American History Central had a busy month in January. A significant amount of new content was added for Colonial America, the American Revolution, and the Civil War.
New Content for Colonial America
I’ve been working on three main things in regard to Colonial America. Unfortunately, we have gaps that we need to fill in our content, gaps that need to be filled in order to present a clearer picture of Colonial America.
The new entries about Salutary Neglect and Separatists help fill some of the holes.
Salutary Neglect
Salutary Neglect was an unwritten policy where British officials allowed merchants in Colonial America to break shipping laws. The policy allowed colonial merchants to flourish and also benefited British merchants. However, when the British Government tried to reverse the policy led to unrest and violence that contributed to the American Revolution and the War for Independence.
Learn more about Salutary Neglect and see a Timeline of events that were affected by Salutary Neglect.
Separatists in Colonial America
The Separatists were a group of Puritans who wanted to completely break away from the Church of England. You know them as the Pilgrims. We explain the definition and meaning of the term Separatists as it relates to Colonial America and U.S. history.
English Bill of Rights, 1689
On December 16, 1689, the English Bill of Rights was passed. It was designed to control the power of the monarchy and make it subject to the laws of Parliament. It was the product of the Glorious Revolution, which permanently established the ruling power of Parliament. Read the full text of the 1689 English Bill of Rights.
Albany Plan of Union, Short Hints
This draft of the Albany Plan of Union was called “Short Hints towards a Scheme for a General Union of the British Colonies on the Continent” and was produced by the Albany Congress Committee on the date of June 28, 1754. This is the original text.
Albany Plan of Union, Text
The Albany Plan of Union was approved by the Albany Congress Committee on the date of July 10, 1754. This is the original text that laid out a plan for a union that was ultimately rejected by colonial legislatures and British officials.
Facts About the Stamp Act Congress
The Stamp Act Congress was a meeting in New York City where delegates from 9 colonies met to discuss a response to the Stamp act. It was the first unified meeting of the colonies to respond to British policies. This collection of facts and details about the Stamp Act Congress provides insight into the delegates that attended and the proceedings.
Pontiac’s Rebellion
Pontiac’s Rebellion was an uprising of Native American Indian tribes against British forts in the Ohio Country and Great Lakes region after the French and Indian War.
Royal Proclamation of 1763, Text
Text of the Proclamation of 1763, which was issued by King George III on October 7, 1763. The Proclamation reserved the lands west of the crest of the Appalachian Mountains for the Native Tribes and prohibited colonists from settling in the area.
New Content About the American Revolution
Coercive Acts, Primary Documents
After the Sons of Liberty in Boston carried out the Boston Tea Party, Parliament responded with a series of laws that were intended to end the rebellious actions of the colonists. Some of the acts were aimed directly at Boston and Massachusetts and made an example of them. The purpose of the laws was to “coerce” the colonies into submission with British policies. This collection of Primary Documents for the Coercive Acts provides insight into the language used by British officials as they reacted to the Boston Tea Party.
Civil War
1st Kansas Colored Volunteer Infantry Regiment
Organized in 1862 as a state unit, the 1st Kansas Colored Volunteer Infantry Regiment (later the 79th U.S. Colored Infantry Regiment) was the first African-American regiment to be organized in a northern state and the first black unit to see combat during the Civil War.