United States History Student Edition

Understanding the Time and Place: Becoming the United States, 1600–1780 In the early 1780s, a new nation emerged on the North American continent. The United States had fought for and won its independence from Great Britain. Could the new country develop a form of government that would maintain the political and social ideals that had led to independence?

The American Colonies: Freedoms and Self-Government In 1607, England established its first permanent settlement in North America at Jamestown. This marked the beginning of English colonization on the continent. Throughout the 1600s, English settlers continued to arrive in North America and settle new colonies. Many, such as the Pilgrims and the Puritans, came in search of religious freedom. By 1770, more than 2 million people were living and working in the 13 American colonies. Although ruled by the English, the colonists formed their own governments to create laws. In the Virginia colony, local elected representatives met in the House of Burgesses. The Pilgrims of the Plymouth colony signed a document called the Mayflower Compact, pledging to follow agreed-upon laws in their new home. Other colonies followed. In 1639, the colony of Connecticut adopted a plan of government called the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut, which described the organization of a representative government. Like the Mayflower Compact, it reflected a belief in democratic principles. Over time, a stronger interest in self-government began to grow among the colonists. British Rule, Taxes, and Protests Other European nations also established colonies in North America. Spain and France both claimed extensive areas of the continent. Both also competed with the English colonies over territory and trade, which led to conflict. War between Britain and France erupted in 1754. Both countries believed they had a right to the land west of the Appalachian Mountains. Known as the French and Indian War, fighting lasted until 1763. When the war ended, France ceded all of its North American lands to Great Britain and Spain. The war left Britain in deep debt. To raise funds, the British government made plans to tax the colonies and tighten trade rules. 168

The British government passed a number of new laws taxing goods the colonists relied on, including sugar and paper. Colonists thought the laws were unfair because they did not have a voice in the British government. American colonists claimed this was “taxation without representation.” During the early 1770s, tensions continued to grow between Britain and its colonies, resulting in violence and rebellion. In 1770, a fight broke out between some colonists and British troops in the city of Boston. The troops fired into the crowd

This illustration from the mid-1800s depicts Washington accepting a sword from Cornwallis at the British surrender at Yorktown in 1781.

Image courtesy National Gallery of Art