THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION

Timeline
of the Revolution

1760: King George III ascends

to throne of England

1763: Treaty signed between England and France ends French and
Indian War. Canada and the continent east of the Mississippi River
are added to Great Britain’s growing empire
1765: Parliament passes the Stamp Act as a means to pay for British
troops on American frontier. Colonists violently protest the measure
1766: The Stamp Act is repealed, but on the same day the
parliament passes the Declaratory Act asserting its right to make
laws binding on the colonies
 Boston
Tea Party
1768: October: British troops
Arrive in Boston to enforce
customs laws
1770: March: Four workers
shot by British troops in
Boston; Patriots call killings “the Boston Massacre.”
1773: May 10: Tea Act. To save the East Indian Company from
bankruptcy, the British Parliament authorizes it to sell a huge tea surplus
without payment of duty directly to the public, outraging established tea
merchants, since the East India Company could undersell them.
December 16: Boston Tea Party. Disguised as Mohawk Indians, a group
of approximately 150 protesters boarded three tea ships in Boston
harbor and emptied 342 chests of tea worth 18,000 pounds sterling into
the water.
 Britain’s
‘Intolerable
Acts’

1774
March 31: Intolerable Acts. In reprisal for the Boston Tea Party, the British
Parliament enacts the first of the "Intolerable Acts," closing Boston
harbor to all shipping until payment for the destroyed tea was made.
May 20: Two additional "Intolerable Acts" forbid public meetings in
Massachusetts unless sanctioned by the royal governor and transfer any
trial of a British official accused of a capital offense to England or another
colony.
June 2: The Quartering Act, another of the "Intolerable Acts," requires
Massachusetts residents to house and feed British troops in private
homes.
First
Continental
Congress
1774: September:
First Continental
Congress convenes
in Philadelphia; all 13
colonies except Georgia are represented.
September 17: The First Continental Congress approves the Suffolk
Resolves, calling for organized opposition to the Intolerable Acts.
1775: April. Shots fired at Lexington and Concord. “Minute Men”
force British troops back to Boston. George Washington takes
command of Continental Army.
Common
Sense

1775 January:
Thomas Paine’s
Common Sense
is published;
becomes an instant best seller and pushes
colonies closer to Independence
Paine’s Common Sense

 307: The cause of America is in a great

measure the cause of all mankind.
 308: The sun never shined on a cause of
greater worth … posterity are involved, even
to the end of time
 308: I have heard it asserted that as America
has flourished under Great Britain…
 309: But Britain is the parent country…
Common Sense

 310: Europe is too thickly planted with

kingdoms to be long at peace
 311: Men of passive tempers look lightly over
the offenses of GB
 312 ‘tis repugnant to reason, to the universal
order of things, to all examples from former
ages, to suppose that this continent can long
remain subjected to any external power.
.

1776 July 4: Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence

is ratified by the Congress
(painting by John Trumbull)
 Thomas
Jefferson

1743-July 4, 1826
He wrote these words for his tombstone: “Here was buried Thomas
Jefferson, Author of the Declaration of Independence, of the Statute
of Virginia for religious freedom and Father of the University of
Virginia.”
http://www.biography.com/people/thomas-jefferson-9353715
Jefferson’s Declaration
 324: When in the course of human events…
 324: The history of the present king a history
of injuries and usurpations
 326: He has waged cruel war… [indictment of
slave trade that is struck out of final
Declaration due to objections from slave
states]
 328: We therefore declare that these colonies
are absolved of all allegiance to the British
crown …
The British: Oh No You Don’t
1776 July: Huge British
force arrives in NY,
bent on crushing
rebellion
1776: August:
Continental Army
routed at Long Island,
NY
December 25:
Washington crosses
the Delaware River,
and captures a Hessian
force at Trenton, NJ
 (Painting: Washington crossing the Delaware, E. Leutze, 1851)
 Franklin goes
to France

1776 December: In desperate

need of financing
and arms, Congress
sends Ben Franklin to France

1777: July: British force led by John Burgoyne takes Fort

Ticonderoga in devastating loss to Americans. The Marquis de
Lafayette arrives in America
 September: Washington defeated in two battles; Philadelphia is
lost to British
 October: Americans capture Burgoyne and his army at Saratoga
 http://www.pbs.org/benfranklin/l3_world_france.html
 Marquis de La Fayette,
“Hero of the Two Worlds”
(1757-1834)
Lafayette was a general in the American
Revolutionary War under Washington and a
leader of the Garde nationale during the French
Revolution. Lafayette was the most important
link between the American and the French
Revolutions. As an ardent supporter of the
United States' constitutional principles he called
on all nations to follow the American example.
The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the
Citizen was largely based on his draft, which
had the assistance of Thomas Jefferson. During
the French Revolution, Lafayette attempted to
maintain order—He became an American citizen
during his lifetime, and he received honorary
United States citizenship in 2002.
 Cornwallis
surrenders

