Maya civilization
Terminal Preclassic era
Terminal Preclassic from AD 159 to 250. The late or terminal Preclassic murals found in San Bartolo provide important information regarding mythology and royal inauguration ritual around 100 BC.
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What happened in history in North America
Check most memorable events in history in North America.
- Maya civilization
Tikal played a crucial role in obsidian procurement
Tikal played a crucial role in obsidian procurement, production, and distribution during the Classic. Tikal dominated the Great Western Trade Route that transported the widely used El Chayal obsidian during the Early Classic (250-550 AD).
- Maya civilization
The Preclassic period in Maya history
The Preclassic period in Maya history stretches from the beginning of permanent village life c. 1000 BC until the advent of the Classic Period c. 250 AD.
- Maya civilization
Classic period (c. 250–900 AD)
This period marked the peak of large-scale construction and urbanism, the recording of monumental inscriptions, and demonstrated significant intellectual and artistic development, particularly in the southern lowland regions.
- Maya civilization
Jaina Island figurine representing a Classic period warrior
Jaina Island is a pre-Columbian Maya archaeological site in the present-day Mexican state of Campeche. Jaina Island figurine representing a Classic period warrior.
- Maya civilization
The highest Classic Period of Maya civilization
The Maya reached the height of their civilization during the Classic Period of Maya civilization (A.D 250 to 900).
- Maya civilization
Classic Era Maya urban design
Classic Era Maya urban design could easily be described as the division of space by great monuments and causeways. In this case, the open public plazas were the gathering places for the people and the focus of the urban design, while interior space was entirely secondary.
- Maya civilization
Maya cities in the Classic Era
Maya cities develop into more fortress-like defensive structures that lacked, for the most part, the large and numerous plazas of the Classic.
- Maya civilization
Early Classic era
Early Classic era from AD 250 to 550.
- Maya civilization
Teotihuacan decisively intervened
In AD 378, Teotihuacan decisively intervened at Tikal and other nearby cities, deposed their rulers, and installed a new Teotihuacan-backed dynasty.
- Maya civilization
Copán was the most important city
In the southeast, Copán was the most important city.
- Maya civilization
Kʼinich Yax Kʼukʼ Moʼ first ruler
Its Classic-period dynasty was founded in 426 by Kʼinich Yax Kʼukʼ Moʼ. The new king had strong ties with central Petén and Teotihuacan.
- Chichen Itza
Regional prominence
Chichen Itza rose to regional prominence towards the end of the Early Classic period (roughly 600 AD). It was, however, towards the end of the Late Classic and into the early part of the Terminal Classic that the site became a major regional capital, centralizing and dominating political, sociocultural, economic, and ideological life in the northern Maya lowlands. The ascension of Chichen Itza roughly correlates with the decline and fragmentation of the major centers of the southern Maya lowlands
- Maya civilization
Coba was the most important capital in north
In the north of the Maya area, Coba was the most important capital.
- Maya civilization
Establishing a new city at Dos Pilas
In 629, Bʼalaj Chan Kʼawiil, a son of the Tikal king Kʼinich Muwaan Jol II, was sent to found a new city at Dos Pilas, in the Petexbatún region, apparently as an outpost to extend Tikal's power beyond the reach of Calakmul.
- Maya civilization
The Temple of the Inscriptions
It is the largest Mesoamerican stepped pyramid structure at the pre-Columbian Maya civilization site of Palenque, located in the modern-day state of Chiapas, Mexico.
- Maya civilization
The Temple of the Cross Complex
The Temple of the Cross is the largest and most significant. It is located in the southeast corner of the site and consists of three main structures: the Temple of the Cross, the Temple of the Sun, and the Temple of the Foliated Cross.
- Maya civilization
Lachan Kʼawiil Ajaw Bot was a Maya king
Lachan Kʼawiil Ajaw Bot was a Maya king of La Amelia, an ancient city near Itzan in the Petén Department of modern Guatemala.
- Chichen Itza
Developing of Chichen Itza
The layout of Chichen Itza site core developed during its earlier phase of occupation, between 750 and 900 AD. Its final layout was developed after 900 AD, and the 10th century saw the rise of the city as a regional capital controlling the area from central Yucatán to the north coast, with its power extending down the east and west coasts of the peninsula.
- Maya civilization
The population was estimated larger than London
The population was estimated at a peak of twenty-eight thousand, between 750 and 800 – larger than London at the time.
- Maya civilization
Warfare was prevalent in the Maya world
Warfare was prevalent in the Maya world. In the 8th–9th centuries, intensive warfare resulted in the collapse of the kingdoms of the Petexbatún region of western Petén.
- Maya civilization
Temple of Kukulcán
Built by the pre-Columbian Maya civilization sometime between the 8th and 12th centuries AD, the pyramid served as a temple to the deity Kukulcán.
- Chichen Itza
Hieroglyphic
The earliest hieroglyphic date discovered at Chichen Itza is equivalent to 832 AD, while the last known date was recorded in the Osario temple in 998.
- Maya civilization
Postclassic period (c. 950–1539 AD)
The Postclassic period starts from C. 950 - to 1539 AD. The great cities that dominated Petén had fallen into ruin by the beginning of the 10th century AD with the onset of the Classic Maya collapse.
- Maya civilization
Early Postclassic era
Early Postclassic from AD 950 to 1200. Analysis of bones from early Maya grave sites indicates that, although maize had already become a major component of the diet (under 30% at Ceullo, Belize) by this time, fish, meat from game animals, and other hunted or gathered foods still made up a major component of the diet.
- Maya civilization
All Mesoamerican cultures used Stone Age technology
All Mesoamerican cultures used Stone Age technology; after c. 1000 AD copper, silver, and gold were worked. Mesoamerica lacked draft animals, did not use the wheel, and possessed few domesticated animals; the principal means of transport was on foot or by canoe.
- Maya civilization
The final episode of Classic Period collapse
Chichen Itza and its Puuc neighbors declined dramatically in the 11th century, and this may represent the final episode of the Classic Period collapse.
- Maya civilization
The Spanish conquest began of the Maya
The Maya occupied a territory that is now incorporated into the modern countries of Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador; the conquest began in the early 16th century and is generally considered to have ended in 1697.
- Maya civilization
Late Postclassic era
Late Postclassic from AD 1200 to 1539.
- Chichen Itza
Mayapan conquers Chichen Itza
According to some colonial Mayan sources, Hunac Ceel, ruler of Mayapan, conquered Chichen Itza in the 13th century. Hunac Ceel supposedly prophesied his own rise to power. According to custom at the time, individuals thrown into the Cenote Sagrado were believed to have the power of prophecy if they survived. During one such ceremony, the chronicles state, there were no survivors, so Hunac Ceel leaped into the Cenote Sagrado, and when removed, prophesied his own ascension.
