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The Mayflower Compact
The Mayflower Compact was the first governing document of Plymouth Colony. It was written by the male passengers of the Mayflower. The Puritans were fleeing from religious persecution by King James of England. The Mayflower Compact was the first agreement for self-government to be created and enforced in America. A British ship, with 102 passengers, who called themselves Pilgrims, aboard sailed from Plymouth, England. They were bound for the New World. -
Establishment of Plymouth Massachusetts
The Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts is established by Pilgrims from England. This was one of the first US colonies so how this establishment performed was vital to the future of the colonies. -
The Stamp Act
The Stamp Act of 1712 was an act passed in the United Kingdom to create a new tax on publishers, particularly of newspapers to effect the new colonies. This is important because it was one of the factors that lead up to the American Revolution. -
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War pitted the colonies of British America against those of New France, each side supported by military units from the parent country and by American Indian allies. The war provided Great Britain enormous territorial gains in North America, but disputes over subsequent frontier policy and paying the war's expenses led to colonial discontent, and ultimately to the American Revolution. -
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre, known to the British as the Incident on King Street, was a confrontation in which British soldiers shot and killed several people while being harassed by a mob in Boston. The event was heavily publicized by leading Patriots such as Paul Revere and Samuel Adams. The event in Boston helped to unite the colonies against Britain. What started as a minor fight became a turning point in the beginnings of the American Revolution. -
The Tea Act
The Tea Act originated after the French and Indian War when the British were 150,000,000 in debt. They created a tax on tea imported into what is now America to help allocate for the lost money. This is important because the several taxes Britain put on America ignited the American Revolution. -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was a political and mercantile protest by the Sons of Liberty in Boston, Massachusetts.The target was the Tea Act of May 10, 1773, which allowed the British East India company to sell tea from China in American colonies without paying taxes apart from those imposed by the Townshend Acts. American Patriots strongly opposed the taxes in the Townshend Act as a violation of their rights. -
The Battles of Lexington and Concord
The Battle of Lexington was important because it was the unofficial beginning of the Revolutionary War. This was the first time the colonial army fought the British army. After the fighting occurred at Lexington, the British moved on to fight at Concord. -
The Declaration of Independence
In this document Americans declared their independence, explained why we want to be free, and listed the complains we had with there British parliament. This document still affects us today and it was one of the first and most important documents in American history. -
The Battle of Saratoga
Victory to the Americans over the British in the American Revolutionary War. British General John Burgoyne led a large invasion army southward from Canada in the Champlain Valley. The significance of the conflict was that it proved to be the turning point of Revolutionary war and convinced the French of American strength which persuaded the French to support the Americans with military aid. -
The US Constitution
The continental congress wrote the US constitution. This document outlined the rules for the government. They wanted the people to hold the power over the US government. It promised a system of government that promoted liberty, equality, and protection of individual rights based on the desires of the people. -
Battle of Yorktown
In Yorktown, Virginia, American Continental Army troops led by General George Washington and French Army troops to defeat the British army commanded by British peer and Lieutenant General Charles Cornwallis. The significance of the conflict was that Cornwallis surrendered to George Washington as French and American forces trapped the British at Yorktown. The British surrender at the Battle of Yorktown ended the American Revolutionary War. -
The Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris, signed in Paris by representatives of King George III of Great Britain and representatives of the United States of America ended the American Revolutionary War. The treaty set the boundaries between the British Empire in North America and the United States, on lines "exceedingly generous"to the latter. Details included fishing rights and restoration of property and prisoners of war. -
George Washington becomes President
On this date soldier George Washington was unanimously elected the first president of the United States. As president he set many precedents that we still uphold today, and he is a symbol of freedom for many. -
The Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase extended United States sovereignty across the Mississippi River, nearly doubling the size of the country. The purchase included land from fifteen present U.S. states and two Canadian provinces.
