-
End of the Seven Years War
A global war between the super powers of the world, the Seven Years War yielded a victor, but one in debt. Britain won the war over France, but needed money to pay off its war-time debt. So, Britain turned its attention toward the American colonies, who they had left alone for over 150 years. This would not go over well. -
Boston Tea Party
Several Boston citizens, dressed as Mohawk Indians, board British ships in the Boston Harbor, throwing hundreds of gallons of tea overboard into the sea. This was done in retaliation to the hated Tea Act, which taxed American's tea that wasn't from the East India Trading Company. But, this did little but anger Britain. -
Passage of the Coercive, or the "Intolerable" Acts.
In retaliation for the Boston Tea Party, the British Government passed the Coercive Acts, seeking to punish the Americans for the destruction of British property. One of the most heinous of the acts was the Boston Port Act, which shut down the Boston Harbor until the cost of the tea was repaid. This, among others, angered the Americans severely. -
Battles of Lexington and Concord
The "Shot Heard 'Round the World," the battles of Lexington and Concord were the first military altercations of the Revolutionary war. Precluding the battle, British troops tried to confiscate American militia supplies. This led to a clash between the two sides, ending with the Americans driving the British back. -
Signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Meeting in Philedelphia, delgates from each state met to decide whether or not the colonies should remain loyal to Great Britian. After much debate, a Declaration of Independence was written and signed by the delegates. It was written to other nations seeking to claim power from Britain, and was written as a complaint against the king, even though he had no power. -
Battle of Saratoga
In what was called the turning point of the Revolutionary War, the second Battle of Saratoga was a decisive victory for the Americans. The capture of the British camp led to the surrender of General Burgoyne's army, one of the largest British armies in New England. -
Articles of Confederation are created
Still fearing the power of a tyranical, powerful, central government, the states of America created the Articles of Confederation, which gave little to no power to the central government. The government could not create a military, and it could not tax the people. There was disunity between the states without a governing body. -
Seige of Yorktown
The final battle of the Revolutionary War, this was the final blow to any hopes of a British victory. Pushed back by the American troops, General Cornwallis's army was chased into the peninsula of Yorktown, where Cornwallis had banked on the British fleet to be there, waiting to bail him out. What he found, though, was a French blockade of the harbor, leaving him trapped between the Americans and the French. After several days of being holed up in Yorktown, Cornwallis surrendered. -
Shays' Rebellion
In protest of higher taxes from the states than what they had under Britain, Massachusetts citizens, led by Daniel Shays and Job Shattuck, tried to sieze several state buildings, attacking militias. Without the power of the military, there was nothing to stop rebellion, showing the states that the central government needed more power. -
Philedelphia Convention
After realizing the need for a more powerful central government, delegates from every state met in Philedelphia to revise the Articles. But, after discussion, a new constitution was decided on, written mainly by James Madison. It was ratified by all the states, and this is the constitution that is still the law of the land. The states were now subject to the power of the central government, but there was protection under that as well. This was a new beginning. :D