- Maya civilization
Maya occupation at Cuello
The Maya developed their first civilization in the Preclassic period. Scholars continue to discuss when this era of Maya civilization began. Maya occupation at Cuello has been carbon-dated to around 2600 BC.
- Maya civilization
Early Maya architecture
Early Maya architecture is based on the general Mesoamerican architectural traditions. The stepped pyramids were constructed from the Terminal Pre-classic period onwards.
- Maya civilization
Kaminaljuyu in the Valley of Guatemala was abandoned
The once-great city of Kaminaljuyu in the Valley of Guatemala was abandoned after the continuous occupation of almost 2,000 years.
- Maya civilization
Mayapan was abandoned after a period of political turbulence
Mayapan was abandoned around 1448, after a period of political, social, and environmental turbulence that in many ways echoed the Classic period collapse in the southern Maya region.
- Maya civilization
One of the largest groups of Maya live in the Yucatan Peninsula
One of the largest groups of Maya lives in the Yucatan Peninsula, which includes the Mexican states of Yucatán State, Campeche, and Quintana Roo as well as the nation of Belize.
- Maya civilization
Contact period and Spanish conquest (1511–1697 AD)
In 1511, a Spanish caravel was wrecked in the Caribbean, and about a dozen survivors made landfall on the coast of Yucatán.
- Maya civilization
Three separate Spanish expeditions explored the Yucatán coast
From 1517 to 1519, three separate Spanish expeditions explored the Yucatán coast and engaged in a number of battles with the Maya inhabitants.
- Maya civilization
Soconusco fell to the Spanish
After the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan fell to the Spanish in 1521, Hernán Cortés despatched Pedro de Alvarado to Guatemala with 180 cavalry, 300 infantry, 4 cannons, and thousands of allied warriors from central Mexico.
- USA civil war
History of the Slavery in the United States
Slavery in the colonial history of the United States, from 1526 to 1776, developed from complex factors. Slavery was the main cause of disunion. Slavery had been a controversial issue during the framing of the Constitution but had been left unsettled.
- Chichen Itza
Yucatán conquest by Spain
In 1526 Spanish Conquistador Francisco de Montejo successfully petitioned the King of Spain for a charter to conquer Yucatán. His first campaign in 1527, which covered much of the Yucatán Peninsula, decimated his forces but ended with the establishment of a small fort at Xaman Haʼ, south of what is today Cancún.
- Inca Empire
Spanish explored Panama
Spanish conquistadors led by Francisco Pizarro and his brothers explored south from what is today Panama, reaching Inca territory.
- Chichen Itza
Trying to establish a capital
Montejo returned to Yucatán in 1531 with reinforcements and established his main base at Campeche on the west coast. He sent his son, Francisco Montejo The Younger, in late 1532 to conquer the interior of the Yucatán Peninsula from the north. The objective from the beginning was to go to Chichén Itzá and establish a capital.
- Chichen Itza
The Maya force Montejo out
The Maya became more hostile over time, and eventually they laid siege to the Spanish, cutting off their supply line to the coast, and forcing them to barricade themselves among the ruins of the ancient city. Months passed, but no reinforcements arrived. Montejo the Younger attempted an all out assault against the Maya and lost 150 of his remaining troops. He was forced to abandon Chichén Itzá in 1534 under cover of darkness. By 1535, all Spanish had been driven from the Yucatán Peninsula.
- Maya civilization
Kʼicheʼ states are associated with the ancient Maya civilization
The highland Kʼicheʼ states in the pre-Columbian era are associated with the ancient Maya civilization and reached the peak of their power and influence during the Mayan Postclassic period (c. 950–1539 AD).
- Thanksgiving
First celebration of Thanksgiving in North America occurred during the 1578
According to some historians, the first celebration of Thanksgiving in North America occurred during the 1578 voyage of Martin Frobisher from England in search of the Northwest Passage. Other researchers, however, state that "there is no compelling narrative of the origins of the Canadian Thanksgiving day".
- Chichen Itza
Final conquest
Montejo eventually returned to Yucatán and, by recruiting Maya from Campeche and Champoton, built a large Indio-Spanish army and conquered the peninsula. The Spanish crown later issued a land grant that included Chichen Itza and by 1588 it was a working cattle ranch.
- Maya civilization
Qʼumarkaj was one of the most powerful Maya cities
Qʼumarkaj was one of the most powerful Maya cities when the Spanish arrived in the region in the early 16th century. It was the capital of the Kʼicheʼ Maya in the Late Postclassic Period.
- Thanksgiving
French settlers who came to New France
The origins of Canadian Thanksgiving are also sometimes traced to the French settlers who came to New France in the 17th century, who celebrated their successful harvests. The French settlers in the area typically had feasts at the end of the harvest season and continued throughout the winter season, even sharing food with the indigenous peoples of the area.
- St. Patrick's Day
U.S. celebrations
St Patrick's Day, while not a legal holiday in the United States, is nonetheless widely recognized and observed throughout the country as a celebration of Irish and Irish-American culture. Celebrations include prominent displays of the color green, religious observances, numerous parades, and copious consumption of alcohol. The holiday has been celebrated in what is now the U.S since 1601.
- Thanksgiving
The modern Thanksgiving holiday tradition
The modern Thanksgiving holiday tradition is traced to a well-recorded 1619 event in Virginia and a sparsely documented 1621 celebration at Plymouth in present-day Massachusetts.
- Thanksgiving
38 English settlers
The 1619 arrival of 38 English settlers at Berkeley Hundred in Charles City County, Virginia, concluded with a religious celebration as dictated by the group's charter from the London Company, which specifically required "that the day of our ships arrival at the place assigned ... in the land of Virginia shall be yearly and perpetually kept holy as a day of thanksgiving to Almighty God." The 1621 Plymouth feast and thanksgiving was prompted by a good harvest, which the Pilgrims celebrated with Native Americans, who helped them get through the previous winter by giving them food in that time of scarcity.
- Thanksgiving
The tradition of Days of Fasting and Days of Thanksgiving
Pilgrims and Puritans who emigrated from England in the 1620s and 1630s carried the tradition of Days of Fasting and Days of Thanksgiving with them to New England.
- Thanksgiving
First Thanksgiving
Several days of Thanksgiving were held in early New England history that have been identified as the "First Thanksgiving", including Pilgrim holidays in Plymouth in 1621 and 1623, and a Puritan holiday in Boston in 1631.
- George Washington
Washington's great-grandfather immigrated
Washington's great-grandfather John Washington immigrated in 1656 from Sulgrave, England, to the British Colony of Virginia where he accumulated 5,000 acres (2,000 ha) of land, including Little Hunting Creek on the Potomac River.
- Impeachment of Andrew Johnson
Eleven Articles of Impeachment Against the President
One week later, the House adopted eleven articles of impeachment against the president.
