Prep for Historical ID
Format
When
What
Who
Where
Why
How
Evidence
Significance
Unit 2: American Revolution
October 17th
Concepts: Councils and Assemblies, The Social Contract, Printing, The Great Awakening
People: Benjamin Franklin, Jonathan Edwards
October 20th
Royal Proclamation Line of 1763
When
October 7, 1763
What
A decree issued by King George III after the British victory in the Seven Years’ War. It established a boundary — the Proclamation Line — along the Appalachian Mountains, limiting colonial expansion westward.
Who
Issued by King George III and the British government; affected Native American nations and British colonists.
Where
British colonies in North America; the boundary followed the Appalachians.
Why
To stabilize relations with Native Americans after Pontiac’s War and prevent further costly conflicts. The British wanted to regulate westward expansion and control trade with Native nations.
How
The proclamation reserved all land west of the Appalachian Mountains for Native Americans and prohibited colonial settlement there without royal permission.
Significance
Angered colonists who wanted to expand westward into the Ohio River Valley.
Marked one of the first major tensions between Britain and its colonies, laying groundwork for the American Revolution.
Reflected Britain’s attempt to assert imperial control after the Seven Years’ War
Landing of the Lion - 1619
When
August 1619
What
The arrival of the White Lion (name of an English privateer ship) at Point Comfort, Virginia carrying about 20 enslaved Africans captured from a Portuguese vessel.
Where
Point Comfort (present-day Hampton, Virginia) in the Virginia Colony.
Who
The Africans brought by English privateers; the Virginia colonists who traded supplies for them; part of the early Jamestown settlement.
Why
The transatlantic slave trade was expanding, and colonists in Virginia sought cheap labor for tobacco cultivation.
How
Although slavery was not yet legally codified, these Africans were treated as enslaved laborers, marking the beginning of African slavery in English North America.
Significance
Signaled the start of the racialized system of slavery in what would become the U.S.
Introduced African labor that would evolve into a hereditary, race-based institution.
Set the foundation for the development of chattel slavery, as discussed in the “Historical Foundations of Race” document
December 1662 Virginia Colonial Law on Race
When
December 1662
What
The Virginia General Assembly passed a law declaring that children’s status (free or enslaved) would follow that of their mother rather than their father — the principle of partus sequitur ventrem.
Where
Virginia Colony.
Who
Enacted by Virginia’s colonial legislature; affected enslaved African women and their children.
Why
To codify and perpetuate slavery through hereditary status.
A response to cases like that of Elizabeth Key (1656), a mixed-race woman who sued for freedom because her father was white. The law closed that legal loophole
How
By defining enslavement through the mother, the law ensured that children born to enslaved women would automatically be enslaved — regardless of the father’s race or status.
Significance:
Marked a turning point in racial laws in the colonies.
Established a legal basis for race-based, hereditary slavery in English America.
Helped institutionalize anti-Blackness and justified the exploitation of enslaved African women
Bacon’s Rebellion
When
1676
What
Armed uprising against Virginia’s colonial government.
Where
Virginia Colony — mainly Jamestown and frontier regions.
Who
Led by Nathaniel Bacon and joined by poor white farmers, indentured servants, and enslaved Africans against Governor William Berkeley.
Why
Berkeley refused to protect frontier settlers from Native attacks.
Deep class tension between poor colonists and the wealthy plantation elite.
How
Bacon’s men attacked Native tribes and later burned Jamestown to the ground.
Significance
Exposed divisions by class and race.
Pushed elites to rely more on African slavery instead of indentured labor to prevent future alliances between poor whites and Blacks.
Evidence
Colonial leaders tightened racial laws after the rebellion to divide lower classes by race.
The Seven Years’ War
When
1754 - 1763
What
A global conflict between Britain and France (and their Native allies), known in North America as the French and Indian War.
Where
North America: Ohio River Valley, Great Lakes region, and Canada.
Who
British colonists and Native allies vs French forces and Native allies; early participation by George Washington.
Why
Britain and France clashed over territorial claims in the Ohio River Valley and control of North American trade routes.
How
Fighting began with Washington’s failed expedition at Fort Necessity.
Britain gained control after victories like Quebec (1759) and Montreal (1760).
Ended with the Treaty of Paris (1763), which gave Britain control of French Canada.
Evidence
Significance
Britain’s huge war debt led to new taxation policies on colonies (Sugar Act, Stamp Act).
Unified the colonies militarily and culturally for the first time.
Set the stage for imperial reform and colonial resistance.
Pontiac’s War
When
1763–1766
What
Native uprising against British rule after the Seven Years’ War.
