefferson and a committee including John Adams and Benjamin Franklin wrote most of the Declaration of Independence. This document explained the reasons why the colonists sought independence from Great Britain. Borrowing from the ideas of John Locke, Jefferson explained that the government's purpose was to protect its citizens' unalienable rights. -
Articles of Confederation Approved
The Second Continental Congress enacted the Articles of Confederation. This created a loose confederation of states. Each state had one vote in the Confederation Congress, and nine states were needed to pass a law. The Confederation Congress controlled foreign affairs but was unable to raise an army or collect taxes. It depended on the state governments for support. Although the document was sent to the states in November 1777, it took until March of 1781 for each state to approve it. -
U.S. Constitution Signed
This document was a written plan of government that spelled out the powers and organization of the new national government. It is important because it established the institutions of the national government (separation of powers), defined the powers of the national government (federalism), and provided a legal basis for the protection of the rights of its citizens.
