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George Washington surrenders Fort Necessity—a defensive position he establishes for a small detachment of British regulars, provincials, and Native Americans—after his attempt to force the French to withdraw from the Ohio country goes terribly wrong. In the surrender document, he also unwittingly admits to the assassination of a French envoy. The engagement, which would become famous throughout the Atlantic world, is considered the spark that ignites the Seven Years War.

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Benjamin Franklin Receives Honorary Degree in Williamsburg - 1756

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Benjamin Franklin Receives Honorary Degree in Williamsburg - 1756

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The controversial 47-year-old heir to the throne dies at Leicester House, having established an influential political circle in opposition to his father George II. Frederick was the great hope of many Country Whigs who hoped for a "patriot king," a mantle that would be embraced by his son, the future George III.

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After a siege of more than a month, 150 British warships and 13,000 regular and provincial troops (mostly from New England) force the surrender of the French stronghold of Fort Louisbourg and take control of the St. Lawrence River—and an open path to Quebec and Montreal.

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Grenville Proposes Stamp Act for America - 1764

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Grenville Proposes Stamp Act for America - 1764

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George Grenville, prime minister, brings forward in the House of Commons a measure for introducing a stamp duty in America. He withdraws it, however, to allow time to solicit colonial opinion and suggestions for an alternative to raise revenue to pay for the costs of Seven Years War.

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The Rockingham ministry succeeds in repealing the Stamp Act but to gain the votes of wavering members passes the Declaratory Act, asserting Parliament’s authority to "bind the colonies in all cases." Benjamin Franklin assures the House of Commons that "the assertion of right would never give the Americans any concern."

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"Junius" Letters Begin to Appear in London Newspaper 1769

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"Junius" Letters Begin to Appear in London Newspaper 1769

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The most effective, sustained political criticism of the governments of the Duke of Grafton and then Lord North begin to appear in the Public Advertizer in the form of a series of letters pseudonymously written by "Junius," whose true identity remains unknown. They run monthly (sometime more frequently) until January 21, 1772, and are remarkable for their political insight and literary quality. They are reprinted in newspapers throughout the British world and become the most famous polemic of the day.

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Lord North's ministry succeeds in persuading Parliament to repeal all of the Townshend Duties, except for the three-pence duty on tea, leaving it with only the 1764 duty on molasses as symbols that Parliament could indeed tax the colonies. The repeal leads to the collapse of colonial resistance. By July 1771, all non-importation associations are abandoned; only a pledge to not purchase tea remains, although that, too, soon breaks down.

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Lord Dunmore leads 1300 men out of Williamsburg to attack the Shawnee on the Ohio River and solidify Virginia's jurisdiction over the area in a longstanding dispute with Pennsylvania. Dunmore's War ends with the defeat of the Shawnee at the Battle of Point Pleasant on October 10 and the Treaty of Camp Charlotte on October 19, in which the Shawnee agree to Virginia's claim to the Ohio Valley.

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Second Continental Congress Convenes 1775

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Second Continental Congress Convenes 1775

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In Philadelphia, delegates to the Second Continental Congress meet (Georgia remains absent) and again elect Peyton Randolph its President. They also resolve to put the colonies into a state of defense, petition the Canadian colonies to join the cause, and, on July 6, adopt the "Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms," drafted by John Dickinson and Thomas Jefferson.

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The troops under William Phillips and Benedict Arnold occupy Williamsburg and then destroy the shipyard on the nearby Chickahominy River. Moving west, they defeat a Virginia militia force under Friedrich von Steuben at Blandford and proceed to destroy supplies, ships, and warehouse at Petersburg, on the James River, in Chesterfield, and at Manchester, before moving back to Petersburg on May 10 to rendezvous with Cornwallis's army.

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Congress Proclaims an End to the War 1783

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Congress Proclaims an End to the War 1783

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The Continental Congress issues a proclamation "Declaring the Cessation of Arms" against Britain. Four days later, it approves the preliminary peace terms. The final document — the Treaty of Paris — is signed on September 3 and ratified by Congress on January 14, 1784.

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British and American Commissioners Agree to Preliminary Peace Terms 1782

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British and American Commissioners Agree to Preliminary Peace Terms 1782

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Meeting in Paris, Richard Oswald, on behalf of George III, and John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, John Jay, and Henry Laurens, for the United States, sign the Preliminary Articles of Peace based on "reciprocal advantages" as the "only permanent foundation of Peace and Friendship."

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Submitted to the state legislatures by the first Congress of the United States on September 25, 1789, ten of the twelve proposed articles are ratified by a sufficient number of states and become the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution and are known as the Bill of Rights.

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Congress Passes First of the Alien and Sedition Acts 1798

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Congress Passes First of the Alien and Sedition Acts 1798

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On June 18, 1798, the United States Congress passed the first of the Alien and Sedition Acts. This law authorized the President to deport any alien deemed dangerous to the peace and safety of the United States and to detain any alien during times of war. The Act also made it a crime to publish "false, scandalous, or malicious writing" against the United States government or its officials. This legislation was controversial and sparked widespread opposition, as many saw it as a violation of the First Amendment's guarantee of free speech and press. It was also criticized for targeting immigrant communities and suppressing dissent.

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Thomas Jefferson Elected Third President 1801

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Thomas Jefferson Elected Third President 1801

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Following one of the most brutal presidential races in American history against John Adams and the Federalists, which ends in an Electoral College tie between Jefferson and Aaron Burr, Jefferson is elected President of the United States on the 36th ballot of the U.S. House of Representatives.