Turning Points- Period 3
1. Proclamation Act of 1763- The Proclamation Act was passed by England after the French and Indian War in order to ease conflicts with the natives in disputed territory. It stated that the colonists could not settle in lands west of the Appalachian Mountains. This angered the colonists because they felt that the whole point of the war had been to gain that land. To them, this act basically closed the frontier that had been so appealing in the first place. later, the ways that the British tried to make the colonists help pay for this war would lead to even more controversy.
2. First Committee of Correspondence established in Boston- The British began imposing stiffer customs enforcement and were also banning the use of American paper money and the colonists did not like that. Because these issues affected multiple colonies, Samuel Adams and other leaders came together to address these issues. The first committee of correspondence is significant because it is the first time that the colonies unite in communication before the Revolutionary War. It is also significant because it was formed because of a British policy that they didn't like and they wanted to work together to solve their problems.
3. Declaratory Act- American colonists had been extremely resistant to the recent policies of the British during this time period. A notable legislation they resisted is the Stamp Act which imposed a tax on all printed goods. The colonists convened at the Stamp Act Congress and drafted the Stamp Act Resolves which criticized Great Britain's power to tax the colonists. From this event came the Declaratory Act. Parliament repealed the Stamp Act but also issued the Declaratory Act which asserted the Crown's power to tax the colonies at their discretion.
4. Boston Massacre- The Boston Massacre was caused by an increasing amount of tensions in places where British troops were stationed in the colonies. One of these places was Boston. Colonists in Boston harassed British Soldiers by throwing sticks, stones, and snowballs at them. After repeated attacks, the soldiers unleashed fire killing five colonists. The event was portrayed as an attack by the British on Colonists and was publicized in newspapers as such. This really fired up a lot of colonists who now believed that the English did not have their best interest at heart. The Boston Massacre was a key event that led colonists towards the Revolutionary War.
5. Declaration of Independence- Even after the Revolutionary War had started, many colonists did not want full independence from Great Britain. Those that did were very few. However, after the British employed more troops to fight, reconciliation seemed less likely. After Thomas Paine wrote Common Sense many of the colonists were in support of complete independence from Great Britain. It was the first document that set up the goals and ideals for what would later become the American Government. It affected the way Colonists approached the rest of the Revolutionary War.
6. Articles of Confederation- The Articles of Confederation were the first constitution in America. Since we had asserted our independence in the Declaration of Independence, we needed to have a government to replace the one that Great Britain had. This had to be done rather quickly though, because there was a war going on at the same time. What we ended up getting was a document that loosely connected the states and had little power to actually carry out any policies or raise money. Later, the Articles of Confederation would be scrapped and the Constitution would be written. (More details on the difference between the two in the comparisons section)
7. Treaty of Paris Ends the American Revolutionary War- The end of the Revolutionary War was a big deal for the United States. England knew that it could not afford to fight a war with people who wanted nothing to do with them and decided to sign the treaty. Our notable achievements include Britain acknowledging our independence, giving us access to Newfoundland fisheries, and ceding the land west of the Appalachian Mountains. We did have to give up persecution of Loyalists in the country and give back their seized property.
8. Ratification of the Constitution- When the Constitution was first written, we didn't know if the states would all ratify it and scrap the constitution. The Constitution was sent to each state to undergo scrutiny by the people and hopefully to be ratified by that state. Some people called anti federalists, opposed the Constitution for a variety of reasons. One was that they believed that it was an illegal document and that the Articles of Confederation should be supreme law. They didn't like how much power it gave to the central government. They also argued that it did not include a Bill of Rights which was probably their biggest argument. However, notable federalists published, The Federalist which helped convince states to ratify, and after 10 months, they did.
8. Ratification of the Constitution- When the Constitution was first written, we didn't know if the states would all ratify it and scrap the constitution. The Constitution was sent to each state to undergo scrutiny by the people and hopefully to be ratified by that state. Some people called anti federalists, opposed the Constitution for a variety of reasons. One was that they believed that it was an illegal document and that the Articles of Confederation should be supreme law. They didn't like how much power it gave to the central government. They also argued that it did not include a Bill of Rights which was probably their biggest argument. However, notable federalists published, The Federalist which helped convince states to ratify, and after 10 months, they did.
9. Inauguration of George Washington- This is a big event in the formation of the new government. Though there wasn't much discrepancy i his election, it was the first democratic elections held by the infant country. Washington was elected unanimously from the electoral college. He also set important precedents for the way the residency should be run, like a two term limit and a cabinet of advisers. Having a sitting president was a huge step for the new country.
10. Ratification of the Bill of Rights- The first ten amendments to the Constitution known as the Bill of Rights were another huge step for the formation of the new governments. They were added to help appease the anti federalist and get them on board. These are some of the most quoted and heavily contested parts of the constitution today but have given the citizens of the United States many freedoms that other countries don't enjoy.