- Maya civilization
The last independent Maya city fell to the Spanish
In 1697, Martín de Ursúa launched an assault on the Itza capital Nojpetén and the last independent Maya city fell to the Spanish.
- Maya civilization
The last Maya city fall
In the 16th century, the Spanish Empire colonized the Mesoamerican region, and a lengthy series of campaigns saw the fall of Nojpetén, the last Maya city, in 1697.
- Libraries
Library Company of Philadelphia
In the American colonies, the Library Company of Philadelphia was started in 1731 by Benjamin Franklin in Philadelphia, PA.
- Benjamin Banneker
Birth
Benjamin Banneker was born on November 9, 1731, in Baltimore County, Maryland to Mary Banneky, a free black, and Robert, a freed slave from Guinea.
- George Washington
Birth
George Washington was born February 22, 1732, at Popes Creek in Westmoreland County, Virginia.
- George Washington
Family moved
The family moved to Little Hunting Creek in 1735, then to Ferry Farm near Fredericksburg, Virginia, in 1738.
- Benjamin Banneker
100-acre farm
In 1737, Banneker was named at the age of 6 on the deed of his family's 100-acre (0.40 km2) farm in the Patapsco Valley in rural Baltimore County.
- George Washington
Washington did not have the formal education
Washington did not have the formal education his elder brothers received at Appleby Grammar School in England, but he did learn mathematics, trigonometry, and land surveying. He was a talented draftsman and map-maker. By early adulthood he was writing with "considerable force" and "precision", however his writing displayed little wit or humor. In pursuit of admiration, status, and power, he tended to attribute his shortcomings and failures to someone else's ineffectually.
- Dwight D. Eisenhower
Family migrated
The Eisenhauer (German for "iron hewer/miner") family migrated from Karlsbrunn in Nassau-Saarbrücken, to America, first settling in York, Pennsylvania, in 1741.
- George Washington
Father's Death
When Augustine (father) died in 1743, Washington inherited Ferry Farm and ten slaves; his older half-brother Lawrence inherited Little Hunting Creek and renamed it Mount Vernon.
- George Washington
A Month in 1748
Washington often visited Mount Vernon and Belvoir, the plantation that belonged to Lawrence's father-in-law William Fairfax. Fairfax became Washington's patron and surrogate father, and Washington spent a month in 1748 with a team surveying Fairfax's Shenandoah Valley property.
- George Washington
A Surveyor's license
He received a surveyor's license the following year from the College of William & Mary; Fairfax appointed him surveyor of Culpeper County, Virginia, and he thus familiarized himself with the frontier region, resigning from the job in 1750.
- George Washington
The only trip abroad
In 1751 Washington made his only trip abroad when he accompanied Lawrence (older half-brother) to Barbados, hoping the climate would cure his brother's tuberculosis. Washington contracted smallpox during that trip, which immunized him but left his face slightly scarred.
- George Washington
George had bought almost 1,500 acres (600 ha) in the Valley
By 1752 he had bought almost 1,500 acres (600 ha) in the Valley and owned 2,315 acres (937 ha).
- George Washington
Lawrence death
Lawrence died in 1752, and Washington leased Mount Vernon from his widow; he inherited it outright after her death in 1761.
- Benjamin Banneker
Wooden Clock
Around 1753 at about the age of 21, Banneker reportedly completed a wooden clock that struck on the hour. He appears to have modeled his clock from a borrowed pocket watch by carving each piece to scale. The clock purportedly continued to work until his death.
- George Washington
A Special envoy
In October 1753, Dinwiddie (Virginia's Lieutenant Governor) appointed Washington as a special envoy to demand that the French vacate territory which the British had claimed.
- George Washington
A Lieutenant Colonel
In February 1754, Dinwiddie promoted Washington to lieutenant colonel and second-in-command of the 300-strong Virginia Regiment, with orders to confront French forces at the Forks of the Ohio.
- George Washington
George decided to take a offensive
Washington set out for the Forks with half the regiment in April but soon learned a French force of 1,000 had begun construction of Fort Duquesne there. In May, having set up a defensive position at Great Meadows, he learned that the French had made camp seven miles (11 km) away; he decided to take the offensive.
- George Washington
Battle of Jumonville Glen
The Battle of Jumonville Glen, also known as the Jumonville affair, was the opening battle of the French and Indian War, fought on May 28, 1754, near present-day Hopwood and Uniontown in Fayette County, Pennsylvania. A company of colonial militia from Virginia under the command of Lieutenant Colonel George Washington, and a small number of Mingo warriors led by Tanacharison (also known as "Half King"), ambushed a force of 35 Canadiens under the command of Joseph Coulon de Villiers de Jumonville.
- George Washington
Washington's surrender
The full Virginia Regiment joined Washington at Fort Necessity the following month with news that he had been promoted to command of the regiment and to colonel upon the death of the regimental commander. The regiment was reinforced by an independent company of 100 South Carolinians led by Captain James Mackay, whose royal commission outranked that of Washington, and a conflict of command ensued. On July 3, a French force attacked with 900 men, and the ensuing battle (Battle of Fort Necessity) ended in Washington's surrender. In the aftermath, Colonel James Innes took command of intercolonial forces, the Virginia Regiment was divided, and Washington was offered a captaincy which he refused, with resignation of his commission.
- George Washington
Washington served voluntarily as an aide to General Edward Braddock
In 1755, Washington served voluntarily as an aide to General Edward Braddock, who led a British expedition to expel the French from Fort Duquesne and the Ohio Country. On Washington's recommendation, Braddock split the army into one main column and a lightly equipped "flying column". Suffering from a severe case of dysentery, Washington was left behind, and when he rejoined Braddock at Monongahela the French and their Indian allies ambushed the divided army. The British suffered two-thirds casualties, including the mortally wounded Braddock. Under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Gage, Washington, still very ill, rallied the survivors and formed a rear guard, allowing the remnants of the force to disengage and retreat. During the engagement he had two horses shot from under him, and his hat and coat were bullet-pierced. His conduct under fire redeemed his reputation among critics of his command in the Battle of Fort Necessity, but he was not included by the succeeding commander (Colonel Thomas Dunbar) in planning subsequent operations.
- George Washington
Washington pressed his case
Washington, impatient for an offensive against Fort Duquesne, was convinced Braddock would have granted him a royal commission, and pressed his case in February 1756 with Braddock's successor, William Shirley, and again in January 1757 with Shirley's successor, Lord Loudoun. Shirley ruled in Washington's favor only in the matter of Dagworthy; Loudoun humiliated Washington, refused him a royal commission and agreed only to relieve him of the responsibility of manning Fort Cumberland.
