Main Events of the American Founding

These events represent broad strokes of American history between Christopher Columbus and the ratification of the Bill of Rights.  This is a good place to start; you can probably reason most of these out by carefully reading the clues--if you have a basic knowledge of the American colonial period.  This version is written to provide details of interest to adults.  If you prefer, you can work with these same events in a set written for kids.

Columbus Travels to America

The Age of Exploration began with Portuguese coastal maritime expeditions around the African continent, looking for an efficient means to India and China. In an effort to find a faster route to India and China for Spain’s Ferdinand and Isabella, Christopher Columbus’ transatlantic voyages to the western hemisphere unintentionally initiated the era of the Columbian Exchange– marking a major turning point in world history. Intensive competition for power between the European powers of Portugal, Spain, France, the Netherlands, and England involved mapping of the Western Hemisphere, colonization, conquest of native peoples through force and the spread of disease, an increase in European discoveries in science and technology, as well as worldwide population growth and the sharing of culture and native foods. Illusive to all was a speedy western route to Asia for economic power from the competitive Spice Trade. 

1492

 

The Defeat of the Spanish Armada

England’s defeat of the Spanish Armada had significant repercussions for its future in the colonization of North America. The Armada’s massive fleet, sent by King Philip to block English ships, occurred shortly after England’s first attempts by Sir Walter Raleigh to establish a colony at the site of Roanoke in the Outer Banks of the Carolinas, thereby blocking England’s ability to support the colony. Ultimately, it is believed that the colonists were assimilated into nearby Native American tribes.   The Armada’s defeat paved the way for the establishment of the Virginia Company of London and further attempts by the English to explore and colonize North America. 

1588

 

Jamestown Settlement Begins

James Fort (later known as Jamestowne) was the first permanent English settlement in North America. Its early years were fraught with hardship, disease, difficult relations with the indigenous Powhatan Nation’s tribes, and near-starvation.  The Virginia Company of London appointed a council that was tasked with making the venture profitable by finding gold, which turned out to be impossible. Despite these struggles, the perseverance of the colonists and ultimate profitability (thanks to glass-making and the growing of tobacco) laid the groundwork for the Virginia Company to fund future ventures such as the Mayflower and its passengers. 

In 1619, with the success of John Rolfe and the tobacco crops, the creation of the House of Burgesses as a governing body, the introduction of slave labor from Africa, as well as the arrival of women to help further establish the colony, Jamestowne became the capital of England’s Virginia colony in North America. 

1607

 

The Mayflower arrives at Plimoth

In an effort to establish a second colony in North America, the Virginia Company funded a group of English families (half of whom were English Separatists) to travel to the northern parts of the Colony of Virginia (just south of the mouth of the Hudson River) to form a second colony. Storms at sea drove the ship off course. Continued weather issues pressed Captain Christopher Jones to make the decision to drop anchor at present-day Provincetown, Massachusetts.  Because they were outside the boundary of the assigned charter, and due to worries about the consequences of the rifts between the Separatists and the other English, all male passengers gathered in Captain Jones’ quarters to sign a compact before disembarking– ensuring adherence to the laws of England as they understood them and granting the privilege to gather to council should there be disputations regarding interpretation of those laws, until such time as a new charter could be acquired from England. This occasion is momentous because none of the signers of the Mayflower Compact would have been permitted to participate in decisions of governance in England due to their lower stations in England’s strict class system. The signing is considered an early example of self-governance based on the consent of the governed in the English colonies in North America.  

After disembarking from the Mayflower, exploration of Cape Cod led the passengers to decide to establish their colony site on the mainland at the western side of Cape Cod, where they found the remains of a native Pawtuxet village, along with a good fresh water source and plenty of fish, naming it Plimoth Colony.  

1620

 

The First Thanksgiving

The Pilgrims’ efforts through harsh winter conditions and disease aboard the Mayflower as they worked to build cabins on the mainland resulted in a loss of fifty percent of the original travelers. With the help of an Abenaki sagamore and diplomat, Samoset, the Wampanoag chief, Massasoit, and Pawtuxet survivor, Squanto, the Pilgrims were able to have the help they needed to complete the building of their initial cabins, to fish, and to plant gardens to sustain themselves.  After the Mayflower sailed back to England in the Spring, the Pilgrims’ willingness (led by then-governor William Bradford) to work with local indigenous peoples (in stark contrast to their Jamestowne counterparts) became an important factor in their harvest celebration in the Fall of 1621, known as the First Thanksgiving.

