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Queen Anne's War Begins
In the War of Spanish Succession England fought Spain and France. In North America, fighting took place in Florida, New England, and New France. During the war, "the government depended heavily upon mercantile interest groups and individual promoters to propose and implement overseas imperial projects" (30). The colonists were not equipped to lead or manage the war efforts in North America, so they relied upon their British and other allies. They learned a harsh lesson on military leadership. -
Treaty of Utrecht Signed, Ending Queen Anne's War
The Treaty of Utrecht secured several gains for Britain, including a favorable resolution of the disputed claims to Newfoundland, Hudson's Bay, and Nova Scotia, the colonial objectives of the war were limited (30). The Treaty of Utrecht was comprised of mulitple individual peace treaties signed in the Dutch city of Utrecht in March and April of 1713. The treaty enforced the Partition Treaties of 1697 and 1700, which stated that the Spanish and French Crowns should never be united. -
Seven Years' War (French Indian War) Begins
The Seven Years War (1756-1763) was a global war across five continents. In North America, the French recruited Canadian Indians to attack towns populated by the colonists. George Washington began his military career during the Seven Years War and gained an impressive amount of military strategy, tactics and leadership skills during the many battles he led during this decisive war. This skills paved the way for him to become our first president. Ben Franklin created the cartoon "Join or Die". -
Treaty of Paris Signed, Ending Seven Years War
Treaty of Paris (1763) demonstrated just how decisively France had been defeated. France ceded all territories east of the Mississippi to the British; while Spain received Louisiana and New Orleans. Britain also received Spanish Florida and other Caribbean territories. The major revival in North America was eliminated; checks on westward expansion were removed, ensuring that British institutions and culture would cross the Appalachians. All laying the foundations for the coming revolution. -
The Townshend Revenue Act
The Townshend Revenue Act of 1767, was one of several taxes imposed by Parliament upon the colonists. Many rising political leaders, including Sam Adams and Ben Franklin, stood up against these taxes as taking away the colonists freedom through taxation without representation.In 1770, Parliament repealed all the Townshend duties except the tax on tea, leading to a temporary truce between the two sides in the years before the American Revolution. -
The Declaration of Independence
In 1776 the Continental Congress met in Philadelphia & agreed to sever ties with Great Britain. Thomas Jefferson & John Adams articulated the justification for liberty. The Declaration of Independence was primarily written by Thomas Jefferson and included a long list of grievances against King George III & laid out the foundation of American government as a republic. The Declaration of Independence has served as the basis for many subsequent movements to gain independence from colonial powers. -
The Bill of Rights
The Anti-Federalists united in demanding protection for individual rights, and several states made the passing of the bill of rights a condition of their acceptance of the Constitution. In 1789 Virginia Representative James Madison introduced and Congress approved the Bill of Rights. The bill was adopted in 1791 and consists of the first ten amendments to the Constitution and outlined many of the personal rights state constitutions already guaranteed. -
Start of the War of 1812
The seizure of American ships & sailors, combined with the British support of Indian resistance, led to harsh calls for war against Great Britain. Congress authorized the president to declare war against Britain in June 1812. In 1814, British & U.S. diplomats met in Flanders, in northern Belgium, to negotiate the Treaty of Ghent, signed in December. The war inflicted further economic harm on the New England region dependent on maritime commerce.