- George Washington
Virginia Regiment was assigned to Britain's Forbes Expedition to take Fort Duquesne
In 1758, the Virginia Regiment was assigned to Britain's Forbes Expedition to take Fort Duquesne. Washington disagreed with General John Forbes' tactics and chosen route. Forbes nevertheless made Washington a brevet brigadier general and gave him command of one of the three brigades that would assault the fort. The French abandoned the fort and the valley before the assault was launched; Washington saw only a friendly-fire incident which left 14 dead and 26 injured. The war lasted another four years, but Washington resigned his commission and returned to Mount Vernon.
- George Washington
Marriage
On January 6, 1759, Washington, at age 26, married Martha Dandridge Custis, the 28-year-old widow of wealthy plantation owner Daniel Parke Custis. The marriage took place at Martha's estate; she was intelligent, gracious, and experienced in managing a planter's estate, and the couple created a happy marriage.
- Benjamin Banneker
Father's Death
After his father died in 1759, Banneker lived with his mother and sisters.
- Incandescent light bulb
Ebenezer Kinnersley's Discovery
In 1761 Ebenezer Kinnersley demonstrated heating a wire to incandescence.
- Robert Fulton
Birth
Robert Fulton was born in a farm in Little Britain, Pennsylvania, on November 14, 1765. His father, Robert Fulton, married Mary Smith, daughter of Captain Joseph Smith and sister of Col. Lester Smith, a comparatively well off family. He had three sisters – Isabella, Elizabeth, and Mary, and a younger brother, Abraham.
- George Washington
Washington helped lead widespread protests against the Townshend Acts passed by Parliament
Washington helped lead widespread protests against the Townshend Acts passed by Parliament in 1767, and he introduced a proposal in May 1769 drafted by George Mason which called Virginians to boycott English goods; the Acts were mostly repealed in 1770.
- Benjamin Banneker
Baltimore County petition to move the county seat from Joppa to Baltimore
In 1768, he signed a Baltimore County petition to move the county seat from Joppa to Baltimore. An entry for his property in a 1773 Baltimore County tax list identified Banneker as the only adult member of his household.
- St. Patrick's Day
St Patrick's Day in Montserrat
The island of Montserrat is known as the "Emerald Island of the Caribbean" because of its founding by Irish refugees from Saint Kitts and Nevis. Montserrat is one of three places where St Patrick's Day is a public holiday, along with Ireland and the Canadian province of Newfoundland & Labrador. The holiday in Montserrat also commemorates a failed slave uprising that occurred on 17 March 1768.
- Robert Fulton
Early life
For six years, he lived in Philadelphia, where he painted portraits and landscapes, drew houses and machinery, and was able to send money home to help support his mother. In 1785, Fulton bought a farm at Hopewell Township in Washington County near Pittsburgh for £80 (equivalent to $13275 in 2018) and moved his mother and family into it.
- Benjamin Banneker
Ellicott brothers
In 1772, brothers Andrew Ellicott, John Ellicott and Joseph Ellicott moved from Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and bought land along the Patapsco Falls near Banneker's farm on which to construct gristmills, around which the village of Ellicott's Mills (now Ellicott City) subsequently developed. The Ellicotts were Quakers and shared the same views on racial equality as did many of their faith. Banneker studied the mills and became acquainted with their proprietors.
- George Washington
Boston Tea Party
Parliament sought to punish Massachusetts colonists for their role in the Boston Tea Party in 1774 by passing the Coersive Acts, which Washington referred to as "an invasion of our rights and privileges". He said Americans must not submit to acts of tyranny since "custom and use shall make us as tame and abject slaves, as the blacks we rule over with such arbitrary sway". That July, he and George Mason drafted a list of resolutions for the Fairfax County committee which Washington chaired, and the committee adopted the Fairfax Resolves calling for a Continental Congress.
- George Washington
First Virginia Convention
On August 1, Washington attended the First Virginia Convention, where he was selected as a delegate to the First Continental Congress.
- George Washington
London sent British troops to occupy Boston
Early in 1775, in response to the growing rebellious movement, London sent British troops, commanded by General Thomas Gage, to occupy Boston. They set up fortifications about the city, making it impervious to attack. Various local militias surrounded the city and effectively trapped the British, resulting in a standoff.
- George Washington
The American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War began on April 19, 1775, with the Battles of Lexington and Concord and the Siege of Boston.
- George Washington
Joined the Continental Congress in Philadelphia
The colonists were divided over breaking away from British rule and split into two factions: Patriots who rejected British rule, and Loyalists who desired to remain subject to the King. General Thomas Gage was commander of British forces in America at the beginning of the war. Upon hearing the shocking news of the onset of war, Washington was "sobered and dismayed", and he hastily departed Mount Vernon on May 4, 1775, to join the Continental Congress in Philadelphia.
- George Washington
Congress created the Continental Army
Congress created the Continental Army on June 14, 1775, and Samuel and John Adams nominated Washington to become its commander in chief. Washington was chosen over John Hancock because of his military experience and the belief that a Virginian would better unite the colonies. He was considered an incisive leader who kept his "ambition in check". He was unanimously elected commander in chief by Congress the next day.
- George Washington
Washington appeared before Congress in uniform
Washington appeared before Congress in uniform and gave an acceptance speech on June 16, declining a salary—though he was later reimbursed expenses.
- George Washington
Congress appointed Washington General & Commander in chief of the army of the United Colonies
Congress appointed Washington "General & Commander in chief of the army of the United Colonies and of all the forces raised or to be raised by them", and instructed him to take charge of the siege of Boston on June 22, 1775.
- George Washington
He was commissioned on June 19 and was roundly praised by Congressional delegates
He was commissioned on June 19 and was roundly praised by Congressional delegates, including John Adams, who proclaimed that he was the man best suited to lead and unite the colonies.
- George Washington
Congress ordered an invasion of Canada
In June 1775, Congress ordered an invasion of Canada. It was led by Benedict Arnold, who, despite Washington's strong objection, drew volunteers from the latter's force during the Siege of Boston. The move on Quebec failed, with the American forces being reduced to less than half and forced to retreat.
- George Washington
Congress chose his primary staff officers
Congress chose his primary staff officers, including Major General Artemas Ward, Adjutant General Horatio Gates, Major General Charles Lee, Major General Philip Schuyler, Major General Nathanael Greene, Colonel Henry Knox, and Colonel Alexander Hamilton. Washington was impressed by Colonel Benedict Arnold and gave him responsibility for invading Canada. He also engaged French and Indian War compatriot Brigadier General Daniel Morgan. Henry Knox impressed Adams with ordnance knowledge, and Washington promoted him to colonel and chief of artillery.
- George Washington
Headquarters and inspected the new army
Upon arrival on July 2, 1775, two weeks after the Patriot defeat at nearby Bunker Hill, he set up his Cambridge, Massachusetts headquarters and inspected the new army there, only to find an undisciplined and badly outfitted militia.