Where
Great Lakes and Ohio River Valley.
Who
Led by Chief Pontiac (Ottawa leader) and allied tribes like Delaware, Shawnee, and Ojibwe vs. the British army.
Why
Britain ended gift-giving and trade policies that the French had used with Native allies.
Native nations resisted British expansion into their lands.
How
Pontiac led sieges on British forts, including Fort Detroit.
Native forces captured several forts using surprise tactics, like the lacrosse trick at Fort Michilimackinac.
Significance
Britain issued the Royal Proclamation of 1763, banning colonial settlement west of the Appalachians.
Colonists were angered, seeing it as Britain limiting their freedom.
Evidence
The war convinced Britain to protect Native lands with the Proclamation Line, which frustrated colonists eager to expand west.
October 21st
Sons of Liberty
When
Formed in 1765
What
Underground political group that resisted British taxes and control.
Where
Major colonial cities like Boston, New York, and Philadelphia.
Who
Founded by Samuel Adams, John Hancock, Paul Revere, and others.
Why
Created to protest the Stamp Act and later other taxes like the Townshend Acts.
How
Organized boycotts, public protests, and sometimes violent demonstrations against tax collectors (like tarring and feathering).
Significance
United different social classes in active resistance.
Played a key role in repealing the Stamp Act and building revolutionary unity.
Spread propaganda and coordinated protest through Committees of Correspondence.
Evidence
Their organized protests made the Stamp Act unenforceable because all stamp collectors resigned.
Townshend Acts
When
June 1767
What
A series of laws passed by Parliament placing indirect (customs) taxes on imports like lead, glass, paper, paint, and tea.
Where
Throughout the Thirteen Colonies, especially affecting major port cities like Boston, New York, and Philadelphia.
Who
Sponsored by Charles Townshend, the British Chancellor of the Exchequer. Enforced by the American Board of Customs Commissioners and vice-admiralty courts.
Why
To raise revenue from the colonies after the repeal of the Stamp Act and to make colonial governors and officials financially independent of colonial legislatures (reducing local power).
How
The Acts allowed stricter enforcement of customs laws and used revenue from the taxes to pay royal officials. Colonists responded with boycotts, petitions, and the formation of Committees of Correspondence to organize resistance.
Significance
Revived nonimportation and nonconsumption movements, uniting colonists across classes and regions.
Encouraged women’s political participation through homespun movements and boycotts.
Heightened colonial resentment toward British interference and strengthened colonial unity, setting the stage for the next major conflicts
Declaring Independence Reading
Boston Massacre
When
March 5, 1770
What
A deadly confrontation between British soldiers and colonial civilians outside Boston’s Custom House, resulting in the deaths of five colonists, including Crispus Attucks (a formerly enslaved man).
Where
King Street (now State Street), Boston, Massachusetts.
Who
British soldiers of the 29th Regiment and a mob of Boston residents; John Adams later defended the soldiers in court; Paul Revere created a famous propaganda engraving of the event.
Why
Tensions were high due to British troop presence enforcing the Townshend Acts and resentment over taxation and occupation. The crowd harassed soldiers with snowballs and insults until shots were fired.
How
A small argument escalated into chaos; soldiers fired into the crowd without clear orders, killing and injuring several colonists.
Significance
Became a powerful symbol of British tyranny through Paul Revere’s engraving and patriot propaganda.
Strengthened anti-British sentiment and spread unity through colonial newspapers.
Marked a turning point toward organized rebellion and the push for independence
Declaring Independence Reading
Stamp Act Congress
When
October 1765
What
A meeting of delegates from nine colonies to coordinate a unified colonial response to the Stamp Act, which taxed printed materials like newspapers, diplomas, and legal documents.
Where
New York City
Who
Representatives from nine colonies, including notable figures such as James Otis and John Dickinson.
Why
To protest Parliament’s direct taxation on the colonies without their consent and to assert their rights as British subjects.
How
The Congress drafted and adopted the Declaration of Rights and Grievances, affirming loyalty to the King but rejecting Parliament’s authority to tax colonists who were not represented in it. They also began organizing nonimportation agreements (boycotts) against British goods.
Significance:
The first unified colonial action against British policy.
Introduced the idea of “no taxation without representation.”
Set the stage for greater intercolonial cooperation, later seen in the First Continental
October 22nd
Ladies of Edenton
Who
51 women from Edenton, North Carolina.
What
Signed a public agreement to support colonial boycotts of British goods.
When
1774.
Where
Edenton, North Carolina.
Why
To protest British taxes and support colonial unity and liberty.
