Growing Pains: Crown Tries to Tighten Its Control, The
In the British colonies along the Atlantic seaboard new agricultural and commercial interests begin to thrive. This success comes at a time when Britain is in conflict with its European neighbors over trade. In an attempt exclude other nations from ...
Growing Pains: England's Glorious Revolution and its Aftermath
22) James II is not only losing friends in America, he is also making powerful enemies in England by attempting to exercise autocratic control over Parliament. He and his colonial governors are overthrown in the Glorious Revolution. This is a period...
Rivals and Friends: Jefferson's Presidency, Early Years
Just before Jefferson takes office, Congress reduces the number of justices on the Supreme Court by one and expands the number of federal judgeships. Adams takes advantage of his last days as president to appoint a number of Federalists to these new...
Growing Pains: Settlement of the Southern Coast: Carolinas, Georgia, Florida
The lure of land is so strong that some adventuresome settlers move away from the coastal areas to territory explored and occupied by the French. They are also tempted by the less densely populated regions of the south. Carolina, for example, is a s...
Best Laid Plans...: Economic Vitality
Despite their intentions, almost nothing works out as Jefferson and his followers planned. During their years in power, the young republic develops in ways they could not have envisioned. The most striking aspect of American society in these early d...
Vision for a Nation: Testing the Design of the Constitution
The first election under the Constitution is scheduled for the early months of 1789. The newly-elected Congress, says historian Bernard Bailyn, is a "creative force in our constitutional life" for two reasons: the Bill of Rights, submitted to the Ho...
Strained Relations: Seven Years' War, The
In 1754 the long-standing struggle between France and England erupts in the Seven Years' War over the building of Fort Duquesne in the Ohio Valley. At first, the war is fairly contained, but in 1756 it explodes into a conflict of international propo...
A Precarious Experiment: Challenges Facing the Young Nation
The United States faces a number of daunting issues in the years immediately following the war. The British do not evacuate the forts in the northwest territory or provide compensation for slaves as they had agreed. In 1784, Congress sends John Adam...
Family History: Family in Colonial America
In some ways, the family unit in colonial times played much the same role that it does today, but there are some notable differences. For example, the colonial era family took on many roles generally played today by public agencies. There was als...
Not Much of a War: American Revolution--Supporters, Critics, and Disbelievers, The
Although rumors of impending conflict with Great Britain have been circulating for months, the actual outbreak of hostilities in 1775 finds the colonies unprepared for the challenges of armed conflict. The loosely formed confederation is less than o...