- Maya civilization
Terminal Preclassic era
Terminal Preclassic from AD 159 to 250. The late or terminal Preclassic murals found in San Bartolo provide important information regarding mythology and royal inauguration ritual around 100 BC.
- Maya civilization
Tikal played a crucial role in obsidian procurement
Tikal played a crucial role in obsidian procurement, production, and distribution during the Classic. Tikal dominated the Great Western Trade Route that transported the widely used El Chayal obsidian during the Early Classic (250-550 AD).
- Maya civilization
The Preclassic period in Maya history
The Preclassic period in Maya history stretches from the beginning of permanent village life c. 1000 BC until the advent of the Classic Period c. 250 AD.
- Maya civilization
Classic period (c. 250–900 AD)
This period marked the peak of large-scale construction and urbanism, the recording of monumental inscriptions, and demonstrated significant intellectual and artistic development, particularly in the southern lowland regions.
- Maya civilization
Jaina Island figurine representing a Classic period warrior
Jaina Island is a pre-Columbian Maya archaeological site in the present-day Mexican state of Campeche. Jaina Island figurine representing a Classic period warrior.
- Maya civilization
The highest Classic Period of Maya civilization
The Maya reached the height of their civilization during the Classic Period of Maya civilization (A.D 250 to 900).
- Maya civilization
Classic Era Maya urban design
Classic Era Maya urban design could easily be described as the division of space by great monuments and causeways. In this case, the open public plazas were the gathering places for the people and the focus of the urban design, while interior space was entirely secondary.
- Maya civilization
Maya cities in the Classic Era
Maya cities develop into more fortress-like defensive structures that lacked, for the most part, the large and numerous plazas of the Classic.
- Maya civilization
Early Classic era
Early Classic era from AD 250 to 550.
- Maya civilization
Teotihuacan decisively intervened
In AD 378, Teotihuacan decisively intervened at Tikal and other nearby cities, deposed their rulers, and installed a new Teotihuacan-backed dynasty.
- Maya civilization
Copán was the most important city
In the southeast, Copán was the most important city.
- Maya civilization
Kʼinich Yax Kʼukʼ Moʼ first ruler
Its Classic-period dynasty was founded in 426 by Kʼinich Yax Kʼukʼ Moʼ. The new king had strong ties with central Petén and Teotihuacan.
- Chichen Itza
Regional prominence
Chichen Itza rose to regional prominence towards the end of the Early Classic period (roughly 600 AD). It was, however, towards the end of the Late Classic and into the early part of the Terminal Classic that the site became a major regional capital, centralizing and dominating political, sociocultural, economic, and ideological life in the northern Maya lowlands. The ascension of Chichen Itza roughly correlates with the decline and fragmentation of the major centers of the southern Maya lowlands
- Maya civilization
Coba was the most important capital in north
In the north of the Maya area, Coba was the most important capital.
- Maya civilization
Establishing a new city at Dos Pilas
In 629, Bʼalaj Chan Kʼawiil, a son of the Tikal king Kʼinich Muwaan Jol II, was sent to found a new city at Dos Pilas, in the Petexbatún region, apparently as an outpost to extend Tikal's power beyond the reach of Calakmul.
- Maya civilization
The Temple of the Inscriptions
It is the largest Mesoamerican stepped pyramid structure at the pre-Columbian Maya civilization site of Palenque, located in the modern-day state of Chiapas, Mexico.
- Maya civilization
The Temple of the Cross Complex
The Temple of the Cross is the largest and most significant. It is located in the southeast corner of the site and consists of three main structures: the Temple of the Cross, the Temple of the Sun, and the Temple of the Foliated Cross.
- Maya civilization
Lachan Kʼawiil Ajaw Bot was a Maya king
Lachan Kʼawiil Ajaw Bot was a Maya king of La Amelia, an ancient city near Itzan in the Petén Department of modern Guatemala.
- Chichen Itza
Developing of Chichen Itza
The layout of Chichen Itza site core developed during its earlier phase of occupation, between 750 and 900 AD. Its final layout was developed after 900 AD, and the 10th century saw the rise of the city as a regional capital controlling the area from central Yucatán to the north coast, with its power extending down the east and west coasts of the peninsula.
- Maya civilization
The population was estimated larger than London
The population was estimated at a peak of twenty-eight thousand, between 750 and 800 – larger than London at the time.
- Maya civilization
Warfare was prevalent in the Maya world
Warfare was prevalent in the Maya world. In the 8th–9th centuries, intensive warfare resulted in the collapse of the kingdoms of the Petexbatún region of western Petén.
- Maya civilization
Temple of Kukulcán
Built by the pre-Columbian Maya civilization sometime between the 8th and 12th centuries AD, the pyramid served as a temple to the deity Kukulcán.
- Chichen Itza
Hieroglyphic
The earliest hieroglyphic date discovered at Chichen Itza is equivalent to 832 AD, while the last known date was recorded in the Osario temple in 998.
- Maya civilization
Postclassic period (c. 950–1539 AD)
The Postclassic period starts from C. 950 - to 1539 AD. The great cities that dominated Petén had fallen into ruin by the beginning of the 10th century AD with the onset of the Classic Maya collapse.
- Maya civilization
Early Postclassic era
Early Postclassic from AD 950 to 1200. Analysis of bones from early Maya grave sites indicates that, although maize had already become a major component of the diet (under 30% at Ceullo, Belize) by this time, fish, meat from game animals, and other hunted or gathered foods still made up a major component of the diet.
- Maya civilization
All Mesoamerican cultures used Stone Age technology
All Mesoamerican cultures used Stone Age technology; after c. 1000 AD copper, silver, and gold were worked. Mesoamerica lacked draft animals, did not use the wheel, and possessed few domesticated animals; the principal means of transport was on foot or by canoe.
- Maya civilization
The final episode of Classic Period collapse
Chichen Itza and its Puuc neighbors declined dramatically in the 11th century, and this may represent the final episode of the Classic Period collapse.
- Maya civilization
The Spanish conquest began of the Maya
The Maya occupied a territory that is now incorporated into the modern countries of Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador; the conquest began in the early 16th century and is generally considered to have ended in 1697.
- Maya civilization
Late Postclassic era
Late Postclassic from AD 1200 to 1539.
- Chichen Itza
Mayapan conquers Chichen Itza
According to some colonial Mayan sources, Hunac Ceel, ruler of Mayapan, conquered Chichen Itza in the 13th century. Hunac Ceel supposedly prophesied his own rise to power. According to custom at the time, individuals thrown into the Cenote Sagrado were believed to have the power of prophecy if they survived. During one such ceremony, the chronicles state, there were no survivors, so Hunac Ceel leaped into the Cenote Sagrado, and when removed, prophesied his own ascension.