Thanks to the journals of William Bradford and Edward Winslow, details of the harvest celebration include sharing three days of meals with ninety-plus Wampanoag warriors (including Massasoit), playing games, and plentiful food provided by both the native peoples and the English. This moment of celebration and gratitude marked an occasion of relative peace and cooperation. 

1621

 

The French and Indian War

The French and Indian War (part of the global Seven Years War) was a conflict between England and France, along with their respective Native American allies. Tensions over trade in North America came to a head at the Forks of the Ohio regarding Fort Duquesne, with shots being fired at the Battle of Jumonville Glen when French patrols were ambushed by England’s Virginia militia led by George Washington. Later battles involved places and people in Pennsylvania, New York, Nova Scotia, Quebec, and others– ultimately resulting in the expulsion of the French from North America and land grants to Great Britain and Spain.  In accordance with the Treaty of Paris, France ceded its holdings in Canada, as well as any holdings east of the Mississippi River, confirming British power in vast regions of North America. 

As a result of the war, the Proclamation Line of 1763 was drawn by King George III to grant access of Native Americans to lands west of the Appalachian Mountains and east of the Mississippi River.  This caused considerable frustration to western-bound settlers who had been emigrating to areas such as Tennessee and Kentucky because the policy required that they move back to the east side of the mountains– fueling discord with colonists.  Additionally, the Seven Years' War nearly doubled Great Britain’s national debt.  Consequently, Parliament began exacting a series of taxes on all British citizens (both abroad and at home) to help recoup the debt. Because colonial representation in Parliament had no voting rights, colonial resentment was further fueled against the Crown. 

1754

1763

 

The Stamp Act

The Stamp Act was an act passed by Parliament requiring that many printed materials be produced on stamped paper from London.  The “stamp” was an embossed revenue stamp.  Printed materials included such things as newspapers, letters, playing cards, legal documents, and many other types of paper.  All materials had to be paid for with British currency rather than colonial paper money.  

The Stamp Act was very unpopular among colonists– many of whom considered it a violation of their rights as Englishmen to be taxed without their consent—consent that only the colonial legislatures could grant. Their slogan was "Taxation without representation is Tyranny". 

Opposition to the act was not exclusive among the colonists in America, and ultimately, the Stamp Act was repealed– only to be followed by a series of new taxes and regulations. 

1765

  

The Boston Massacre

The Boston Massacre, known in Great Britain as “The Incident on King Street”, was a confrontation between an estimated crowd of 300 - 400 colonists and nine British soldiers who were guarding their post.  (Troops had been stationed in Boston since 1768 to support Crown-appointed officials and the rule of law– resulting in tense relations between the civilians and the soldiers.) On March 5th, a mob formed around a British sentry and verbally abused him. He was eventually supported by seven additional soldiers, led by Captain Thomas Preston, all of whom were hit by clubs, stones, and snowballs packed with broken oyster shells that were thrown at them by the mob. Eventually, one soldier fired, prompting the others to fire without an order by Preston. The gunfire instantly killed three people and wounded eight others, two of whom later died of their wounds. Included in the dead was former slave Crispus Attucks.  

Eight soldiers, one officer, and four civilians were arrested and charged with murder. The soldiers were defended in court by attorney John Adams, cousin to Samuel Adams, one of the leaders of the Sons of Liberty. Six of the soldiers were acquitted; the other two were convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to branding on the thumb, according to the law at that time.

Depictions, reports, and propaganda about the event, notably the colored engraving “The Bloody Massacre” made by fellow Sons of Liberty member, Paul Revere, heightened tensions throughout the Thirteen Colonies.

1770-03-05

  

The Boston Tea Party

The Boston Tea Party was pivotal as an act of protest by colonists in America against policies by Parliament.  The passing of the Tea Act in May of 1773 gave license to the East India Company to sell tea more cheaply than before and established government-consigned importers– undercutting the prices offered by smugglers of Dutch tea (such as John Hancock), but also undercutting colonial tea importers, who paid the tax and received no refund. In addition, another major concern for merchants was that the Tea Act gave the East India Company a monopoly on the tea trade, and it was feared that this government-created monopoly might be extended in the future to include other goods. In all of the other colonies, protesters were able to get consignees to back down. But in Massachusetts, where two of the sanctioned sellers were the sons of Colonial Governor Hutchinson, protests had been futile.  

