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- 1517 Begin of the Reformation in Europe.
- 1588 England becomes naval power after defeat
of the Spanish Armada.
- 1607 Founding of Jamestown, first permanent British
colony in Virginia.
- 1620 Pilgrim Fathers reach America on the "Mayflower",
founding of Plymouth.
- 1629/30 Founding of the Massachusetts-Bay-Company
Puritan emigration.
- 1632/1732 Founding of the remaining British colonies
in North America.
- 1683 First German immigrants (Germantown/Philadelphia).
- 1756/1763 Seven Years War in Europe. War between
Britain and France in the American theatres of conflict (French and
Indian War, 1754/1763).
- 1763 Peace of Paris: Canada and the areas east
of the Mississippi River are ceded by France to Britain, Spain loses
Florida to Britain.
- 1765 Stampact: stricter handling of trading laws,
introduction of new taxes by the British to finance the colonial wars
leads to protest. Colonies refer to the principle "no taxation without
representation".
- 1773 "Boston Tea Party": the disputes between
British authorities and colonists about the imposing of duties and taxes
leads to "Boston Tea Party".
- 1774 First Continental Congress: in Philadelphia,
representatives of the British colonists pass "Declaration of Rights
and Complaints by the Colonies".
- 1775-1883 War of Independence; starts with skirmishes
between colonial militia and the King's Army near Lexington and Concord
(Massachusetts).
- 1775 Second Continental Congress: organization
of a continental army under George Washington.
- July 4, 1776 Declaration of Independence by
Congress.
- 1776-1800 The young states give themselves constitutions.
- 1777 Creation of an alliance via "articles of
confederation" (ratified in 1781).
- 1778 War alliance between United States and France,
later with Spain and the Netherlands.
- 1781 Yorktown (Virginia) Capitulation: break-up
of British naval power leads to supply problems for British colonial
troops.
- 1783 Peace of Paris (Versailles): Britain cedes
13 colonies and the areas between the Great Lakes, the Appalaches and
the Mississippi. Spain regains Florida.
- 1787 Constitution of the United States. Comes
into force in 1789.
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