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Stamp Act of 1765
The Stamp Act, passed by British Parliament in 1765, imposed a direct tax on certain forms of paper in the American colonies. The act provoked outrage and rioting in the colonies, as well as a coordinated intercolonial response. -
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Townshend Act of 1767
The Townshend Acts were a series of measures, passed by the British Parliament in 1767, that taxed goods imported to the American colonies. But American colonists, who had no representation in Parliament, saw the Acts as an abuse of power. -
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Intolerable Acts (Coercive Acts)
The Coercive Acts of 1774, known as the Intolerable Acts in the American colonies, were a series of four laws passed by the British Parliament to punish the colony of Massachusetts Bay for the Boston Tea Party. Four of acts targeted Boston and Massachusetts. -
Battles of Lexington & Concord
The Battles of Lexington and Concord was the first major military campaign of the American Revolutionary War. It resulted in an American victory and outpouring of militia support for the anti-British cause. -
Second Continental Congress meets
The Second Continental Congress assumed the normal functions of a government, appointing ambassadors, issuing paper currency, raising the Continental Army through conscription, and appointing generals to lead the army. The powers of the Congress were still very limited, however. -
Thomas Paine’s Common Sense published
Common Sense by Thomas Paine is a revolutionary pamphlet advocating for American independence. It presents compelling arguments against British rule and envisions a new government based on equality and justice. -
Declaration of Independence adopted
By issuing the Declaration of Independence, adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, the 13 American colonies severed their political connections to Great Britain. The Declaration summarized the colonists' motivations for seeking independence. -
Battle of Trenton
After crossing the Delaware River in a treacherous storm, General George Washington's army defeated a garrison of Hessian mercenaries at Trenton. The victory set the stage for another success at Princeton a week later and boosted the morale of the American troops. -
Articles of Confederation created
The Articles of Confederation created a national government composed of a Congress, which had the power to declare war, appoint military officers, sign treaties, make alliances, appoint foreign ambassadors, and manage relations with Indians. The Articles of Confederation served as the written document that established the functions of the national government of the United States after it declared independence from Great Britain. -
Battle of Camden
more than 2000 British and Loyalist troops under Lt. General Lord Cornwallis met and defeated over 4,000 American troops commanded by the “Hero of Saratoga,” General Horatio Gates. The Battle of Camden was the worst Patriot defeat of the American Revolution. -
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Battle of Yorktown
Supported by the French army and navy, Washington's forces defeated Lord Charles Cornwallis' veteran army dug in at Yorktown, Virginia. Victory at Yorktown led directly to the peace negotiations that ended the war in 1783 and gave America its independence. -
Treaty of Paris American Revolution
This treaty was signed on September 3, 1783, between the American colonies and Great Britain. It ended the American Revolution and formally recognized the United States as an independent nation. -
Great Compromise
The Great Compromise established the United States legislature as a bicameral, or two-house law-making body. In the Senate, each state would be allowed two representatives; in the House of Representatives, the number of representatives allowed for each state would be determined by its population. -
Bill of Rights adopted
The Importance of the Bill of Rights The Bill of Rights is really important for many reasons but a really big one is our American Freedom. This amendment guarantees the right of freedom from establishment of religion, freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of association, freedom for people to get together peacefully, and freedom for people to send petitions to their government. -
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3/5 Compromise
The Three-Fifths Compromise was reached among state delegates during the 1787 Constitutional Convention. It determined that three out of every five slaves were counted when determining a state's total population for legislative representation and taxation.