-
Establishment of Massachusetts as a Colony
King Charles 1 of England founded the colony. He granted the bay company a charter to trade in and colonize part of New England. New England lays approximately between Charles and Merrimack rivers. -
French and Indian War
A war with conflict between Great Britain and France. This was known as the "Seven Years War". It ended with the Treaty of Paris. -
Sugar Act
The sugar Act provided for a strongly enforced tax or sugar, molasses and other products imported to American colonies. Colonists had to pay a tax. -
Stamp Act
A way to help pay the British troops that were stationed in the colonies during the seven years war. The Parliament of Great britain helped imposed tax directly on the British colonies. The stamp act was repealed in 1766. -
Townshend Act
A way to help pay expenses involved in governing the American colonies. This act initiated taxes on glass, lead, paint, paper and tea. -
Boston Tea Party
A protest against the tax act, 60 Americans threw 342 chests full of tea into the Boston Harbor. This is taxation without representation. -
Intolerable Acts
This was a series of four laws that we passed by the British Parliament to punish the colony of Massachusetts Bay for the Boston Tea Party. One law closed the Boston Harbour. Another law allowed English soldiers to invade colonists' homes. -
Battles of Lexington and Concord
This was the first major military campaign of the Revolutionary war. This resulted in an anti British cause. -
Declaration of Independence
A document that was approved by congress. It announced the separation of the 13 north British colonies from Great Britain. Colonists were seeking Independence. -
Signing of the U.S. Constitution
33 of the 55 delegates signed the document. The Constitution codified and protected slavery and the slave trade. This lays out the frame of how the nation's federal branches are supposed to function.