How
Promised “to do every Thing as far as lies in our Power” to uphold the boycotts and avoid imported British goods.
Evidence
Their petition was published in newspapers across the colonies, gaining wide attention.
Significance
Marked one of the first organized political actions by women in America.
Showed women’s growing political role in revolutionary activism.
Demonstrated that resistance had spread to all levels of colonial society, not just men.
Continental Congress
Who
Delegates from 12 colonies (later all 13).
What
Met to coordinate a united response to British policies.
When
First Continental Congress: September–October 1774.
Second Continental Congress: Began May 1775.
Where
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Why
To respond to the Intolerable Acts and defend colonial rights.
How
Issued the Declaration of Rights and Grievances (1774).
Created the Continental Association—nonimportation, nonexportation, and nonconsumption agreements.
Later, organized the Continental Army and appointed George Washington as commander.
Evidence
The Continental Association empowered committees to publicly shame anyone who broke boycotts.
Significance
First major step toward unified colonial government.
Transformed scattered resistance into a coordinated national movement.
Served as the de facto government during the Revolution.
George Washington
Who
Virginia planter and former British officer.
What
Appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army.
When
Appointed June 1775.
Where
Philadelphia (Congress appointment); led forces across colonies, especially Boston.
Why
Seen as a unifying leader with military experience; represented southern support for New England’s fight.
How
Led the colonial militia against British forces; forced British evacuation of Boston (1776).
Evidence
His leadership helped trap British troops in Boston after Lexington and Concord.
Significance
Unified North and South in the independence cause.
Set the foundation for his later presidency.
Embodied the ideals of patriotic sacrifice and leadership.
Tea Act
Who
British Parliament and the East India Company.
What
Allowed the company to sell tea directly to the colonies, bypassing merchants.
When
April 1773.
Where
Throughout the colonies, especially Boston.
Why
To save the financially failing East India Company and reassert Parliament’s right to tax colonies.
How
Lowered tea prices but maintained the tax, implying Parliament’s continued authority.
Evidence
Colonists saw buying tea as accepting taxation without representation.
Significance
Triggered colonial outrage and the Boston Tea Party.
Proved that resistance was now about principle, not just economics.
Boston Tea Party
Who
Sons of Liberty (led by Samuel Adams and John Hancock).
What
Dumped 342 chests of British tea into Boston Harbor.
When
December 16, 1773.
Where
Boston Harbor, Massachusetts.
Why
To protest the Tea Act and British taxation.
How
Disguised as Mohawk Indians, boarded ships, and destroyed the tea.
Evidence
“In less than four hours, emptied every chest of tea…into the sea!!” (Boston Gazette).
Significance
Provoked Britain into passing the Intolerable Acts.
Symbolized direct resistance and sparked similar protests across colonies.
Escalated conflict toward open rebellion.
The Intolerable Acts
Who
British Parliament and King George III.
What
Four punitive laws in response to the Boston Tea Party.
When
1774.
Where
Targeted Massachusetts (especially Boston).
Why
To punish Massachusetts and reassert royal authority.
How
Closed Boston Harbor (Boston Port Act).
Put Massachusetts under royal control (Massachusetts Government Act).
Allowed royal officials to be tried in Britain (Administration of Justice Act).
Required colonists to house soldiers (Quartering Act).
Evidence
Parliament declared Boston in “open rebellion.”
Significance
Backfired—united all colonies in defense of Massachusetts.
Directly led to the First Continental Congress.
The “Battles” of Lexington and Concord
Who
British soldiers vs. colonial militias (Minutemen).
What
First military confrontations of the American Revolution.
When
April 19, 1775.
Where
Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts.
Why
British troops attempted to seize colonial weapons and arrest rebel leaders.
How:
Skirmish began when someone fired the first shot (“the shot heard ’round the world”).
Colonists inflicted heavy casualties as the British retreated to Boston.
Evidence
About 20,000 militia surrounded Boston afterward.
Significance
Marked the official start of the Revolutionary War.
Proved colonists were willing to fight and die for their rights.
Dunmore’s Proclamation
Who
Lord Dunmore, royal governor of Virginia.
What
Offered freedom to enslaved people who joined the British Army.
When
November 1775.
Where
Virginia.
Why
To weaken the rebellion and strengthen British forces.
How
Declared martial law and promised emancipation to those leaving rebel enslavers.
Evidence
Around 500–1,000 enslaved people joined Dunmore’s “Ethiopian Regiment.”
Significance
First large-scale emancipation offer in U.S. history.
Frightened white Southerners and pushed Virginia toward independence.
