US History: Colonial Era

When was Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement, founded?

1607, in present-day Virginia

What was the Mayflower Compact?

A governing agreement signed in 1620 by Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower, establishing self-governance in Plymouth Colony

What were the 13 original colonies?

Virginia, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maryland, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Delaware, North Carolina, South Carolina, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Georgia

What was the French and Indian War?

A conflict (1754–1763) between Britain and France in North America; British victory led to increased taxation of the colonies

What was the Stamp Act of 1765?

A British tax on printed materials in the colonies, sparking protests and the rallying cry 'No taxation without representation'

What was the Boston Tea Party?

A 1773 protest where colonists dumped 342 chests of British East India Company tea into Boston Harbor to oppose the Tea Act

What were the Intolerable Acts?

Punitive laws passed by Britain in 1774 in response to the Boston Tea Party, restricting colonial self-governance

When was the Declaration of Independence adopted?

July 4, 1776, drafted primarily by Thomas Jefferson

What was the significance of the Battle of Saratoga (1777)?

A turning point in the Revolutionary War; the American victory convinced France to ally with the colonies

What was the Treaty of Paris (1783)?

The treaty ending the American Revolution, in which Britain recognized American independence