- Maya civilization
Maya occupation at Cuello
The Maya developed their first civilization in the Preclassic period. Scholars continue to discuss when this era of Maya civilization began. Maya occupation at Cuello has been carbon-dated to around 2600 BC.
- Maya civilization
Early Maya architecture
Early Maya architecture is based on the general Mesoamerican architectural traditions. The stepped pyramids were constructed from the Terminal Pre-classic period onwards.
- Maya civilization
Kaminaljuyu in the Valley of Guatemala was abandoned
The once-great city of Kaminaljuyu in the Valley of Guatemala was abandoned after the continuous occupation of almost 2,000 years.
- Maya civilization
Mayapan was abandoned after a period of political turbulence
Mayapan was abandoned around 1448, after a period of political, social, and environmental turbulence that in many ways echoed the Classic period collapse in the southern Maya region.
- Maya civilization
One of the largest groups of Maya live in the Yucatan Peninsula
One of the largest groups of Maya lives in the Yucatan Peninsula, which includes the Mexican states of Yucatán State, Campeche, and Quintana Roo as well as the nation of Belize.
- Maya civilization
Contact period and Spanish conquest (1511–1697 AD)
In 1511, a Spanish caravel was wrecked in the Caribbean, and about a dozen survivors made landfall on the coast of Yucatán.
- Maya civilization
Three separate Spanish expeditions explored the Yucatán coast
From 1517 to 1519, three separate Spanish expeditions explored the Yucatán coast and engaged in a number of battles with the Maya inhabitants.
- Maya civilization
Soconusco fell to the Spanish
After the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan fell to the Spanish in 1521, Hernán Cortés despatched Pedro de Alvarado to Guatemala with 180 cavalry, 300 infantry, 4 cannons, and thousands of allied warriors from central Mexico.
- USA civil war
History of the Slavery in the United States
Slavery in the colonial history of the United States, from 1526 to 1776, developed from complex factors. Slavery was the main cause of disunion. Slavery had been a controversial issue during the framing of the Constitution but had been left unsettled.
- Chichen Itza
Yucatán conquest by Spain
In 1526 Spanish Conquistador Francisco de Montejo successfully petitioned the King of Spain for a charter to conquer Yucatán. His first campaign in 1527, which covered much of the Yucatán Peninsula, decimated his forces but ended with the establishment of a small fort at Xaman Haʼ, south of what is today Cancún.
- Inca Empire
Spanish explored Panama
Spanish conquistadors led by Francisco Pizarro and his brothers explored south from what is today Panama, reaching Inca territory.
- Chichen Itza
Trying to establish a capital
Montejo returned to Yucatán in 1531 with reinforcements and established his main base at Campeche on the west coast. He sent his son, Francisco Montejo The Younger, in late 1532 to conquer the interior of the Yucatán Peninsula from the north. The objective from the beginning was to go to Chichén Itzá and establish a capital.
- Chichen Itza
The Maya force Montejo out
The Maya became more hostile over time, and eventually they laid siege to the Spanish, cutting off their supply line to the coast, and forcing them to barricade themselves among the ruins of the ancient city. Months passed, but no reinforcements arrived. Montejo the Younger attempted an all out assault against the Maya and lost 150 of his remaining troops. He was forced to abandon Chichén Itzá in 1534 under cover of darkness. By 1535, all Spanish had been driven from the Yucatán Peninsula.
- Maya civilization
Kʼicheʼ states are associated with the ancient Maya civilization
The highland Kʼicheʼ states in the pre-Columbian era are associated with the ancient Maya civilization and reached the peak of their power and influence during the Mayan Postclassic period (c. 950–1539 AD).
- Thanksgiving
First celebration of Thanksgiving in North America occurred during the 1578
According to some historians, the first celebration of Thanksgiving in North America occurred during the 1578 voyage of Martin Frobisher from England in search of the Northwest Passage. Other researchers, however, state that "there is no compelling narrative of the origins of the Canadian Thanksgiving day".
- Chichen Itza
Final conquest
Montejo eventually returned to Yucatán and, by recruiting Maya from Campeche and Champoton, built a large Indio-Spanish army and conquered the peninsula. The Spanish crown later issued a land grant that included Chichen Itza and by 1588 it was a working cattle ranch.
- Maya civilization
Qʼumarkaj was one of the most powerful Maya cities
Qʼumarkaj was one of the most powerful Maya cities when the Spanish arrived in the region in the early 16th century. It was the capital of the Kʼicheʼ Maya in the Late Postclassic Period.
- Thanksgiving
French settlers who came to New France
The origins of Canadian Thanksgiving are also sometimes traced to the French settlers who came to New France in the 17th century, who celebrated their successful harvests. The French settlers in the area typically had feasts at the end of the harvest season and continued throughout the winter season, even sharing food with the indigenous peoples of the area.
- St. Patrick's Day
U.S. celebrations
St Patrick's Day, while not a legal holiday in the United States, is nonetheless widely recognized and observed throughout the country as a celebration of Irish and Irish-American culture. Celebrations include prominent displays of the color green, religious observances, numerous parades, and copious consumption of alcohol. The holiday has been celebrated in what is now the U.S since 1601.
- Thanksgiving
The modern Thanksgiving holiday tradition
The modern Thanksgiving holiday tradition is traced to a well-recorded 1619 event in Virginia and a sparsely documented 1621 celebration at Plymouth in present-day Massachusetts.
- Thanksgiving
38 English settlers
The 1619 arrival of 38 English settlers at Berkeley Hundred in Charles City County, Virginia, concluded with a religious celebration as dictated by the group's charter from the London Company, which specifically required "that the day of our ships arrival at the place assigned ... in the land of Virginia shall be yearly and perpetually kept holy as a day of thanksgiving to Almighty God." The 1621 Plymouth feast and thanksgiving was prompted by a good harvest, which the Pilgrims celebrated with Native Americans, who helped them get through the previous winter by giving them food in that time of scarcity.
- Thanksgiving
The tradition of Days of Fasting and Days of Thanksgiving
Pilgrims and Puritans who emigrated from England in the 1620s and 1630s carried the tradition of Days of Fasting and Days of Thanksgiving with them to New England.
- Thanksgiving
First Thanksgiving
Several days of Thanksgiving were held in early New England history that have been identified as the "First Thanksgiving", including Pilgrim holidays in Plymouth in 1621 and 1623, and a Puritan holiday in Boston in 1631.
- George Washington
Washington's great-grandfather immigrated
Washington's great-grandfather John Washington immigrated in 1656 from Sulgrave, England, to the British Colony of Virginia where he accumulated 5,000 acres (2,000 ha) of land, including Little Hunting Creek on the Potomac River.
- Impeachment of Andrew Johnson
Eleven Articles of Impeachment Against the President
One week later, the House adopted eleven articles of impeachment against the president.
