French and Indian War
War between Great Britain and France/Indian Allies from 1754 to 1763.
Salutary Neglect
A period of British colonial policy that led to major debt for Britain after the French and Indian War.
Albany Plan of Union
Proposed by Ben Franklin in 1754 to create a unified colonial government, without ideas of separation from Britain.
Treaty of Paris (1763)
Ended the Seven Years' War and established British control over North America.
Pontiac's Rebellion
A Native American uprising in 1763 against British control in the Great Lakes region.
Proclamation of 1763
Set a boundary at the Appalachian Mountains to prevent conflict between natives and colonists, causing colonial unrest.
Sugar Act of 1764
A direct tax imposed on sugar by the British government.
Stamp Act of 1765
Tax levied on documents, contracts, newspapers, etc., leading to colonial protests.
Quartering Act of 1765
Required colonists to provide shelter to British troops.
Stamp Act Congress
First meeting where colonists argued they were not equally represented in British Parliament.
Declaratory Act of 1766
Asserted British Parliament's right to tax the colonies, following the repeal of the Stamp Act.
Townshend Acts of 1767
Imposed taxes on manufactured goods like glass, lead, paint, and tea.
Boston Massacre of 1770
Incident where British soldiers shot into a crowd, escalating tensions between colonists and Britain.
Committees of Correspondence
Networks of Patriot-led groups coordinating resistance to British rule.
Tea Act of 1773
Tax on tea that led to colonial protests, including the Boston Tea Party.
Boston Tea Party (1773)
A protest against the Tea Act where colonists dumped tea into Boston Harbor.
Coercive Acts (Intolerable Acts) of 1774
Series of punitive measures against Massachusetts, including the Boston Port Act.
Lexington and Concord
Battles in 1775 marking the beginning of the Revolutionary War.
Olive Branch Petition
A last effort by colonists to avoid war with Britain, which was ultimately rejected.
Declaration of Independence (1776)
Document declaring the American colonies' independence from Britain, authored by Thomas Jefferson.
Thomas Paine's Common Sense (1776)
Pamphlet advocating for American independence and swaying public opinion.
Battle of Saratoga (1777)
American victory that convinced France to support the revolution.
Battle of Yorktown (1781)
Last major battle of the Revolutionary War, leading to British surrender.
Treaty of Paris (1783)
Officially ended the Revolutionary War, recognizing U.S. independence.
Articles of Confederation (1781-1789)
The first governing document of the U.S., establishing a weak central government.
Shay's Rebellion (1786-1787)
Uprising of farmers protesting high taxes, highlighting the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.
Northwest Ordinances of 1787
Established a process for creating new states and prohibited slavery in the Northwest Territory.
Constitutional Convention (1787)
Meeting to address problems with the Articles of Confederation and draft a new Constitution.
Bill of Rights (1791)
First ten amendments to the Constitution ensuring individual liberties.
Whiskey Rebellion (1794)
Tax protest by farmers that demonstrated the federal government's ability to enforce laws.
Jay's Treaty (1794)
Treaty resolving disputes with Britain and maintaining peace.
Washington's Farewell Address (1795)
Warned against political parties and foreign alliances, influencing U.S. policy.
XYZ Affair (1797-1798)
Diplomatic conflict with France leading to public outrage and the Quasi-War.
Alien and Sedition Acts (1798)
Laws restricting immigration and criminalizing criticism of the government.
Quasi-War with France (1798-1800)
Undeclared naval conflict between the U.S. and France, resolved through diplomacy.
Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions (1798-1799)
Asserted states' rights to nullify federal laws deemed unconstitutional.