On December 16th, approximately 5000 - 7000 people gathered at the Old South Meetinghouse to debate the fate of the tea sitting in the harbor– wanting the ships laden with tea to leave Boston.  Governor Hutchinson refused the request, and the meeting was adjourned.  That night, a group of colonists disguised as Mohawk Indians boarded the three British ships in Boston Harbor and dumped approximately 45 tons of tea into the water, worth more than 1.7 million dollars today. While disguising their individual faces was imperative, because of the illegality of their protest, dressing as Mohawk warriors was a specific and symbolic choice showing that the Sons of Liberty identified with America, over their official status as subjects of Great Britain. 

In response, the British government decided that such an affront could not remain unpunished, and responded by closing the Port of Boston– putting in place other laws known as the "Intolerable Acts".

1773-12-17

 

The Battles of Lexington and Concord

The Battles of Lexington and Concord began the official hostilities of the American Revolution. British troops, assigned to confiscate militia weapons stored in Concord, as well as to arrest Sons of Liberty leaders Samuel Adams and John Hancock, who were staying at an inn in Lexington, began their march from Boston to Lexington the night of April 18th. Local militia (Minutemen) had been warned by Paul Revere and other riders during that night that “the regulars are out”.  Thanks to the warnings, Adams and Hancock escaped, but the troops’ engagement with the colonists, encountering resistance from the local militia on Lexington Green in the early hours of the morning, resulted in leaving eight wounded or dead.  

No one knows which side fired that first shot at Lexington, but after the brief skirmish, the regulars continued on toward Concord– encountering a greater number of the Minute Men at the North Bridge. As “the shot heard round the world” was fired upon the Regulars– killing three and sending the rest to retreat back to Boston along the Battle Road, engagement against the Regulars by the colonial militia marked a transition from political protests to armed conflict– demonstrating the colonists’ willingness to fight to preserve their rights. 

1775-04-19

 

The Siege of Boston

George Washington was asked by Congress to lead the troops shortly after the victories at Lexington and Concord.  When he arrived in June in Boston, the harbor was full of British warships.  Taking command at a home in Cambridge, Washington began to organize the efforts against the British by implementing a new system of uniforms and discipline, while at the same time dealing with supply problems as well as the capture of Boston itself.  Thanks to the efforts of the Knox brothers during the winter to bring fifty-seven canons from recently captured Fort Ticonderoga on Lake Champlain, Washington was able to put the canons on Dorchester Heights in March– resulting in General Howe’s decision to sail the 120 ships from the harbor along with some 11,200 residents, thus effectively ending British involvement in New England.

1775-04-20

 

1766-03-17

  

Congress Votes to Declare Independence from Great Britain

The Declaration of Independence, based on the premise that “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights”, among which are “life, liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness,” asserts that governments are created to secure those rights. It also asserts that “whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it, and to institute new government.” The Declaration goes on to give ample evidence as to the infringement of the colonists’ rights by the government of Great Britain–laying out a long list of grievances.  Based on the premise of rights and the evidence of efforts by the Crown to refuse those rights to the colonists, independence from Great Britain was declared, and a new organization for the colonies was named–the United States of America. 

1776-07-02

  

The Siege of Yorktown

The Siege of Yorktown, following an extensive southern campaign of the war, was the final major military engagement of the American Revolutionary War.  With troops composed of indigenous soldiers from various tribes, free African Americans, Scots-Irish, poor farmers, along with wealthy men and seasoned generals, Washington’s troops combined with Rochambeau’s forces to total almost 20,000 to lay siege against Cornwallis’ 9000 troops. The Siege of Yorktown was the final major military engagement of the American Revolutionary War.   The French fleet effectively blockaded the Chesapeake Bay, preventing British reinforcements from reaching Cornwallis.  After a prolonged siege, Cornwallis, facing dwindling supplies and estimated casualties of 8500, was forced to surrender his entire army. 

Claiming illness, Cornwallis did not attend the surrender ceremony. Refusing to accept the surrender sword from anyone other than Cornwallis, Washington appointed General Benjamin Lincoln to receive the ceremonial surrender from General Charles O’Hara.  When news of Cornwallis’s surrender reached London on November 25, the Prime Minister, Lord North, declared, “Oh God. It is all over. It is all over.” 