- Maya civilization
The last independent Maya city fell to the Spanish
In 1697, Martín de Ursúa launched an assault on the Itza capital Nojpetén and the last independent Maya city fell to the Spanish.
- Maya civilization
The last Maya city fall
In the 16th century, the Spanish Empire colonized the Mesoamerican region, and a lengthy series of campaigns saw the fall of Nojpetén, the last Maya city, in 1697.
- Libraries
Library Company of Philadelphia
In the American colonies, the Library Company of Philadelphia was started in 1731 by Benjamin Franklin in Philadelphia, PA.
- Benjamin Banneker
Birth
Benjamin Banneker was born on November 9, 1731, in Baltimore County, Maryland to Mary Banneky, a free black, and Robert, a freed slave from Guinea.
- George Washington
Birth
George Washington was born February 22, 1732, at Popes Creek in Westmoreland County, Virginia.
- George Washington
Family moved
The family moved to Little Hunting Creek in 1735, then to Ferry Farm near Fredericksburg, Virginia, in 1738.
- Benjamin Banneker
100-acre farm
In 1737, Banneker was named at the age of 6 on the deed of his family's 100-acre (0.40 km2) farm in the Patapsco Valley in rural Baltimore County.
- George Washington
Washington did not have the formal education
Washington did not have the formal education his elder brothers received at Appleby Grammar School in England, but he did learn mathematics, trigonometry, and land surveying. He was a talented draftsman and map-maker. By early adulthood he was writing with "considerable force" and "precision", however his writing displayed little wit or humor. In pursuit of admiration, status, and power, he tended to attribute his shortcomings and failures to someone else's ineffectually.
- Dwight D. Eisenhower
Family migrated
The Eisenhauer (German for "iron hewer/miner") family migrated from Karlsbrunn in Nassau-Saarbrücken, to America, first settling in York, Pennsylvania, in 1741.
- George Washington
Father's Death
When Augustine (father) died in 1743, Washington inherited Ferry Farm and ten slaves; his older half-brother Lawrence inherited Little Hunting Creek and renamed it Mount Vernon.
- George Washington
A Month in 1748
Washington often visited Mount Vernon and Belvoir, the plantation that belonged to Lawrence's father-in-law William Fairfax. Fairfax became Washington's patron and surrogate father, and Washington spent a month in 1748 with a team surveying Fairfax's Shenandoah Valley property.
- George Washington
A Surveyor's license
He received a surveyor's license the following year from the College of William & Mary; Fairfax appointed him surveyor of Culpeper County, Virginia, and he thus familiarized himself with the frontier region, resigning from the job in 1750.
- George Washington
The only trip abroad
In 1751 Washington made his only trip abroad when he accompanied Lawrence (older half-brother) to Barbados, hoping the climate would cure his brother's tuberculosis. Washington contracted smallpox during that trip, which immunized him but left his face slightly scarred.
- George Washington
George had bought almost 1,500 acres (600 ha) in the Valley
By 1752 he had bought almost 1,500 acres (600 ha) in the Valley and owned 2,315 acres (937 ha).
- George Washington
Lawrence death
Lawrence died in 1752, and Washington leased Mount Vernon from his widow; he inherited it outright after her death in 1761.
- Benjamin Banneker
Wooden Clock
Around 1753 at about the age of 21, Banneker reportedly completed a wooden clock that struck on the hour. He appears to have modeled his clock from a borrowed pocket watch by carving each piece to scale. The clock purportedly continued to work until his death.
- George Washington
A Special envoy
In October 1753, Dinwiddie (Virginia's Lieutenant Governor) appointed Washington as a special envoy to demand that the French vacate territory which the British had claimed.
- George Washington
A Lieutenant Colonel
In February 1754, Dinwiddie promoted Washington to lieutenant colonel and second-in-command of the 300-strong Virginia Regiment, with orders to confront French forces at the Forks of the Ohio.
- George Washington
George decided to take a offensive
Washington set out for the Forks with half the regiment in April but soon learned a French force of 1,000 had begun construction of Fort Duquesne there. In May, having set up a defensive position at Great Meadows, he learned that the French had made camp seven miles (11 km) away; he decided to take the offensive.
- George Washington
Battle of Jumonville Glen
The Battle of Jumonville Glen, also known as the Jumonville affair, was the opening battle of the French and Indian War, fought on May 28, 1754, near present-day Hopwood and Uniontown in Fayette County, Pennsylvania. A company of colonial militia from Virginia under the command of Lieutenant Colonel George Washington, and a small number of Mingo warriors led by Tanacharison (also known as "Half King"), ambushed a force of 35 Canadiens under the command of Joseph Coulon de Villiers de Jumonville.
- George Washington
Washington's surrender
The full Virginia Regiment joined Washington at Fort Necessity the following month with news that he had been promoted to command of the regiment and to colonel upon the death of the regimental commander. The regiment was reinforced by an independent company of 100 South Carolinians led by Captain James Mackay, whose royal commission outranked that of Washington, and a conflict of command ensued. On July 3, a French force attacked with 900 men, and the ensuing battle (Battle of Fort Necessity) ended in Washington's surrender. In the aftermath, Colonel James Innes took command of intercolonial forces, the Virginia Regiment was divided, and Washington was offered a captaincy which he refused, with resignation of his commission.
- George Washington
Washington served voluntarily as an aide to General Edward Braddock
In 1755, Washington served voluntarily as an aide to General Edward Braddock, who led a British expedition to expel the French from Fort Duquesne and the Ohio Country. On Washington's recommendation, Braddock split the army into one main column and a lightly equipped "flying column". Suffering from a severe case of dysentery, Washington was left behind, and when he rejoined Braddock at Monongahela the French and their Indian allies ambushed the divided army. The British suffered two-thirds casualties, including the mortally wounded Braddock. Under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Gage, Washington, still very ill, rallied the survivors and formed a rear guard, allowing the remnants of the force to disengage and retreat. During the engagement he had two horses shot from under him, and his hat and coat were bullet-pierced. His conduct under fire redeemed his reputation among critics of his command in the Battle of Fort Necessity, but he was not included by the succeeding commander (Colonel Thomas Dunbar) in planning subsequent operations.
- George Washington
Washington pressed his case
Washington, impatient for an offensive against Fort Duquesne, was convinced Braddock would have granted him a royal commission, and pressed his case in February 1756 with Braddock's successor, William Shirley, and again in January 1757 with Shirley's successor, Lord Loudoun. Shirley ruled in Washington's favor only in the matter of Dagworthy; Loudoun humiliated Washington, refused him a royal commission and agreed only to relieve him of the responsibility of manning Fort Cumberland.
