American History: Colonial Period to Revolution

1600-1763: Colonial Period and Early Conflicts

• Iroquois established the Iroquois Confederacy (or League of Six Nations) around 1570.
• They played a key role in colonial politics by allying with the British against the French during the colonial wars, notably the French and Indian War (1754-1763).

1763-1783: American Revolution and Its Consequences

• In 1763, the Royal Proclamation by George III forbade settlers from moving west of the Appalachians to appease tensions with Native American tribes.
• The 1764 Sugar Act imposed taxes on sugar and other goods imported into the colonies to increase revenue for the British crown.
• The 1765 Stamp Act required all printed materials in the colonies to bear a tax stamp, affecting newspapers, legal documents, etc.
• The 1765 Quartering Act required colonies to provide housing and supplies for British soldiers stationed in America.
• The 1767 Townshend Acts imposed taxes on lead, paper, glass, and tea imported into the colonies, increasing colonial resistance.
• The 1770 Boston Massacre was a violent confrontation between British soldiers and colonists in Boston, marking a major point of tension.
• The 1772 Gaspée Affair involved colonists burning the British ship Gaspée, an act of rebellion against British trade control measures.
• The 1773 Boston Tea Party was a rebellion by Boston colonists who dumped tea cargo into the harbor in protest of the tea tax imposed by the Townshend Acts.
• The 1774 Coercive Acts (Intolerable Acts) were a series of punitive laws in response to the Boston Tea Party, including closing Boston Harbor and reorganizing the Massachusetts government.
• The First Continental Congress of the 13 colonies in Philadelphia in 1774 began organized rebellion against Great Britain.
• The Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4, 1776.
• The Treaty of Paris in 1783 recognized the independence of the United States.

1783-1860: Westward Expansion and Increasing Conflicts

• The Western Confederacy was a coalition of Midwestern Native American tribes formed to resist American expansion into the Ohio region, including tribes such as the Shawnees, Delawares, Miamis, and Wyandots.
• Following the American Revolution, the Iroquois were divided and lost significant land due to their alliance with the British.
• The Sioux, led by Tecumseh and the Shawnees, resisted American expansion, supported by the British.
• The 1803 Louisiana Purchase doubled the size of the United States by acquiring the Louisiana Territory from France.
• The 1819 Adams-Onís Treaty (Transcontinental Treaty) ceded Florida to the United States and set the boundary between U.S. territory and New Spain.
• The 1804-1806 Lewis and Clark Expedition explored the American West, increasing tensions with local tribes.
• The 1813-1814 Creek War was one of the significant Indian wars in the Southeast.
• The 1830 Indian Removal Act, initiated by President Andrew Jackson, led to the forced relocation of tribes from the East to Oklahoma (Trail of Tears, 1838-1839).
• The 1835-1837 forced relocation of the Seminoles and other tribes occurred.
• The 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended the Mexican-American War, with the United States acquiring vast territories including California, leading to the Gold Rush and increased pressure on Native American lands.
• The 1851 Treaty of Fort Laramie aimed to establish clear boundaries between Native American territories and settlers, often not respected.
• The 1853 Gadsden Purchase facilitated the construction of a transcontinental railroad by buying a portion of territory from Mexico (now part of Arizona and New Mexico).