"The area that is now Massachusetts was colonized by English settlers in the early 17th century."
The history of a state during the period of the American Revolution and the early years of the U.S. Republic. This period is important to understanding the state's political and social development, as well as its place in the wider context of American history.
Causes of the American Revolution: The series of events and actions that led to the outbreak of the American Revolution.
The Declaration of Independence: The document announcing the separation of 13 British colonies from Great Britain.
The Revolutionary War: The military conflict between British forces and American revolutionaries that took place from 1775-1783.
The Articles of Confederation: The first constitution of the United States, which proved to be ineffective and was eventually replaced by the Constitution.
The Constitution of the United States: The fundamental law of the United States, which outlines the structure of the federal government and guarantees individual rights.
The Bill of Rights: The first ten amendments to the Constitution, which guarantee individual rights and limit the power of the federal government.
The Federalist Papers: A collection of essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay in support of the new Constitution.
The First Presidency: George Washington, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson: The first three Presidents of the United States.
Westward Expansion: The movement of settlers and pioneers into the western territories of the United States.
The Louisiana Purchase: The acquisition of the Louisiana territory from France in 1803, which more than doubled the size of the United States.
The War of 1812: A military conflict between the United States and Great Britain that took place from 1812-1815.
The Monroe Doctrine: A statement of U.S. foreign policy that warned European powers not to interfere in the affairs of the Western Hemisphere.
Industrialization: The transformation from an agrarian economy to an industrial economy that took place in the United States in the 19th century.
The Mexican-American War: A military conflict between the United States and Mexico that took place from 1846-1848.
The Abolition Movement: The effort to end slavery in the United States.
The Civil War: A military conflict between the Union (North) and Confederacy (South) that took place from 1861-1865.
Reconstruction: The period of rebuilding and readjustment that took place in the United States after the Civil War.
The Emancipation Proclamation: An executive order issued by President Abraham Lincoln that declared all slaves in Confederate territory to be free.
The Gettysburg Address: A speech given by President Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War that reaffirmed the principles of the Declaration of Independence.
The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments: Constitutional amendments that abolished slavery, granted citizenship to all persons born in the United States, and prohibited the denial of voting rights based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude.
The American Revolution: The war for independence that occurred from 1775 to 1783 between the 13 British colonies in North America and Great Britain. It was a significant event that led to the establishment of the United States of America.
The Declaration of Independence: A document written in 1776 that declared the 13 American colonies independent of Britain, establishing themselves as the United States of America.
The Constitutional Convention: The meeting of delegates from the states in Philadelphia in 1787 that led to the drafting of the United States Constitution, which established the federal government, guaranteed individual liberties, and protected the rights of citizens.
The American Federalist Movement: A political movement that emerged in the late 1700s and early 1800s in opposition to the Articles of Confederation, which established a weak central government. The Federalists favored a strong national government, and their ideas became embodied in the United States Constitution.
The Antifederalist Movement: A political movement that emerged in the late 1700s and early 1800s opposing the establishment of a strong central government, which they believed would undermine liberty and individual rights. They sought to limit the power of the federal government and ensure that power remained in the hands of the states.
The Whiskey Rebellion: A revolt that occurred in western Pennsylvania in 1791, in response to a tax on whiskey imposed by the federal government. The rebellion was eventually put down by the federal government, which demonstrated the strength of the federal government under the new Constitution.
The Louisiana Purchase: The acquisition of Louisiana, a region of land west of the Mississippi River, from France in 1803. The purchase approximately doubled the size of the United States and was one of the most significant land deals in history.
Lewis and Clark Expedition: A journey undertaken by explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark commissioned in 1804 by President Thomas Jefferson to explore and document the newly acquired Louisiana Territory, charting the land, and establishing a United States presence in the West.
War of 1812: A conflict fought between the United States and Great Britain from 1812 to 1815. It was primarily caused by the British impressment of American sailors and the disruption of American trade by British naval attacks. The war established the United States as a significant power in North America and led to an upsurge in American nationalism.
American Industrial Revolution: An era of rapid industrialization that occurred in America from the late 1700s to the mid-1800s. With the help of new technologies such as the cotton gin, steam engine, and the telegraph, America shifted from an agricultural-based economy to a manufacturing-based economy.
"Massachusetts is named after the Massachusett tribe that inhabited the area of present-day Greater Boston."
"The Pilgrim Fathers who sailed on the Mayflower established the first permanent settlement in 1620 at Plymouth Colony."
"A large-scale Puritan migration began in 1630 with the establishment of the Massachusetts Bay Colony."
"As the Colony grew, businessmen established wide-ranging trade, sending ships to the West Indies and Europe."
"Britain began to increase taxes on the New England colonies, and tensions grew with implementation of the Navigation Acts."
"These political and trade issues led to the revocation of the Massachusetts charter in 1684."
"The king established the Dominion of New England in 1686 to govern all of New England, and to centralize royal control and weaken local government."
"Sir Edmund Andros's intensely unpopular rule came to a sudden end in 1689 with an uprising sparked by the Glorious Revolution in England."
"The new king William III established the Province of Massachusetts Bay in 1691."
"This increased friction between the colonists and the crown, which reached its height in the days leading up to the American Revolution in the 1760s and 1770s over the question of who could levy taxes."
"The commonwealth formally adopted the state constitution in 1780, electing John Hancock as its first governor."
"New England became America's center of manufacturing with the development of precision manufacturing and weaponry in Springfield and Hartford, Connecticut, and large-scale textile mill complexes in Worcester, Haverhill, Lowell, and other communities throughout New England."
"The state's strength as a center of education contributed to the development of an economy based on information technology and biotechnology in the later years of the 20th century."
"The Springfield Armory made most of the weaponry for the Union in the American Civil War."
"After the war, immigrants from Europe, The Middle East and Asia flooded into Massachusetts."
"textiles and other industries started to fade away, leaving a 'rust belt' of empty mills and factories."
"Labor unions were important after the 1860s, as was big-city politics."
"The state's strength as a center of education contributed to the development of an economy based on information technology and biotechnology in the later years of the 20th century, leading to the 'Massachusetts Miracle' of the late 1980s."
"Before that, it was inhabited by a variety of Native American tribes."