- George Washington
Virginia Regiment was assigned to Britain's Forbes Expedition to take Fort Duquesne
In 1758, the Virginia Regiment was assigned to Britain's Forbes Expedition to take Fort Duquesne. Washington disagreed with General John Forbes' tactics and chosen route. Forbes nevertheless made Washington a brevet brigadier general and gave him command of one of the three brigades that would assault the fort. The French abandoned the fort and the valley before the assault was launched; Washington saw only a friendly-fire incident which left 14 dead and 26 injured. The war lasted another four years, but Washington resigned his commission and returned to Mount Vernon.
- George Washington
Marriage
On January 6, 1759, Washington, at age 26, married Martha Dandridge Custis, the 28-year-old widow of wealthy plantation owner Daniel Parke Custis. The marriage took place at Martha's estate; she was intelligent, gracious, and experienced in managing a planter's estate, and the couple created a happy marriage.
- Benjamin Banneker
Father's Death
After his father died in 1759, Banneker lived with his mother and sisters.
- Incandescent light bulb
Ebenezer Kinnersley's Discovery
In 1761 Ebenezer Kinnersley demonstrated heating a wire to incandescence.
- Robert Fulton
Birth
Robert Fulton was born in a farm in Little Britain, Pennsylvania, on November 14, 1765. His father, Robert Fulton, married Mary Smith, daughter of Captain Joseph Smith and sister of Col. Lester Smith, a comparatively well off family. He had three sisters – Isabella, Elizabeth, and Mary, and a younger brother, Abraham.
- George Washington
Washington helped lead widespread protests against the Townshend Acts passed by Parliament
Washington helped lead widespread protests against the Townshend Acts passed by Parliament in 1767, and he introduced a proposal in May 1769 drafted by George Mason which called Virginians to boycott English goods; the Acts were mostly repealed in 1770.
- Benjamin Banneker
Baltimore County petition to move the county seat from Joppa to Baltimore
In 1768, he signed a Baltimore County petition to move the county seat from Joppa to Baltimore. An entry for his property in a 1773 Baltimore County tax list identified Banneker as the only adult member of his household.
- St. Patrick's Day
St Patrick's Day in Montserrat
The island of Montserrat is known as the "Emerald Island of the Caribbean" because of its founding by Irish refugees from Saint Kitts and Nevis. Montserrat is one of three places where St Patrick's Day is a public holiday, along with Ireland and the Canadian province of Newfoundland & Labrador. The holiday in Montserrat also commemorates a failed slave uprising that occurred on 17 March 1768.
- Robert Fulton
Early life
For six years, he lived in Philadelphia, where he painted portraits and landscapes, drew houses and machinery, and was able to send money home to help support his mother. In 1785, Fulton bought a farm at Hopewell Township in Washington County near Pittsburgh for £80 (equivalent to $13275 in 2018) and moved his mother and family into it.
- Benjamin Banneker
Ellicott brothers
In 1772, brothers Andrew Ellicott, John Ellicott and Joseph Ellicott moved from Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and bought land along the Patapsco Falls near Banneker's farm on which to construct gristmills, around which the village of Ellicott's Mills (now Ellicott City) subsequently developed. The Ellicotts were Quakers and shared the same views on racial equality as did many of their faith. Banneker studied the mills and became acquainted with their proprietors.
- George Washington
Boston Tea Party
Parliament sought to punish Massachusetts colonists for their role in the Boston Tea Party in 1774 by passing the Coersive Acts, which Washington referred to as "an invasion of our rights and privileges". He said Americans must not submit to acts of tyranny since "custom and use shall make us as tame and abject slaves, as the blacks we rule over with such arbitrary sway". That July, he and George Mason drafted a list of resolutions for the Fairfax County committee which Washington chaired, and the committee adopted the Fairfax Resolves calling for a Continental Congress.
- George Washington
First Virginia Convention
On August 1, Washington attended the First Virginia Convention, where he was selected as a delegate to the First Continental Congress.
- George Washington
London sent British troops to occupy Boston
Early in 1775, in response to the growing rebellious movement, London sent British troops, commanded by General Thomas Gage, to occupy Boston. They set up fortifications about the city, making it impervious to attack. Various local militias surrounded the city and effectively trapped the British, resulting in a standoff.
- George Washington
The American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War began on April 19, 1775, with the Battles of Lexington and Concord and the Siege of Boston.
- George Washington
Joined the Continental Congress in Philadelphia
The colonists were divided over breaking away from British rule and split into two factions: Patriots who rejected British rule, and Loyalists who desired to remain subject to the King. General Thomas Gage was commander of British forces in America at the beginning of the war. Upon hearing the shocking news of the onset of war, Washington was "sobered and dismayed", and he hastily departed Mount Vernon on May 4, 1775, to join the Continental Congress in Philadelphia.
- George Washington
Congress created the Continental Army
Congress created the Continental Army on June 14, 1775, and Samuel and John Adams nominated Washington to become its commander in chief. Washington was chosen over John Hancock because of his military experience and the belief that a Virginian would better unite the colonies. He was considered an incisive leader who kept his "ambition in check". He was unanimously elected commander in chief by Congress the next day.
- George Washington
Washington appeared before Congress in uniform
Washington appeared before Congress in uniform and gave an acceptance speech on June 16, declining a salary—though he was later reimbursed expenses.
- George Washington
Congress appointed Washington General & Commander in chief of the army of the United Colonies
Congress appointed Washington "General & Commander in chief of the army of the United Colonies and of all the forces raised or to be raised by them", and instructed him to take charge of the siege of Boston on June 22, 1775.
- George Washington
He was commissioned on June 19 and was roundly praised by Congressional delegates
He was commissioned on June 19 and was roundly praised by Congressional delegates, including John Adams, who proclaimed that he was the man best suited to lead and unite the colonies.
- George Washington
Congress ordered an invasion of Canada
In June 1775, Congress ordered an invasion of Canada. It was led by Benedict Arnold, who, despite Washington's strong objection, drew volunteers from the latter's force during the Siege of Boston. The move on Quebec failed, with the American forces being reduced to less than half and forced to retreat.
- George Washington
Congress chose his primary staff officers
Congress chose his primary staff officers, including Major General Artemas Ward, Adjutant General Horatio Gates, Major General Charles Lee, Major General Philip Schuyler, Major General Nathanael Greene, Colonel Henry Knox, and Colonel Alexander Hamilton. Washington was impressed by Colonel Benedict Arnold and gave him responsibility for invading Canada. He also engaged French and Indian War compatriot Brigadier General Daniel Morgan. Henry Knox impressed Adams with ordnance knowledge, and Washington promoted him to colonel and chief of artillery.
- George Washington
Headquarters and inspected the new army
Upon arrival on July 2, 1775, two weeks after the Patriot defeat at nearby Bunker Hill, he set up his Cambridge, Massachusetts headquarters and inspected the new army there, only to find an undisciplined and badly outfitted militia.