Apush Period 3 - Main Timeline w/ terms

1754

French and Indian War begins - Britain and France fight over Ohio River Valley; George Washington fights at Fort Necessity

1763

Treaty of Paris ends French and Indian War - Britain gains Canada and land east of Mississippi; France loses North American empire

1763

Proclamation of 1763 - Colonists forbidden to settle west of Appalachians; angers settlers

End of French and Indian War

1764–1774

Sugar, Stamp, Townshend, and Tea Acts - British taxes spark colonial protests; “No taxation without representation”

1770

Boston Massacre - British soldiers kill colonists; fuels anti-British sentiment

1773

Boston Tea Party - Colonists dump tea into Boston Harbor to protest Tea Act; leads to Intolerable Acts

1774

First Continental Congress - Colonies unite to protest British policies

1775

Battles of Lexington and Concord - First battles of Revolutionary War; “Shot heard ’round the world”

Second Continental Congress - Organizes Continental Army; George Washington appointed commander-in-chief

Battle of Bunker Hill - Early battle showing colonists could resist British

1776

Declaration of Independence - Colonies formally declare independence; written by Thomas Jefferson

Common Sense - Pamphlet by Thomas Paine urging independence from Britain

Washington Crossed the Delaware

1777

Battle of Saratoga - The turning point of the Revolutionary War

1781

Battle of Yorktown - Final major battle of Revolutionary War; Cornwallis surrenders

Articles of Confederation ratified - First U.S. national government; weak central authority

1783

Treaty of Paris - Officially ends Revolutionary War; Britain recognizes U.S. independence

1786–1787

Shays’ Rebellion - Farmers protest debt and taxes; exposes weaknesses of Articles of Confederation

1787

Constitutional Convention - Delegates draft new Constitution

Great Compromise

Three-Fifths Compromise

1788

Constitution ratified - Required 9 states approve; replaces Articles of Confederation

1789

George Washington inaugurated - First U.S. president; new federal government begins under Constitution

1791

Bill of Rights ratified - First 10 amendments protect individual liberties

1794

Whiskey Rebellion - Farmers protest excise tax; Washington enforces law, showing federal power

Jay’s Treaty - Treaty with Britain to avoid war; Britain evacuates forts in Northwest Territory

1797

John Adams inaugurated - 2nd U.S. president; first peaceful transfer after Washington

XYZ Affair begins - French officials demand bribes from U.S. diplomats, straining relations

1798

Alien and Sedition Acts - Federalist laws restricting immigrants and free speech

Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions - Jefferson and Madison argue states can nullify unconstitutional federal laws

1800

Election of 1800 / “Revolution of 1800” - Thomas Jefferson defeats John Adams; first peaceful transfer of power between parties