1778: February: France signs a treaty of alliance with the United

States and the American Revolution becomes a world war
1780: British attack Charleston, SC. City falls in May.
1781: African American Elizabeth Freeman sues for her freedom
in Massachusetts. Her victory prohibits slavery in that state.
October 1: A “miraculous” convergence of American and French
forces trap Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown, VA. He surrenders his
British Army
Peace Treaty

1783: September:
A peace treat is signed
between Great Britain and
the United States
December: George Washington
gives up command of the
Continental Army and returns to private life
1783-87: Noah Webster creates and publishes a speller which
helps standardize American English
1787: Northwest Ordinance adopted by Confederation Congress.
Prohibits slavery in the territories and provides a means for new
states to enter the union.
Constitutional Convention

 1787: May: Delegates from all 13 states arrive in

Philadelphia to rewrite the articles of Confederation
 Sept 13: The Constitutional Convention adjourns having
passed a National Constitution that needs ratification
from ¾ of the states
 1788 The crucial states of Virginia and New York become
the 10th and 11th states to pass the constitution
 1791 A Bill of Rights passed by the 1st congress of the
United States

 http://www.pbs.org/ktca/liberty/chronicle_timeline.html
The Bill of Rights (1789)
Note: The following text is a transcription of the first ten amendments to the
Constitution in their original form. These amendments were ratified
December 15, 1791, and form what is known as the "Bill of Rights."
Amendment I
 Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or
prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech,
or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to
petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Amendment II
 A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State,
the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.
Amendment III
 No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the
consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed
by law.
The Bill of Rights, cont.
Amendment IV
 The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and
effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be
violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause,
supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to
be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
Amendment V
 No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous
crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in
cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual
service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject
for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall
be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be
deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall
private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.
The Bill of Rights, cont.
Amendment VI
 In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and
public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime
shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously
ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the
accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have
compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the
Assistance of Counsel for his defence.
Amendment VII
 In Suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty
dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury,
shall be otherwise re-examined in any Court of the United States, than
according to the rules of the common law.
Amendment VIII
 Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel
and unusual punishments inflicted.
The Bill of Rights, cont.

Amendment IX
 The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain
rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage
others retained by the people.
Amendment X
 The powers not delegated to the United States by the
Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are
reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.
 http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/
bill_of_rights.html
J. Hector
St. John de Crèvecœur
(1735 – 1813)
1782 Letters from an American
Farmer: First attempt to
describe new country and its people to
Europeans. Initiates concepts
such as the American
‘melting pot’
De Crevecoeur’s Letters
 290: Here are no aristocratical families…
 290: Here each person works for himself
 291: Whence came all these people? They are
a mixture …
 292: He is an American who accepts new
laws, a new mode of living, a new social
system: here they are become men: in Europe
they were as so many useless plants
295: Religious indifference becomes prevalent
De Crevecoeur: Letter IX

 301: Oh Nature, where are thou? Are not

these Blacks thy children as are we?
Tecumseh
(1768-1813)
Native American leader of the Shawnee
and a large tribal confederacy which opposed
the United States during Tecumseh's War and
the War of 1812. During the War of 1812,
Tecumseh's confederacy allied with the British
in The Canadas. American forces killed Tecumseh
in the Battle of the Thames, in October 1813.
With his death, his confederation disintegrated.
The British deserted their Indian allies at the peace
conference that ended the War of 1812.
The dream of an independent Indian state
in the Midwest vanished, and American settlers
took possession of all the territory south of the Great
Lakes, driving the Indians west or into reservations.
Tecumseh’s Speech

 435: Brothers, the white men are not friends

to the Indians … nothing will satisfy them
ADDENDUM:
TIMELINE OF REVOLUTION

 1733
May 17: The Molasses Act levies heavy duties on rum and
molasses imported from the French and Spanish West Indies.
 1765
March 22: Parliament passes the Stamp Act, which imposes a tax
on all newspapers, legal documents, playing cards, dice,
almanacs, and pamphlets, raising the issue of taxation without
representation.
 March 24: The Quartering Act, which requires the colonies to
provide housing and food for British troops stationed in the
colonies, goes into effect.
 May 29: When Patrick Henry is accused of treason for denouncing
the Stamp Act in the Virginia House of Burgesses, he replies: "If
this be treason, make the most of it."
Timeline of Revolution

