- Treaty of Utrecht (1713)
Ended Queen Anne's War.
Gave Britain control of Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, and Hudson Bay Territory
- Growth of Colonial Cities:
Philadelphia and New York City became important centers of trade and culture
- American Enlightenment
Ideas from the European Enlightenment spread to the colonies.
Promoted reason, individualism, and democracy.
1720-1740:
- Molasses Act (1733)
Placed a high duty on molasses imported from non-British colonies.
Aimed at curbing the American colonies' trade with the French West Indies.
- Growth of Slavery
Increased demand for labor on plantations in the South led to a rapid growth in the African slave trade.
1740-1760:
- King George's War (1744-1748)
Part of the larger European conflict known as the War of the Austrian Succession
Fought between Britain and France over territorial claims in North America.
- The Great Awakening (1730s-1740s)
A religious revival movement that swept through the American colonies.
Emphasized personal religious experiences and emotions.
- Seven Years' War (1756-1763)
Also known as the French and Indian War
Britain and its American colonies fought against France and its Native American allies.
Resulted in British victory and the acquisition of French territory in North America.
- Proclamation of 1763:
Issued by King George III after the Seven Years' War.
Prohibited British colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains.
1760-1780:
- The Stamp Act (1765)
A direct tax imposed by the British Parliament on all paper goods in the colonies.
Sparked widespread protests and led to the slogan "No taxation without representation."
- The Boston Massacre (1770)
British soldiers fired on a crowd of colonists in Boston, killing five people.
Increased tensions between the colonies and Britain.
- The Boston Tea Party (1773)
Colonists in Boston disguised as Mohawk Indians dumped a shipment of tea into the Boston Harbor in protest of the British Tea Act, further escalating tensions between the colonists and British authorities.
1780-1800:
- The American Revolution (1775-1783)
War fought by the thirteen American colonies against British rule.
Resulted in the colonies gaining independence and forming the United States of America.
- The Declaration of Independence (1776)
Written by Thomas Jefferson, proclaimed the colonies' right to self-government and listed grievances against the British government.
- The Treaty of Paris (1783)
Officially ended the American Revolution and recognized the United States as an independent nation.
- The Articles of Confederation (1781-1789)
The first constitution of the United States, ratified during the Revolutionary War.
Provided a weak central government.
- The Constitutional Convention (1787)
Held in Philadelphia to revise the Articles of Confederation.
Drafted the United States Constitution, which created a stronger federal government.
- The Bill of Rights (1791)
The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution.
Guaranteed fundamental rights and freedoms to individuals.