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Kingdom of Great Britain
1707-1801: The United Kingdom of Great Britain came into existence when the governments of England and Scotland were united. The term British came to refer to both the English and the Scots.
With the 1706 Treaty of Union, it was agreed to create a single, united kingdom, encompassing the whole of the island of Great Britain and its minor outlying islands. It did not include Ireland, which remained a seperate realm under the newly created British crown. -
Period: to
The American Revolution
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The Hanoverians Dynasty
A new dynasty, the Hanoverians, was established when the last Stuart ruler, Queen Anne, died without an heir. The crown was offered to her nearest relatives, Protestant rulers of the German state of Hannover. The first Hanoverian king, Geroge I, did not speak English. Neither the first nor the second Gerorge knew the British system well, so thier chief ministers were allowed to deal with Parliament. -
Robert Walpole
1721-1742:Robert Walpole servered as head cabinet (later called prime minister). Walpole pursued a peaceful foreign policy. However, growing trade in industry led to an ever-increasing middle class. The middle class favored expansion of trade and of Britains world empire. -
The British Colonies
Britain controlled Canada as well as the 13 colonies on the eastern coast of what is now the United States. The British colonies were well populated, containing more than one million people by 1750. They were also prosperous. The British Board of Trade, the Royal Council, and Parliament in theory controlled the colonies. -
William Pitt
William Pitt (the Elder) was a spokesman who became head of cabinet. He expanded the British empire by aquiring Canada and India in the 7 Years' War. Pitt is best known as the war time political leader of Britain in the 7 Years' War. He became famous for his attacks on the government. -
Proclamation of 1763
At the end of the French and Indian War, British issued a proclamation. It was mainly to appease the Indians by checking on who was coming onto their land (settlers). It ran along north to south on the Appalachian Mountain range. This ended and the Indian's land was taken and caused an "argument" between the Native Americans and whites. -
Stamp Act
Parliament imposed the Stamp Act on the colonies. The act required certain printed materials such as legal documents and newspapers, to carry a stamp showing that a text had been paid to Britain. -
Repeal of the Stamp Act
Opposition was widespread and often violent. The act was repealed in 1766, ending the immediate crisis, but the cause of the dispute was not resolved. -
First Continental Congress
To counteract British actions, the colonies organized the First Continental Congress. They met in Philadelphia in September 1774. Members urged colonists to "take up arms and organize militias". -
Colonists Against British Army
Fighting finally erupted between colonists and the British army in April in 1775 in Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts. Soon afterward, the Second Continental Congress set up an army, called the Continental Army. George Washington served as it's commander and chief. -
The Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress started on May 10, 1775. Delegates of the thirteen colonies gathered in Philadelphia to discuss their next steps. They had started their meeting with the Battles of Lexington and Concord fresh on their mind. They had decided to completely break away from Great Britain. They had also decided to organize the militia of the colonies. This is why they formed an army called the American Continental Army. They had elected George Washington as their commander and chief. -
First Major Battle
This is the first major battle between the British and American troops. It takes place at Boston on the middle of Bunker Hill. The Americans are attacked by a frontal assault of over 2,000 British troops storming up the hill. The Americans can't fire until they "see the whites of their eyes." This was an advantage to the British and they ended up winning the battle, but losing half of thier forces. The Americans lost about 400, but losing an important colonial leader, General Joseph Warren. -
Common Sense
"Common Sense" was first anonymously published, but later found out as Thomas Paine. It was a big hit and almost sold 100,000, making it the most sold book by then. This had caused a big argument in favor of American independence. It presented American colonists the argument of freedom from British rule at that time. The question of seeking independence was still undecided. It played a transforming role in the American Revolution. -
Declaration of Independence
Colonies declared independence from the British Empire. On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence written by Thomas Jefferson. The American Revolution had formally began due to this document. The war against Great Britain was a huge gamble. -
Diplomatic Recognition to the New U.S.
Nations were eager to gain revenge for earlier defeats at the hands of the British. French officers and soldiers also served in Washington's army. In Febuary 1776, following a British defeat, the French granted diplomatic recognition to the new United States. The British faced war with the Europeans as well as the Americans, when Spain and the Dutch Republic entered the war. -
Surrender of General Cornwallis
General Cornwallis was forced to surrender to the American and French forces under Washington at Yorktown in 1781. The British decided to end the war. -
Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris recognized the independence of the American colonies. The treaty also granted Americans control of the western territory from the Appalachians to the Mississippi River. -
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation were the states' first constitution. It created a weak central government that lacked power to deal with the nation's problems. Delegates met in Philadelphia at the Constitutional Convention to revise the Articles of Confederation. -
Proposed Constitution
The Proposed Constitution created a federal system in which the national government and the state governments shared power. Based on Montesquieu's ideas, the national, or federal, government was seperated into three branches. These three branches were the executive, legislative, and judicial. Each branch had power to check acts of the other branches. -
Signing of the Constitution
The constitution was signed by 39 of the original 55 delegates. Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts and George Mason and Edmund Randolph of Virginia refused to sign because they lacked confidence in the document's ability to rule the nation. The document the delegates signed that day not only gave rise to the government of a new nation, but became a symbol of hope.
