Summary of Treaty of Paris 1783 The 1783 Treaty of Paris was one of a series of treaties, collectively known as the Peace of Paris, or the Treaty of Versailles of 1783, that established peace between Great Britain and the allied nations of France, Spain, and the Netherlands. The Treaty of Paris was negotiated as … Read more
XYZ Affair Summary The XYZ Affair was a diplomatic scandal between France and the United States that happened when French officials tried to bribe American diplomats. When the plot was exposed, anti-French sentiment rose in America, and the slogan “Millions for defense but not one cent for tribute” became popular. Congress re-established the United States … Read more
Summary of the Coercive Acts The Coercive Acts were five laws governing the American Colonies and the Province of Quebec that were passed by Parliament in the Spring of 1774. The first four laws punished the city of Boston and the colony of Massachusetts for their ongoing opposition to laws like the Sugar Act, Stamp … Read more
Summary of the Boston Port Act The Boston Port Act was introduced to the House of Commons by Lord North on March 18, 1774. A week later, on March 25, the bill was sent to the House of Lords where it was approved. It was given Royal Assent by King George III on March 31, … Read more
The Quartering Act of 1774 was one of five laws enacted by the British Parliament in 1774 in response to the Boston Tea Party. Collectively, the acts are known as the Coercive Acts or the Intolerable Acts. The Quartering Act of 1774, passed on June 2, 1774, was an extension of the Quartering Act of … Read more
Summary of the Massachusetts Government Act The Massachusetts Government Act received Royal Assent on May 20, 1774, and went into effect on June 1, 1774. It revised the governing structure of Massachusetts, consolidating royal authority and severely limiting self-government within the colony. The Massachusetts Government Act and the other Coercive Acts — or Intolerable Acts … Read more
Summary of the Quebec Act of 1774 The Quebec Act received Royal Assent on June 22, 1774. Although it was not one of the punitive acts passed in retaliation for the Boston Tea Party, many colonists and historians consider it one of the Coercive Acts, which were called the Intolerable Acts in America. The official … Read more
Summary of the Currency Act Colonial America suffered from a lack of hard money due to the mercantile system. Under that economic, system colonies exported relatively cheap raw materials and imported relatively expensive manufactured goods. The system was good for merchants in the mother country, but bad for the colonies because it resulted in more … Read more
French and Indian War Summary The French and Indian War was the North American portion of a worldwide contest for empire between Britain, France, Spain, and other European nations. In Europe, the conflict is known as the Sever Years’ War. Most of the fighting in North America took place in Canada and in the Ohio … Read more
Proclamation of 1763 Summary At the conclusion of the French and Indian War, the terms of the Treaty of Paris of 1763, left Great Britain in control of a vast new empire in North America. Most of the inhabitants of the newly acquired lands were hostile Natives, intent on maintaining what was theirs. Colonists living … Read more
Written by John Jay and published on October 31, 1787. WHEN the people of America reflect that they are now called upon to decide a question, which in its consequences must prove one of the most important that ever engaged their attention, the propriety of their taking a very comprehensive, as well as a very … Read more
James Madison Biography James Madison was an American statesman, political theorist, and the fourth President of the United States, serving from 1809 to 1817. He is one of the Founding Fathers of the United States and is widely regarded as the “Father of the Constitution” for his pivotal role in the drafting of the United … Read more
Early Life and Education John Jay was born on December 12, 1745. He was the eighth child and sixth son of a family of wealthy New York City merchants. Jay spent his childhood in Rye, New York, near New York City. He received his early education from private tutors. Jay graduated from King’s College, now … Read more
The Quasi-War (1798-1800) was an undeclared naval war between the United States and France during the Presidency of John Adams.
Who was Aaron Burr? Aaron Burr was born on February 6, 1756, in Newark, New Jersey, His father, the Reverend Aaron Burr Sr., was a co-founder and then second president of the College of New Jersey — Princeton University. His mother, Esther Edwards Burr was the daughter of the famous New England theologian Jonathan Edwards. … Read more
Quick Facts Born January 4, 1746, in Byberry, Pennsylvania. Graduated from the College of New Jersey (now Princeton) in 1760. Received MD degree from the University of Edinburgh in 1768. Elected to the Continental Congress from Pennsylvania in 1776. Signed Declaration of Independence in 1776. Appointed Surgeon-general to the armies of the middle department of … Read more
Biography of Paul Revere Paul Revere was a hero of the Revolutionary War immortalized in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem “The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere,” published in the 1860s. Revere’s infamous ride warned his fellow colonists of an impending British attack on weapons stores in Concord, Massachusetts. Born in Boston in 1735, Revere became a … Read more
I am persuaded, Mr. Chairman, that I in my turn shall be indulged in addressing the committee. We all in equal sincerity profess to be anxious for the establishment of a republican government on a safe and solid basis. It is the object of the wishes of every honest man in the United States, and … Read more
Summary of the Second Continental Congress Although there was still great sentiment among the delegates to seek reconciliation with Great Britain, the movement towards independence could not be reversed. The delegates were soon forced to turn their attention to forming an army, crafting a Declaration of Independence, conducting the war, and establishing a new national … Read more
Early Life and Education Thomas Paine was born on February 9, 1737, in Thetford, a town in Norfolk, England. His parents were Joseph and Frances Pain. From 1744 to 1749, Paine attended the Thetford Grammar School. Around the time he was 12 or 13, he took on a 7-year apprenticeship working for his father making … Read more