Reunite the nation and define freedom for 4 million newly freed African Americans.
The Proclamation of 1763 banned colonial settlement west of the Appalachians—enraging land-hungry colonists. Then came a series of acts: Sugar Act (1764), Stamp Act (1765), Townshend Acts (1767) . Colonists shouted, “No taxation without representation!” They boycotted British goods, formed the Sons of Liberty (led by Samuel Adams), and staged protests like the Boston Tea Party (1773) dumping tea into the harbor. american history beginnings to 1877 myworld interactive
Declared the Western Hemisphere closed to future European colonization—a bold statement of U.S. influence. Reunite the nation and define freedom for 4
The Great Awakening (1730s–1740s) was a religious revival led by preachers like Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield. It encouraged questioning authority and fostered a shared colonial identity. Part 3: Road to Revolution (1754–1775) Key Vocabulary: French and Indian War, Proclamation of 1763, Taxation without representation, Stamp Act, Boston Tea Party, Intolerable Acts Colonists shouted, “No taxation without representation
Written mainly by Thomas Jefferson , the Declaration listed grievances against King George III and asserted natural rights—“Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” It was adopted by the Second Continental Congress .
Seeking a sea route to Asia, Christopher Columbus (sailing for Spain) landed in the Caribbean in 1492. This contact began the Columbian Exchange —a vast transfer of plants, animals, diseases, and people between the Eastern and Western Hemispheres. Europeans brought horses, wheat, and sugar; they took back maize, potatoes, and tobacco. Devastating diseases like smallpox wiped out up to 90% of some Native populations.
President Thomas Jefferson purchased the Louisiana Territory (1803) from France for $15 million, doubling U.S. size. He sent Lewis and Clark to explore it to the Pacific.