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America 250
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Alabama During the Revolution Founding Fathers & Political Figures Government, Law & the Nation Iconic American Images & Symbols Ideas, Causes & Consequences Key Moments of the Revolution Revolutionary Figures & Voices

Alabama During the Revolution

 
Alabama Veterans
Did you know that over 700 revolutionary soldiers are buried in Alabama?
Proclamation of 1763
1763
Proclamation of 1763
How did a British “royal decree” make most of modern day Alabama off limits to colonial Americans?
James Willing
 
James Willing
Why did James Willing organize a river expedition into the Spanish West?
Alabama Land During The Revolution
1775 - 1783
Alabama Land During The Revolution
What did Alabama look like during the American Revolution?

Founding Fathers & Political Figures

1785 - 1788
Benjamin Franklin
Did you know Benjamin Franklin tried to end the U.S. slave trade?
Abigail Adams
 
Abigail Adams
First Lady Abigail Adams was Second President John Adams' most trusted political advisor.
Button Gwinnett
 
Button Gwinnett
This signer of the Declaration of Independence was not born in America.
John Jay
1745–1829
John Jay
Which Founding Father saved George Washington’s life?
Alexander Hamilton
 
Alexander Hamilton
Alexander Hamilton wrote the Federalist Papers, encouraging the adoption of the U.S. Constitution.
John Hancock
January 23, 1737 – October 8, 1793
John Hancock
Why is a signature called a “John Hancock?”
Robert Livingston
November 27, 1746 – February 26, 1813
Robert Livingston
Did you know that Founding Father Robert R. Livingston was a river boat innovator?
Richard Henry Lee
January 20, 1732 – June 19, 1794
Richard Henry Lee
There’s a chance that the Declaration of Independence wouldn’t exist without this guy.
Thomas Jefferson
April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826
Thomas Jefferson
Did you know that Thomas Jefferson advocated for state-funded education?
John Adams
October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826
John Adams
Why did John Adams clash with Benjamin Franklin?
Edward Rutledge
November 23, 1749 - January 23, 1800
Edward Rutledge
Why did the youngest Founding Father oppose independence?
Roger Sherman
April 19, 1721 - July 23, 1793
Roger Sherman
How did Roger Sherman prevent a deadlock during the 1787 Constitutional Convention?
Samuel Adams
September 27, 1722 - October 2, 1803
Samuel Adams
Why was Founding Father Samuel Adams such a bad tax collector?
George Washington
February 22, 1732 - December 14, 1799
George Washington
How did George Washington’s farewell address reshape America?
James Monroe
April 28, 1758 – July 4, 1831
James Monroe
Washington was the only founding father to run unopposed for re-election…until James Monroe.
John Singleton Copley
July 3, 1738 – September 9, 1815
John Singleton Copley
This famous American Revolution painter actually married into a British Loyalist family.

Government, Law & the Nation

1787 - 1789
U.S. Constitution
What other governments inspired the U.S. Constitution?
Continental Congresses
 
Continental Congresses
Before there was a “President of the United States" or a “U.S. Congress,” how did America wage war against Britain?
Treaty of Paris 1783
Treaty of Paris 1783
Treaty of Paris 1783
Why is the agreement that ended the American Revolution called the Treaty of Paris?
Bill of Rights
September 25, 1789
Bill of Rights
Why did the “Father of the Bill of Rights” initially oppose writing them?
Articles of Confederation
November 15, 1777
Articles of Confederation
Why didn’t the Articles of Confederation, the first draft of the Constitution, work?
Declaration of Independence
July 4, 1776
Declaration of Independence
Where should the government get its power?