1781-09-28

 

1781-10-19

 

The Treaty of Paris

The American War for Independence was actually a world conflict, involving not only the United States and Great Britain, but also France, Spain, and the Netherlands. The peace process brought the fledgling United States into the arena of international diplomacy, playing against the largest and most established powers on earth.

The three American negotiators – John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and John Jay – proved themselves ready for the world stage, achieving many of the objectives sought by the new United States. Two crucial provisions of the treaty were British recognition of U.S. independence and the delineation of boundaries that would allow for American western expansion.

1783-09-03

  

George Washington resigns his commission

A few months after the Treaty of Paris was signed, George Washington addressed the Continental Congress in Annapolis as commander in chief of the army to resign his military commission. The resignation not only signified the end of Washington’s time as commander in chief, a position Congress appointed him to in 1775, but also Washington’s desire to return to his Mount Vernon estate as a private citizen. He willingly surrendered the power of the army back to the governmental body that first appointed him.

1783-12-23

  

Shays' Rebellion

Financing independence proved a costly endeavor. After the challenges of paying for a revolution and winning a war, the United States found itself heavily in debt, resulting in an economic depression, and without national governance to address the challenges. At the same time, States were imposing higher taxes on citizens to cover debts incurred by the war. 

After the Revolutionary War,  veterans of the Continental Army and state militia struggled because they had received little in the way of pay or reimbursement for their military service. Among these disgruntled former soldiers was the Continental Army Captain Daniel Shays, who led a violent uprising of farmers in western Massachusetts against debt collection imposed by Massachusetts’ legislature. Shay’s Rebellion, as it was called, showed that the Articles of Confederation (the original governmental structure of the United States of America) were inadequate to deal with governing effectively.  In response to the uprising and others in many of the states, delegates decided to convene the Federal Convention, where they drafted the United States Constitution–working to form  “a more perfect union”.

1786-09-29

 

1787-02-04

 

Signing of the U.S. Constitution

The Federal Convention recommended the newly-drafted United States Constitution to the States for ratification, which would occur the following year.  It is the foundational legal document of the U. S. Federal government.  Born out of the inadequacies of the Articles of Confederation, the Constitution established a system of government that was based on principles of federalism, separation of powers within the federal government and the various States, as well as checks and balances—dividing authority in the Federal government among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. 

1787-09-17

  

George Washington Becomes President

George Washington became president of the United States in Federal Hall, New York City, formally establishing the executive branch of the newly formed United States government under the Constitution.  Washington’s assumption of the presidency was not merely a ceremonial event; it symbolized the transition from a fledgling republic struggling under the Articles of Confederation to a more unified and stable nation.

1789-04-30

  

Ratification of the Bill of Rights

The Bill of Rights, comprising the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution, is considered one of the three founding documents and was strongly influenced by the Virginia Declaration of Rights, written by George Mason, as well as English documents such as the Magna Carta, the Petition of Right, the English Bill of Rights, and the Massachusetts Body of Liberties. The first ten amendments to the Constitution make up the Bill of Rights. James Madison wrote the amendments as a solution to limit government power and protect individual liberties through the Constitution. These amendments guarantee essential rights and freedoms to all citizens, including freedom of speech, religion, the press, the right to bear arms, protection against unreasonable searches and seizures, and due process of law. 

Following the procedures outlined in the Constitution for ratification, Virginia’s state legislature was the final state to do so.

1791-12-15

  

George Washington’s Farewell Address

As his second term as president was coming to a close, President George Washington chose not to seek re-election. Very aware of the example his conduct would set for future presidents, Washington was afraid that if he were to die while in office, Americans would think that the presidency was a lifetime appointment. Consequently, he decided to step down from his position as president, thus providing the standard of a two-term limit that would eventually be enshrined in the Twenty-Second Amendment to the Constitution.

Washington concluded his remarks by saying, “Relying on its kindness in this as in other things, and actuated by that fervent love towards it which is so natural to a man who views in it the native soil of himself and his progenitors for several generations, I anticipate with pleasing expectation that retreat in which I promise myself to realize without alloy the sweet enjoyment of partaking, in the midst of my fellow citizens, the benign influence of good laws under a free government—the ever favorite object of my heart, and the happy reward, as I trust, of our mutual cares, labors, and dangers.”

1796-09-17