Made slavery a political issue in the Revolution.
The Declaration of Independence
Who
Written by Thomas Jefferson; revised by John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and the Continental Congress.
What
Official statement declaring the colonies free and independent from Britain.
When
Approved July 4, 1776.
Where
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Why
To justify independence and express Enlightenment ideals of liberty and government by consent.
How:
Listed grievances against King George III.
Claimed rights from “natural law”—life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness.
Removed an early clause blaming Britain for slavery (to gain southern support).
Evidence
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”
Significance:
Marked the birth of the United States.
Inspired future democratic revolutions around the world.
Defined core American values of freedom and equality.
October 24th
American Revolutionary War/War for American Independence
Who
Thirteen American colonies vs. Great Britain (with France, Spain, and the Netherlands aiding America later).
What
The armed conflict for American independence from British rule.
When
1775–1783.
Where
Primarily fought in North America—New England, Mid-Atlantic, and Southern colonies.
Why
To gain freedom from British political and economic control.
How
Began with colonial militias fighting at Lexington and Concord, expanded into a global war after France allied with the U.S.
Evidence
Officially ended with the Treaty of Paris (1783), recognizing U.S. independence.
Significance
Created the United States of America.
Sparked global revolutions (e.g., French and Haitian Revolutions).
Introduced new ideas about liberty, republicanism, and government by consent.
Abigail Adams
Who
Wife of John Adams; early advocate for women’s rights.
What
Urged her husband and other leaders to “remember the ladies” when drafting new laws.
When
Wrote her famous letter in 1776.
Where
Massachusetts.
Why
Wanted women to be recognized in the new republic’s legal and political framework.
How
Wrote letters to her husband during the Continental Congress.
Evidence
“Remember all men would be tyrants if they could.” — Abigail Adams to John Adams.
Significance
One of the first voices for women’s political equality in America.
Symbolized women’s intellectual and moral role in the Revolution.
Mary Silliman
Who
Wife of Gold Selleck Silliman, a Connecticut patriot officer.
What
Managed family and estate while her husband was captured during the war.
When
During the American Revolution (1779).
Where
Connecticut.
Why
Represented the burden women carried during wartime—running farms, households, and managing crises.
How
Took control of property and organized her husband’s rescue.
Evidence
Her experiences were later documented in The Mary Silliman’s War.
Significance
Example of female resilience and patriotism during the Revolution.
Showed women’s crucial domestic and logistical roles in sustaining the war effort.
Peter Salem
Who
Former enslaved African American soldier.
What
Fought for the Continental Army in key battles.
When
Notably at the Battle of Bunker Hill (1775) and later engagements.
Where
Massachusetts and other battle sites.
Why
Enlisted to fight for liberty—both national and personal.
How
Earned recognition for bravery, possibly shooting British Major Pitcairn at Bunker Hill.
Evidence
Served with distinction in multiple battles as a free man.
Significance
Symbol of Black contribution to American independence.
His service highlighted the contradiction between freedom and slavery in the new nation.
Battle of Saratoga
Who
American forces led by General Horatio Gates vs. British General John Burgoyne.
What
Major American victory; turning point of the war.
When
September–October 1777.
Where
Saratoga, New York.
Why
British sought to cut New England off from the rest of the colonies.
How
American troops surrounded and forced Burgoyne’s surrender.
Evidence
Burgoyne’s surrender convinced France to formally ally with the U.S. in 1778.
Significance
Turning point that brought foreign recognition and aid.
Boosted American morale and legitimacy.
Battle of Yorktown
Who
American forces (Washington and Lafayette) and French army/navy vs. British General Cornwallis.
What
Final major battle of the American Revolution.
When
September–October 1781.
Where
Yorktown, Virginia.
Why
To trap British forces retreating to the coast.
How
French navy blocked escape by sea; Washington’s forces surrounded Cornwallis on land.
Evidence
Cornwallis surrendered October 19, 1781.
Significance
Ended major fighting; led to the Treaty of Paris (1783).
Proved the effectiveness of Franco-American cooperation.
Articles of Confederation (ratification)
Who
Written by the Continental Congress; ratified by the 13 states.
What
First constitution of the United States.
When
Drafted 1777; ratified in 1781.
Where
Philadelphia and across the colonies.
Why
To establish a unified government during and after the war.
How
Created a weak central government—Congress could make laws but not tax or enforce them.
Evidence
Ratification delayed until Maryland approved (wanted western land claims settled).
Significance
Served as the U.S.’s first national framework.
Showed the limits of early American unity, leading later to the U.S. Constitution (1787).