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1492
Columbus Lands in the Americas
Columbus leaves Spain and sails west to find India and China by water, but he lands in the Americas. Opens up exploration and settlement in America. -
Jamestown Founded
Englishman settled in Jamestown, off the coast of Chesapeake Bay, for religious freedom and economic opportunities. This opened up an opportunity for more countries to explore the New World and plant settlements. -
Pilgrims Land in Plymouth
The Pilgrims came on the Mayflower seeking religious freedom. This was another English settlement in the New World which lead to Britain dominance in the New World. -
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War was the fight between the French and the Natives and the British. This lead to the British dominating most of the land in the New World and the King's salutary neglect ending. -
Albany Plan of Union
Benjamin Franklin proposes an idea that all of the colonies should join under one government. The colonists refused. This was the first time someone had suggested a united government in the New World. This was the first step of creating a democracy. -
Treaty of Paris
This event lead to the French giving up all of their land up until the Mississippi River after the French and Indian War. This lead to the British taking up most of the land in the new World. -
Proclamation of 1763
This proclamation created a boundary for the British by the King. They could not go past the Appalachian Mountains. This lead to conflict between the King and the settlers. These tensions eventually lead to the Revolutionary War. -
Stamp Act
This act made by the British government, meant that every person in the colonies, had to pay a tax for every piece of paper they used. This made the colonist angry because the King was controlling them. -
Quartering Act
This act made the colonists pay for the housing of soldiers in the colonies. This aggravated the colonists because housing the soldiers was expensive and England was in need of more money. -
Townshead Act
This act made the colonists be taxed on imported good form other countries such as glass, lead, paint and tea. This encouraged the colonists not to buy from Britain, but to trade within the colonies. -
Boston Massacre
During this event, the British soldiers and the settlers started fighting against each other. This included the British killing 5 settlers. This made tensions in Boston even stronger with settlers growing angry. -
Tea Act
This act allowed the East India Company to sell tea for a very low price. This made English tea cheaper than Dutch, smuggled tea. This made the colonists not want to buy the tea even more. This sparked the Boston Tea Party -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was when settlers dressed up as native Americans snuck on to ships and dumped the boxes of tea into the Boston Harbor. This event sparked the American Revolution. -
Intolerable (Coercive) Acts
These acts where a series of punishments forced on the colonists after the Boston Tea Party. This triggered anger in the colonist and lead them to rebel. -
First Continental Congress
The First Continental Congress wanted to avoid war and have a coercive form of economics. They also decided the acceptable forms of protest and placed sanctions on British goods. This meant that the colonists were not able to engage in war even though some wanted to. -
Battle of Lexington
In Lexington, a group of colonists and British soldiers engaged in a fight in the middle of the town. This was the start of the Revolution. -
Battle of Concord
In Concord, British soldiers had tried to confiscate weapons, but had no luck as they were moved to a secret location. This lead to a British retreat to their units. -
Period: to
American Revolution
The American Revolution was series of multiple battles between the British and the colonists, lead by George Washington for freedom against England. This was the first step of making our country what it is today -
Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress was when the congress made a continental army with George Washington as the commander. This meant that the congress was choosing war against the British, -
Olive Branch Petition
The Olive Branch Petition was a last ditch effort to avoid war and keep peace between Britain and the colonies. The King ignored their request and called them traitors. This started the Revolutionary War officially, -
Common Sense by Thomas Paine
The document, widely spread because of the printing press, shared Thomas Paine's thoughts about Britain's King. He thought that the King should not control them. This document got others thinking the same way. -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence stated in writing, the reasons why the colonists wanted independence from Britain. This showed that the colonists really wanted to cut ties with England and make their own government. -
Treaty of Paris
This treaty officially ended the American Revolution granting America it's independence. This gave America more hope for a better government but also produced challenges like what this new government would look like. -
Shays's Rebellion
Shays's Rebellion was when a group of colonists, lead by Daniel Shay, protested because of taxes that they had to pay. This protesting happened because they saw what protesting could do and what it could change. This also happened in the revolution. -
Congress Ratified the Constitution
The Constitution was ratified after a long debate by the Federalists and Anti-federalists. The Constitution included a new plan for our government like 3 branches and a President. This was important because we had now developed a government that could protect the people better than the Articles of Confederation. -
Whiskey Rebellion
The Whiskey Rebellion were a group of farmers that wanted the tax on whiskey demolished. This group protested all over Pennsylvania at tax collectors homes. This made George Washington have to make a decision about the plan of action he had to take. This was the first real test for the new untied states government leadership. -
XYZ Affair
The XYZ affair was when the french where taking over American ships and sinking them. 3 french diplomats were sent over to America to settle this matter, but they would have to pay 250,000 dollars just to meet with them. This is important because it started a tense relationship with the french and broke the treaty they had with them. -
War of 1812
The War of 1812, between Britain and America, was fought because of the kidnapping of American citizens. The battle ended in a treaty which no one won. This was important because the Untied States finally stood up to the bigger and more powerful country. This proved America's motivation for dominance and their determination.