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Enlightenment
Enlightenment focused on believing what you could see and reason for yourself instead of being led by religion. This movement took place throughout Europe and the colonies and taught people to ask questions and think for themselves. The movement also coincided with the Great Awakening which heralded a refocusing of the church and how colonists worshiped. -
Proclamation of 1763
King George III issued a proclamation that defined a line along the Appalachians where the Colonists were to live. Any colonists living outside this defined area were to return to the Eastern side. The proclamation's aim was to prevent further wars over territory, calm disputes with the Indians and control the colonists. -
The Stamp Act Repeal
The colonists were infuriated when the Stamp Act was proclaimed by King George III. They were already paying a premium for goods shipped via Britain and now would be paying taxes on all paper good. More insulting was that the tax would be used to maintain armed British garrisons in the colonies. The Stamp Act Congress, held in New York, represented the first time the colonists came together to fight together against Imperial rule. -
The Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party represented the boiling point of a number of colonists in Boston. The Tea Act represented yet another occasion where the crown was attempting to control the colonies. The Tea Act was a move to undercut other suppliers and make British Tea cheaper so the colonists would have to buy it. Many who understood this manipulation spoke out against it. A group from the Sons of Liberty dumped the contents from three ships into the water in protest. -
The Treaty of Paris
After a long and bloody Revolutionary War, the British defeat at Yorktown signaled the end of fighting and the beginning of negotiations for peace. In Paris, many of the hostilities of the 7 Year War were put to rest. Much of the land seized during the war was returned and Great Britain took possession of many of Frances holdings in the New World. The Treaty officially acknowledged the Independence of The United States of America and defines their boarders. -
Electing the First President of the United States
Elections for the first U.S. Congress took place in 1788 and 1789. In April of 1789, George Washington was elected as the first President of the United States of America. With this first election, the first seed of unrest became apparent. Washington was a federalist and viewed politics as a tool and privilege of the wealthy. And so began the eternal battle to create a more perfect union, establish justice and ensure domestic tranquility.
