• The Seven Years’ War
• The Indian Wars
• The Road to Revolution
• The Revolutionary War
• The institution of Slavery
• The Articles of Confederation
• The Constitutional Convention
• Ratification of the Constitution
• The presidency of George Washington
• The presidency of John Adams
• The War of 1812

Section Summary

The Seven Years’ War (or the French and Indian War) started as a conflict between the English and French over land in Ohio, but quickly expanded to encompass much of the New World. The English colonies attempted to unite for the first time at the Albany Congress, but failed. The English won, and all of New France was transferred to the British or the Spanish. Unfortunately, the cost of victory was a huge national debt, which the British could not pay. The Sugar, Currency and Stamp Acts were enacted to raise revenue from the colonies. Colonial citizens protested that they were not represented in Parliament, and enacted a boycott of British goods that led to the tax’s repeal. England then tried to gain more control over the colonies through the Townshend Acts, which were also broken by a boycott. Further unrest in the colonies, due to protest literature and events such as the Boston Tea Party provoked Britain to impose the Quebec and Coercive Acts. Tensions escalated with the calling of a Continental Congress. An attempted British move to confiscate war supplies was beaten back at the Battles of Lexington and Concord, which ignited the Revolutionary War. The colonial patriots won the war and their independence from England, led by their Commander-in-Chief, George Washington.

A government was created under the Articles of Confederation, but proved too weak to survive (it was unable to even impose taxes). A Constitutional Convention was called, and a Constitution created and ratified. Washington became the nation’s first president, and made his mark by... Sign up to continue reading Revolution and Nation-Building >

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