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Queen Anne's War
A series of battles for control of North America between the British and the French. The treaty signed at Utrecht in 1713 was a loss for France and their Spanish ally. Afterwards, the British ensued salutary neglect towards the colonies which fostered the drive for independence. -
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The Great Awakening
A religious revival that challenged some traditional beliefs and focused more on emotional connection through religion rather than the importance of ritual. -
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John Peter Zenger Trial
Zenger was put on trial for seditious libel publishing in his newspaper. Alexander Hamilton was his lawyer and won the jury, therefore Zenger was not guilty. This gave way for freedom of press. -
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The French and Indian War
Also called The Seven Years' War, it was fought in America and in Europe. A peace settlement was made in Paris in 1763; it ended French power from North America and left Great Britain as the dominant power. -
Albany Congress
The intercolonial congress consisted of 7 colonies; their short term goal was to to keep the Iroquois Natives loyal to the British. The main goal was to create colonial unity. -
Fort Necessity
George Washington and his troops were surronded by the French and were forced to surrender. -
Treaty of Paris 1763
The peace treaty removed French power from North America and made Britain the top power. -
Proclamation of 1763
This document was issued to prevent colonist settlement west of the Appalachians in order to keep good relations with the Natives. -
Sugar Act
This was the first law to tax colonies in order to raise revenue for the crown. It taxed foreign sugar imports from the West Indies. -
Stamp Act
This act was to raise revenue for the new military force. It was a direct taxation on stamped paper which included: legal documents, playing cards, pamphlets, newspapers, diplomas, and marriage licenses. -
Quartering Act
It required colonies to provide food and living quarters for British troops. -
Townshend Acts
The Townshend Acts placed import duties on glass, white lead, paper, paint, and tea. It was an indirect tax payed at American ports. -
The Boston Massacre
Angry colonists were fired upon by redcoats which created a bigger division between the colonies and Britain. -
Tea Act
This reduced the price of tea but allowed for England to have a monopoly on tea prices. The reduced price of tea angered the colonists because there was still a tax on the tea. -
Boston Tea Party
Boston colonists dressed as Natives snuck onto tea ships and uncased 342 chests of tea into the Boston harbor. -
Intolerable Acts
These acts were a response by Parliament to punish the colonists for the Boston Tea Party. Boston had the heaviest of rules such as the Boston Port Act that closed the harbor until it was repaid for and repaired. -
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The American Revolution
American colonists fought for their independece from Great Britain and succeded. -
Lexington and Concord
The first battles of the American Revolution with an American defeat at Lexington; the colonists then retaliated at Concord. -
Declaration of Independence
The American colonies declared their independence from the British Empire and recognized themselves as 13 individual states. -
Battle of Saratoga
Burgoyne was forced to surrender to the colonists. This revived American spirit for the cause and lead to aid from France. -
Articles of Confederation
This was the first constitution to the new nation. It was ratified by all 13 states in 1781. It provided for loose control by the federal government, which was a problem because it didn't give the central government enough power. -
British Surrender at Yorktown
Cornwallis fell into a trap and was blocked off by colonists on land and French by sea. He was forced to surrender his entire force. -
Treaty of Paris of 1783
Britain formally recognized the colonies as independent states and ended the war. -
Shay's Rebellion
Many farmers were going bankrupt and were losing their farms; they rebelled in Massachusetts, but were put down by authorities. The fear of rebellion lingered upon the upper class. -
The Great Compromise
This set representation by population in the House of Representatives and equal representation in the Senate. Each state would have two senators. -
Constitutional Convention
The convention was held in Philadelphia to discuss the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation. -
The U.S. Constitution
The Constitution replaced the Articles of Confederation as the governing legislation for the U.S. It went into affect on March 4, 1789. -
George Washington Inaguration
He became the first president of the U.S.A. and served from 1789-1797. -
The Bill of Rights Ratified
George Washington. To appease the antifederalists this bill was added to the Constitution to guarantee basic rights of individuals. It consists of the first 10 amendments. -
Whiskey Rebellion
George Washington. This rebellion occurred in Pennsylvania against the excise on whiskey. Washington sent an army to disperse the rioters. -
Jay's Treaty
George Washington. It was unpopular pact that John Jay made with Britain. Settlements were made so that the British agreed to remove troops from U.S. soil and the U.S. would repay debts owed to British merchants. -
John Adams elected President
He was a Federalist and served from 1797-1801 -
XYZ Affair
John Adams. Adams commisioned 3 men to France to meet French foreign minister, Talleyrand. They were met with a bribe of $250,000 to talk to the minister, and refused the bribe. -
Alien and Sedition Acts
John Adams. The Alien acts allowed the president to deport dangerous foreigners in time of peace and imprison them in times of hostilities. The Sedition acts impeded on the Bill of Rights because it stated that anything said to defame government officials were liable to a fine and imprisonment. -
Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions
John Adams. Madison and Adams made these resolutions to ensue nullification for the states towards federal legislations that they deemed unconstitutional. -
Thomas Jefferson elected President
He was a Democratic-Republican and served from 1801-1809