 October 7-25: The Stamp Act Congress, consisting of

delegates from nine colonies, meets in New York to
organize united resistance to the Stamp Act. It calls on the
colonies to protest the act by refusing to import goods that
require purchase of a stamp.
 1766
The phrase "Sons of Liberty" refers to opponents of the
Stamp Act.
 March 17: Under pressure for London merchants,
Parliament repeals the Stamp Act.
 March 18: Parliament passes the Declaratory Act, asserting
its power to pass laws affecting the colonies.
Revolutionary War
 1775
March 3: At a convention held in Richmond, Va.'s St. Johns
Episcopal Church, Patrick Henry reportedly denounced arbitrary
British rule with the stirring words: "Is life so dear, or peace so
sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery?
Forbid it, Almighty God. I know not what course others may take,
but as for me, give me liberty or give me death."
 April 14: The first antislavery society in the colonies is organized
in Philadelphia.
 April 19: At the battles of Lexington and Concord, 73 British
troops are killed and 200 are wounded or missing in action. The
patriot losses were 49 dead and 46 wounded or missing.
 May: The Second Continental Congress convenes in Philadelphia.
Revolutionary War

 June 15: Congress selects George Washington to be

commander in chief of the Continental Army.
 June 17: Battle of Bunker Hill. British forces attacked
Patriots on Breed's Hill, which overlooks the sea
approach to Boston Harbor. Almost half of the British
troops--1,054 out of 2,400--are killed or wounded.
American colonel William Prescott is credited with
telling his troops: "Don't fire till you see the whites of
their eyes!"
 June 22: The Second Continental Congress issues its
first paper money.
Timeline of Revolution
 1776
January: Thomas Paine arrives in the United States bearing a letter of
recommendation by Benjamin Franklin. His pamphlet Common Sense,
published on Jan. 10, sold over 100,000 copies in three months.
 June 6: At the Second Continental Congress, Richard Henry Lee of Virginia
introduces a resolution that "these united colonies are, and of right ought to be,
free and indpendent states."
 July 2: New Jersey gives "all inhabitants" of adult age with a net worth of 50
pounds the right to vote. Women property holders have the vote until 1807,
when the state limited the vote to "free, white males."
 July 4: Congress adopts the Declaration of Independence. Virginia Richard Henry
Lee formally moved for independence on June 6. On June 11, a five-member
committee--consisting of John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson,
Robert Livingston, and Roger Sherman--was named to produce a draft of a
declaration.
 September 22: Before being executed by the British for spying, Capt. Nathan
Hale says, "I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country."
Timeline of Revolution
 December 19: To bolster the patriots' morale, Thomas Paine
publishes The Crisis, which begins: "These are the times that try
men's souls."
 1777
June 14: The Continental Congress authorizes a flag with 13 red and
white stripes and 13 white stars on a field of blue.
 July 2: Vermont becomes the first political unit in the world to
abolish slavery.
 1778
According to Thomas Jefferson, "30,000 slaves escaped from
Virginia in the year of 1778."
 February 6: France signs a treaty with the United States.
 December 29: The British invade the deep South, capturing
Savannah, Ga.
Timeline of Revolution
 1779
June: Spain declares war on England.
 September 23: When British forces on the Serapis demand that John
Paul Jones surrender the sinking Bon Homme Richard, Jones replies:
"Sir, I have not yet begun to fight."
 1780
U.S. population: 2,781,000.
 September 21: Benedict Arnold offers to exchange West Point for
20,000 pounds and a commission as major general in the British army.
 1781
Quork Walker, a slave, successfully petitions for his freedom, basing
his plea on the State constitution's declaration that "All men are born
free and equal."
 January 30: The Articles of Confederation are adopted.
Timeline of Revolution

 October 19: General Cornwallis's encircled

8000-man army surrenders at Yorktown, Va.
 1782
J. Hector St. John de Crevecoeur publishes
his Letters from an American Farmer, which
asks: "What is an American, this new man?"
 Massachusetts no longer identifies adulterers
with a scarlet "A" branded on the skin or sewn
on a garment.
Literature of Revolution
 1789
The first American novel, William Hill Brown's The Power of
Sympathy, seeks "to expose the dangerous Consequences of
Seduction and to set forth the advantages of female Education."
 February 4: The Electoral College selects George Washington as
president. Washington wrote: "My movement to the chair of
Government will be accompanied by feelings not unlike those of a
culprit who is going to the place of his execution."
 July 14: A Paris crowd of 20,000 storms the Bastille, a hated royal
fortress. The crowd frees seven prisoners.
 August 27: The French National Assembly, inspired in part by the
Declaration of Independence, issues the Declaration of the Rights of
Man, which proclaims the legal equality of all citizens and freedom
of speech, press, assembly, and religion.
Death of Washington

 1798
December 14: George Washington dies at his
home at Mount Vernon. "Light-Horse Harry"
Lee delivers the most famous eulogy: "To the
memory of the man, first in war, first in
peace, and first in the hearts of his
countrymen."
 http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/
historyonline/chron18.cf