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The Stamp Act
After the seven years war the British government made the people pay several taxes. the stamp act congress stated an issue saying a " Declaration of Rights and Grievances" like Virginia, then declared an allegiance to the king. Daniel Dulany had written in 1765 " it is an essential principle of the English constitution, that the subject shall not be taxed without his consent". Benjamin Franklin called it the "prime maxim of all free government", Colonies didn't elect members of their parliament. -
The Intolerable Acts
The Intolerable Acts were passed in the spring of 1774. The Intolerable Acts were laws passed by the British Parliament after the Boston Tea Party. The laws were meant to punish the Massachusetts colonists. The Intolerable Acts can also be known as the Coercive Acts. -
Declaration of Independence
In the beginning of 1776 independence became a very popular debate. Some colonies supported independence others didn't. It took the Continental Congress an extra seven months to officially pass the independence resolution. May 10 1776 (two months before the declaration of independence) the congress recommended that colonies begin preparing new written constitutions. on july 4, 1776 the Declaration of Independence was singed. -
British Defeat
In 1781 the British were fighting France, Spain, and Holland. The Americans took advantage of the British. Washington marched his troops from New York to Virginia in effort to trap the British army, under the command of general Charles Cornwallis. Cornwallis had his men waiting for supplies and reinforcements from New York. Two other armies arrived first, followed by the French. Cornwallis forced his surrender. Later peace negotiations took place in France, the war ended in 1783. -
The Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris was the official peace treaty between the United States and Britain that ended the American Revolutionary War. There were three important Americans in France who signed: John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and John Jay. It was signed on September 3, 1783. -
The Constitution
The Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, by delegates. The Constitution of the United States stated what America’s national government and fundamental laws were and gave certain rights to the citizens. There were 39 delegates who signed the Constitution. -
Bill of Rights
Anti-Federalists wanted protection for individual rights. Some states made a the passing of The Bill of Rights. Rhode Island and North Carolina rejected the Constitution because it didn't have a specific Bill of Rights. In 1791 the bill consisted the first ten amendments of the Constitution, these stated the rights of each state. -
Slavery and Equality
Slavery was/is a very controversial topic. Many states disagreed on if slavery should be prohibited. The Convention pushed back the decision on slave trade. A committee came up with a deal: Congress had the ability to ban the importation of slaves.
