Unit 3 Year Memorization

1763

Treaty of Paris ends the French and Indian War; France loses most of its North American territory to Britain, dramatically changing the balance of power in North America.

1763

Pontiac's Rebellion begins as Native peoples resist British expansion into the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley region.

1763

Proclamation of 1763 prohibits colonial settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains, angering colonists who wanted to expand westward.

1764

Sugar Act places new duties on sugar and other goods and increases British efforts to collect colonial revenue.

1765

Stamp Act taxes printed materials such as newspapers, pamphlets, and legal documents, provoking widespread colonial resistance.

1765

Stamp Act Congress meets in New York; nine colonies protest taxation without representation and coordinate resistance.

1765

Sons of Liberty organize to oppose the Stamp Act through protests, intimidation, and boycotts.

1766

Stamp Act is repealed after colonial resistance and British economic pressure.

1766

Declaratory Act asserts Parliament's authority to make laws and impose taxes on the colonies.

1767

Townshend Acts impose duties on imported goods including glass, paper, and tea, leading to renewed colonial resistance and boycotts.

1770

Boston Massacre occurs when British soldiers kill five colonists during a confrontation in Boston.

1772

Gaspee Affair occurs when Rhode Island colonists attack and burn a British customs ship, increasing tensions with Britain.

1773

Tea Act gives the British East India Company advantages in selling tea in the colonies, helping provoke colonial resistance.

1773

Boston Tea Party occurs when colonists dump British tea into Boston Harbor to protest taxation and British policies.

1774

Coercive Acts (Intolerable Acts) punish Massachusetts by closing Boston Harbor and increasing British control over the colony.

1774

First Continental Congress meets to coordinate colonial resistance to the Coercive Acts and petition the king.

1775

Lexington and Concord: fighting between colonial militia and British troops begins the American Revolutionary War.

1775

Second Continental Congress meets and assumes control of the colonial war effort.

1775

George Washington is appointed commander-in-chief of the Continental Army.

1775

Battle of Bunker Hill demonstrates that colonial forces can fight the British effectively despite ultimately losing the battle.

1775

Olive Branch Petition is sent to King George III as a final attempt by the colonies to avoid full independence.

1776

Common Sense by Thomas Paine is published and strongly argues that the colonies should become independent from Britain.

1776

Declaration of Independence is adopted on July 4, formally announcing that the thirteen colonies are independent states.

1776

Virginia Declaration of Rights helps establish Revolutionary ideas about natural rights and government.

1777

Battle of Saratoga becomes a major American victory and helps convince France to formally support the American cause.

1777

Articles of Confederation are adopted by the Second Continental Congress, creating the first national framework of government for the United States.

1778

Treaty of Alliance with France is signed, formally bringing France into the American Revolutionary War on the American side.

1778

Valley Forge winter begins; Baron von Steuben helps train and reorganize the Continental Army.

1781

Battle of Yorktown ends major fighting in the American Revolution after Washington's forces and French allies trap Cornwallis's army.

1781

Articles of Confederation are ratified, officially establishing the Confederation government.

1783

Treaty of Paris ends the American Revolutionary War and Britain recognizes American independence.

1783

Newburgh Conspiracy occurs when Continental Army officers consider pressuring Congress over unpaid wages and pensions, highlighting weaknesses of the Confederation government.

1786

Annapolis Convention meets to discuss interstate commerce and calls for a broader convention to address weaknesses in the Articles of Confederation.

1786

Shays's Rebellion begins in Massachusetts as farmers protest debt, taxes, and court policies, exposing weaknesses in the Articles government.

1787

Northwest Ordinance establishes a system for governing the Northwest Territory and creating new states; it also prohibits slavery in the territory.

1787

Constitutional Convention begins in Philadelphia to address the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.

1787

Great Compromise creates a bicameral Congress with proportional representation in the House and equal representation for states in the Senate.

1787

Three-Fifths Compromise determines that enslaved people will be counted as three-fifths of a person for representation and taxation.

1787

Constitution is signed on September 17, creating a stronger federal government based on federalism and separation of powers.

1787

Federalist Papers begin publication as Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay argue for ratification of the Constitution.

1788

U.S. Constitution is ratified by the required number of states, allowing the new federal government to be established.

1789

George Washington is inaugurated as the first president of the United States.

1789

Judiciary Act establishes the federal court system and organizes the Supreme Court and lower federal courts.

1789

Bill of Rights is proposed by Congress as amendments protecting individual liberties and limiting federal power.

1790

Hamilton's Assumption Plan places state Revolutionary War debts under federal responsibility, strengthening national financial power.

1790

Compromise of 1790 results in a deal over the location of the national capital and federal assumption of state debts.

1791

Bill of Rights is ratified, becoming the first ten amendments to the Constitution.

1791

First Bank of the United States is chartered as part of Hamilton's financial program.

1791

Whiskey Excise Tax is enacted, leading to strong opposition from western farmers.

1792

Washington is reelected president, beginning his second term.

1793

Washington's Neutrality Proclamation declares that the United States will remain neutral in the war between Britain and France.

1794

Whiskey Rebellion is suppressed by Washington's government, demonstrating the new federal government's ability to enforce its laws.

1794

Jay's Treaty is negotiated with Britain to resolve several post-Revolution disputes and improve U.S.-British relations.

1795

Pinckney's Treaty with Spain gives the United States access to the Mississippi River and the right of deposit at New Orleans.

1796

Washington's Farewell Address warns against permanent foreign alliances and political factions.

1796

John Adams is elected president and Thomas Jefferson becomes vice president.

1797

John Adams is inaugurated as the second president of the United States.

1797

XYZ Affair begins after French representatives demand payment before negotiating with American diplomats, increasing anti-French sentiment in the United States.

1798

Alien and Sedition Acts are passed, increasing federal power over immigrants and restricting speech critical of the government.

1798

Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions argue that states can challenge or nullify federal actions that exceed constitutional authority.

1798

Quasi-War with France begins as tensions between the United States and France lead to an undeclared naval conflict.

1800

Convention of 1800 ends the U.S. alliance with France established by the Treaty of Alliance of 1778.

1800

Election of 1800 results in Thomas Jefferson defeating John Adams; the election marks a major transfer of political power between rival parties.

1801

Thomas Jefferson is inaugurated as the third president of the United States.

1801

Judiciary Act of 1801 is passed by the Federalist-controlled Congress shortly before Jefferson takes office, reshaping the federal judiciary and contributing to the conflict over the "midnight judges."