Iconic American Images & Symbols

2024
The Bald Eagle
For 242 years, we’ve assumed the Bald Eagle was our national bird. But we were wrong.
The Surrender Of Cornwallis
1781 - 1820
The Surrender Of Cornwallis
This Revolutionary painting is missing an essential figure.
Gadsden Flag
1775
Gadsden Flag
How did this become one of the most famous symbols of the revolution?
Albany Plan Of Union
1754
Albany Plan Of Union
This is one of the most well-known political cartoons in American history.
Stars and Stripes
1777 - 1959
Stars and Stripes
America doesn’t stay the same and neither does its flag.
James Gillray’s Rattlesnake Cartoon
1782
James Gillray’s Rattlesnake Cartoon
Before the stars and stripes, the symbol of America was a rattlesnake.
Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776
1786 - 1818
Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776
This is not the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Liberty Bell
1751
Liberty Bell
How did the Liberty Bell get its crack?
Washington Crossing the Delaware
December 25–26, 1776
Washington Crossing the Delaware
Is this the real painting of "Washington Crossing the Delaware” or not?
Painter Benjamin West
1783
Painter Benjamin West
Did you know there's an unfinished painting depicting the moment that ended the American Revolution?
National Anthem
March 3, 1931
National Anthem
Learn the story behind the first official U.S. national anthem.

Ideas, Causes & Consequences

1788
“Observations on the New Constitution” by Mercy Otis Warren
This pamphlet may be one reason why we have a Bill of Rights today.
Charles Cornwallis
 
Charles Cornwallis
Charles Cornwallis served the crown and was often George Washington’s battlefield counterpart.
Taxation Without Representation
 
Taxation Without Representation
Was the American Revolution really a war over taxes?
King George III
 
King George III
A complicated symbol of tyranny for the American Colonies.
The Intolerable Acts
 
The Intolerable Acts
Did Britain punish the colonists for the Boston Tea Party?
Grievances Against the King
July 4, 1776
Grievances Against the King
How did colonists employ language to paint King George III as a tyrant?
The Stamp Act
March 22, 1765
The Stamp Act
How did a tax spark a revolution?
Common Sense
January 10, 1776
Common Sense
How did a 47-page pamphlet kickstart a revolution?
Westward Expansion
1783-1861
Westward Expansion
How did the end of the Revolution increase tensions between the U.S. and Native Americans?

Key Moments of the Revolution

June 17, 1775
Battle of Bunker Hill
How did American soldiers prove they could challenge the British army, despite taking a loss?
Siege of Yorktown
September 28 – October 19, 1781
Siege of Yorktown
This three-week battle was the defining victory for the Patriots, ending British rule.
Winter At Valley Forge
1777–1778
Winter At Valley Forge
Winter at Valley Forge was not the Continental Army’s lowest moment. Here's why.
The Boston Massacre
March 5, 1770
The Boston Massacre
How did Paul Revere use the Boston Massacre to gain support for the revolution?
The Boston Tea Party
December 16, 1773
The Boston Tea Party
American colonists forced several tea ships back to Great Britain in an act of defiance.
Battle of Lexington and Concord
April 19, 1775,
Battle of Lexington and Concord
Who fired the “shot heard ‘round the world”?

Revolutionary Figures & Voices

1765 – 1783
Sons of Liberty
Today, the Sons of Liberty are most famously known for staging the Boston Tea Party. In Colonial America, the group was well-known for vandalizing the property of British Loyalists.
Polly Cooper
 
Polly Cooper
Many Patriot soldiers owe their lives to one woman from the Oneida Nation.
Crispus Attucks
 
Crispus Attucks
Who was the first casualty of the American Revolution?
Daughters of Liberty
 
Daughters of Liberty
Who were the Daughters of Liberty?
Deborah Sampson
 
Deborah Sampson
Disguised as a man, Sampson joined the Fourth Massachusetts Regiment during the Revolution.
Betsy Ross
 
Betsy Ross
There’s no definitive proof that Betsy Ross designed the first American flag.
Phillis Wheatley
c. 1753 – December 5, 1784
Phillis Wheatley
How did a poet from Africa land a meeting with George Washington?
Mery Otis Warren
September 14, 1728 – October 19, 1814
Mery Otis Warren
This New England woman with Puritan roots became one of the fiercest critics of the British Empire.
John Locke
August 29, 1632 - October 28, 1704
John Locke
How did the Founders come up with the famous line “Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness"?
Martha Washington
June 2, 1731 – May 22, 1802
Martha Washington
Martha Washington created the blueprint for all the First Ladies after her.
A Woman seeing a Jungle appear from her Phone

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