A Brief History of the U.S.

1492 Columbus discovers the Americas and claims the new land for Spain. Island in the West Indies http://www.history.com/topics/exploration/columbus-controversy Nina, Pinta, Santa Maria

1607 Jamestown first permanent English settlement in North America founded by the Virginia Company charter from King James I House of Burgesses; representative assembly (legislature) in the English colonies http://www.history.com/topics/jamestown/videos/mystery-roanoke

1620 Plymouth (present day Massachusetts) settled by Pilgrims Mayflower Compact direct democracy town meetings voting limited to land owning men http://www.history.com/topics/plymouth/videos

1733 13 Colonies New England Middle Southern governor elected by colonists or appointed by English king legislatures with elected representatives religious freedom & economic opportunity

1756-63 Seven Years War French and Indian War Britain declares war on France Native Americans allied with France global conflict victory goes to Britain

1765 Stamp Act Quartering Act Britain needed to pay war debt tax stamps needed for newspapers and legal documents supply British troops with food, munitions and barracks http://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/stamp-act

1770 Boston Massacre colonists protesting Townshend Acts British troops fire into a crowd of colonists, killing 5 http://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/tea-act/videos/boston-massacre

1773 Tea Act Boston Tea Party Coercive Acts / Intolerable Acts reduced taxes to the British East India Company gave advantage over colonial merchants angry colonists dressed as Native Americans dumped 343 chests of British tea into Boston Harbor restricted the colonists’ civil rights http://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/american-revolution-history/videos/the-sons-of-liberty-and-the-boston-tea-party

No More kings

1774 First Continental Congress 12 colonies (minus Georgia) sent representatives to Philadelphia; lasted 7 weeks establish a political body to represent American interests and challenge British control sent a document to King George III demanding rights be given back continue boycott of British goods http://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/the-continental-congress

1775 American Revolution Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts colonists began to question their loyalty to Britain http://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/american-revolution-history/videos/first-revolutionary-battle-at-lexington--concord

SHOT HEARD ROUND THE WORLD

1776 Declaration of Independence final step in the colonies’ resistance to the English government individual / natural rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness list of complaints against King George III formal declaration that the colonies now make up their own country and are their own people

FIREWORKS

1777 / 1781 The Articles of Confederation confederation: group of individual state governments that band together for a common purpose one-house legislature; one vote for each state control of army authority to deal with foreign countries no power to enforce laws no power to tax, could ask for money but not demand could not require states to do anything no single leader or group directed policy no national court system could not pass laws without approval of at least 9 states could not be changed without agreement from all 13 states http://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/tea-act/videos

1783 Treaty of Paris ends the Revolutionary War Congress couldn’t collect taxes so it borrowed money to finance the war state governments taxed citizens heavily farmers driven out of business taxes on imported goods citizen insecurity led to resentment and riots