Key Events in American History

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First governing document of Plymouth Colony; established self-government based on majority rule and mutual consent. Influenced future democratic principles.

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Mayflower Compact (1620)

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First elected legislative assembly in colonial America; established self-governance and political representation in Virginia. Highlighted the growing desire for political representation among colonists.

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House of Burgesses (1619)

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British policy permitting colonial self-governance and economic freedom, leading to increased autonomy. When Britain attempted to reassert control after the French and Indian War, the colonies resisted, setting the stage for the American Revolution.

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Salutary Neglect

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The French and Indian War was a fight over land and power in North America and it helped shape the future of both the United States and Canada. It was part of a larger global conflict known as the Seven Years' War. Britain won the war, becoming the most powerful empire in North America, but the war was very expensive, leading to taxes on American colonists. One cause of the American Revolution.

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French and Indian War (1754-1763)

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This line prohibited colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains. The purpose was to protect native lands after the French and Indian War and Pontiac's Rebellion.

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The Proclamation of 1763

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Proposed by Benjamin Franklin, it was a plan to unite the 13 colonies for defense and cooperation during the French and Indian War. It was the first formal proposal to unite the colonies but was rejected by the colonies and British government. It was important because it showed early ideas of colonial unity.

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Albany Plan of Union (1754)

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A protest by American colonists against the Tea Act, led by the Sons of Liberty. Colonists dumped 342 chests of British tea into Boston Harbor, protesting "taxation without representation." It angered the British government and led to the Intolerable Acts as punishment. The Intolerable Acts were laws passed to punish the American colonists after the Boston Tea Party.

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Boston Tea Party (1773)

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Series of laws passed to punish the colonists after the Boston Tea Party. They included closing Boston Harbor, restricting colonial self-government, and allowing British troops to be quartered in colonists' homes.

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Intolerable Acts

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War between the 13 colonies and Great Britain where the colonies sought to become their own country. Causes included Britain's attempt to assert more power over the colonies by increasing taxes, fueling growing discontent. Effects included the signing of the Treaty of Paris, which ended the war and granted independence to the colonies.

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Revolutionary War (1775 - 1783)

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The foundation document of the United States which declared its independence from Great Britain. It outlined reasons for the separation from Britain and established principles for the new government.

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Declaration of Independence (1776)