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1178
Treaty of Amity and Commerce/ Treaty of Alliance
The Treaty of A&C recognized the United States as an independent nation and encouraged trade between France and the America. On the other hand, the Treaty of A provided for a military alliance against Great Britain, causing America to be recognized as an independent state as one of the requirements. -
John Locke (natural rights)
He emphasized the equality of all people and their natural "born" right to justice, liberty, and self-fulfillment -
Enlightenment
Enlightenment stressed the idea of natural rights and equality for all citizens. English enlightenment ideals leaned more towards equality and the installment of "natural born" rights for citizens. French enlightenment focused on more "practical" ideals like liberty, progress, toleration, constitutional government and separation of church and state. A few of the ideals had many similar points, however their focuses are still indeed different. (the dates range from 1730-1780) -
George Washington
General George Washington created the Continental Army that had fought against the British. He was a strong influence in persuading the states to partake in the Constitutional Convention, and he used his status to help gain a-likeness of the Constitution. He earned a good reputation from the French and Indian War and was a very intelligent man. -
Second Continental Congress
Congress convened in Philadelphia.They drew up the Olive Branch Petition, which begged George III to restore peace, and adopted a Declaration of the Causes and Necessity for Taking up Arms. Congress was divided into two main power points: the delegates that were ready to go to war and declare independence, and the others that didn't feel the need to/didn't want to. -
Olive Branch Petition
2nd Congress had issued this petition to King George III, begging with him to intercede with Parliament to restore peace. After ignoring it, he issued a Prohibitory act, which declared all colonies in a state of rebellion would no longer receive his protection. This led to the preparations of a full war with Britain. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
After two failed British attacks on Bunker Hill, the colonists ran out of ammunition, and the British succeeded. The colonists now in a dire situation, had to make a crucial decision: to commit to a full-scale revolution, or to accept the rule of the British. -
Lexington and Concord
These battles signified the beginning of the revolutionary war itself. hundreds of British troops marched from Boston to nearby Concord in order to seize an arms cache. other riders had sounded the alarm, and they began mobilizing to find and fight the "red coats". A confrontation on the Lexington town green started off the fighting, and soon the British were retreating under intense fire.However, this resulted in a win for the British. -
Declaration of Independence
Written by the Committee, The Declaration of Independence contained a list of grievances placing the blame on King George III. , it also asserted certain natural rights (Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness) to rebel against tyrannical governments. -
Trenton
General George Washington's army crossed over Delaware and, over the course of the next 10 days, won two extremely important battles of the American Revolution. America's victory caused them to regain a bit of New Jersey and gave the troops much-needed confidence to continue on. -
Valley Forge
Some survivors and The Continental Army marched through Valley Forge while the British army collected themselves a bit far away in Philadelphia. After the arrival of Baron Friedrich von Steuben, the Continental army emerged from Valley Forge. -
Saratoga
British General John Burgoyne felt overwhelmed by a force that was insanely larger than his and was forced to basically surrender. This caused the British to deeply consider whether or not to continue the war. The U.S. convinced the French that the U.S. deserved diplomatic recognition as well. -
Princeton
In this battle, George Washington and his soldiers marched north from Trenton and attacked a British force south of the town .Due to Washington's success, the British lost control of New Jersey and retreated to New York. The results of this battle gave the soldiers the mindset that they could actually win the war. -
Spain
Spain declared war on Britain as an ally of France, making it also an ally of the American colonies. They provided supplies, money and gunpowder to the American forces. Without them, both Independence for Britain and the outcome of the war would not have been possible. -
Yorktown
Washington had trapped British General Cornwallis on the Yorktown peninsula. "The Siege of Yorktown" began and quickly ended when Cornwallis realized that he lost his few crucial points around Yorktown and surrendered. -
Cowpens
At the Battle of Cowpens in South Carolina, Americans inflicted heavy damage on the British, and the battle was a turning point in the war’s southern campaign + morale. More than 800 British troops were killed, wounded or captured, while the colonists only had 100 or so casualties. This was most definitely a confidence booster for the troops, and ultimately led to the victory at Yorktown later on. -
Treaty Of Paris
Great Britain and the United States signed the Treaty of Paris, which brought an end to the American Revolution and caused Great Britain to recognized the 13 colonies as a free and self-governing whole. -
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the author of the Declaration of Independence, the third U.S. president, an important model in America’s early development. During the Revolutionary War , Jefferson served in the Virginia legislature, the Continental Congress and was governor of Virginia.