Link directly to hypertext versions of the minutes recorded at the First and Second Continental Congresses. Included are the words of the various factions within the Congresses and the final resolutions that were passed, and then sent to...

One of Jefferson's acts doubled the area of the country. At the end of the Seven Years' War, France had ceded to Spain the territory west of the Mississippi River, with the port of New Orleans near its mouth -- a port indispensable for...

Perhaps if King George III had been attentive to the colonists' pleas, things would have turned out differently. Read about the siege of Boston by the British troops, and the "shot heard around the world."

A timeline showing the events leading up to the Revolutionary War, beginning with unpopular legislation implemented under British rule. It follows with the reaction of the American colonists and continues in a cause and effect manner...

A brief listing and description of the Acts of the British Parliament that were to be known as the Coercive Acts by Parliament and the Intolerable Acts by the Colonists.

The fact that the Second Continental Congress convened was evidence that the colonists had had enough from the British Parliament. Read about the ways the colonies finally began to work together and focus on a common plan, resulting in...

Find the response by the British Parliament to the dumping of tea into Boston Harbor. So many laws were enacted that the colonists lumped them together and called them the Intolerable Acts.

Benedict Arnold (1741-1801) was an American general during the American Revolutionary War. He originally fought for the colonists' Continental Army but later defected to the British Army. Today, the name "Benedict Arnold" has become...

During the Revolutionary War, the Continental Congress became America's de facto government. Over a period of 15 years, from 1774 to 1789, the Continental Congress underwent a profound evolution. Starting out as a temporary group that...

A note on Nathanael Greene, a friend of George Washington's and a Revolutionary War hero.

This article details information surrounding the Boston Tea Party in 1773.

Brief timeline of Nigerian history in the twentieth century, from the PBS series "Commanding Heights: The Battle for the World Economy." Includes timeline entries related to independence, which was achieved in 1960.

Describes why the colonies objected to being taxed directly by Parliament for revenue. Contains quotes by James Otis and Samuel Adams. Explains the significance of the Stamp Act.

Collection of 14 Grade-Leveled texts (4-11) on the topic "The American Colonies." What was life like for European settlers in the New World? How did American colonies function before the Revolutionary War? Explore life in the...

Overview of the tax on goods imported to the colonies known as the Townshend Acts sparking protest in the colonies.

The full text of the Balfour Declaration of 1926 that pronounced that all the dominions of Britain, including Britain itself, were all of equal status. A precursor to the Statute of Westminster.

Find a good overview of the "shot heard around the world," the battle at Lexington, and the continuance at Concord. Read Paul Revere's account of his famous ride, and follow his route on the map. Then find a brief account of the capture...

The text of John Hancock's speech delivered on March 5, 1774, the fourth anniversary of the Boston Massacre of Colonists by British soldiers.

A brief look at the inability of Native Americans to halt the settlement of their lands by American colonists after the French and Indian War. There is a short description of Chief Pontiac and his alliance of several tribes which fought...

Citing the Boston Tea Party has been a rallying cry. Find out what the real reasons were behind the actions of the Sons of Liberty on that night of December 16, 1773. What made the colonists so angry and the reactions of the British lay...

Kids learn about the Boston Massacre when British soldiers in Boston opened fire on a group of American colonists killing five men. Take a quiz at the end to see what you learned!

Professor John Belchem, of the University of Liverpool, writes this scholarly profile of Thomas Paine for BBC History. In it he describes the tenor and impact of Paine's writings and explains the significance of Paine's thinking on the...

Explore this collection of digitized historical newspapers and broadsides from the 1760s about pre-Revolutionary topics. Requires Adobe Reader.

Extensive timeline (1492-1997) of tobacco cultivation--in three parts. Click links at bottom of pages to view Parts I, III, and IV.