the United States. Signature of preliminaries of peace between Great Britain, the United States, France, and Spain at Versailles. April 11. Cessation of arms proclaimed by congress. Independence of the United States recognized by Holland, April 19, 1782; Sweden, Feb. 5, 1783; Denmark, Feb. 25; Spain, March 24; Russia in July. April 19. Peace proclaimed by the commander of the army. 1783, Sept. 3. Definitive Treaty of Peace between Great Britain, the United States, France, and Spain signed at Paris and Versailles. (p. 441.) I. 1. Recognition of the independence of the United States, and establishment of boundaries. (From the intersection of a line due N. from the head of the St. Croix river in Nova Scotia, with the highlands S. of the St. Lawrence; along the highlands to the head of the Connecticut; along that river to 45° N., thence W. to the river Iroquois, thence through lakes Ontario, Erie, Huron, Superior, Long Lake, and Lake of the Woods; thence W. to the Mississippi and along that river to 31° N.; from this point E. to the Apalachicola or Catouche, along this river to the Flint; thence direct to the head of St. Mary's river, and so to the Atlantic: east, from the mouth of the St. Croix river to its source, and due north to the highlands, including all islands within twenty leagues of the coast, except such as belonged to Nova Scotia.) 2. Right of fishery secured to the United States on the Grand Bank and all other Newfoundland banks, and in the gulf of St. Lawrence, as well as on the coast of Newfoundland; right to cure fish on all unsettled parts of Nova Scotia, Labrador, and Magdalen islands as long as they should remain unsettled. 3. All good debts heretofore contracted should be considered binding. 4. Restitution of confiscated estates to be recommended by congress to the states. 5. Navigation of the Mississippi to be open to both Great Britain and the United States. II. Great Britain ceded Tobago to France. III. Great Britain ceded Florida to Spain. Establishment of the Society of the Cincinnati by officers of the army. Nov. 2. Washington's farewell address to the army. Dec. 23. Washington resigned his commission. 1788. 1786. Insurrection in Massachusetts and in New Hampshire, springing from the financial complications of the states. 1787, Jan.-Feb. The insurgents in Massachusetts, numbering about 1,100, under Daniel Shays, met the troops of the state under general Shepherd, but were dispersed by the mere sight of artillery. Three men were killed (Shays' Rebellion). The restricted powers of the congress approving themselves totally insufficient for the proper government of the country (failure to establish a revenue by an impost tax; infraction of treaties by the states), Virginia proposed a convention for forming a better Constitution (1786). The recommendation meeting with favor, after much delay 1787, May 25. Delegates from seven states met in convention at Philadelphia, and elected Washington president. Delegates from other states came in, until all were represented except Rhode Island. The debates were long and warm, and more than one compromise (tacit recognition of slavery ; equal representation of all states in the senate; in the house representation according to population) was necessary before the delegates Sept. 17. Signed the Constitution of the United States, which was forthwith laid before the separate states. 1787. Ordinance for the government of the territory northJuly 13. west of the Ohio, which was ceded, or to be ceded, to the United States by the states, and bought of the Indians. Slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for crime were forbidden within this region. 1788, Sept. 13. All the states except Rhode Island and North Carolina having accepted the Constitution, congress appointed days for elections under the same. 1702-1714. § 8. GREAT BRITAIN. Anne, second daughter of James II., wife of Prince George of Denmark. Toward the close of her reign the queen was under the influence of the Whigs (John Churchill, duke of Marlborough and his wife). 1702, May 4. War declared upon France by the grand alliance, including England. For the war (of the Spanish Succession) see p. 390. Marlborough was captain-general of all the land forces; Godolphin, lord high treasurer; Nottingham, secretary of state. Halifax and Somers not in the privy council. Sixth Parliament of William III. dissolved. July 2. The campaign of this year resulted in the capture of Venloo and Liège and the loss of the lower Rhine to France. Sir George Rooke failed to take Cadiz, but seized a number of treasure ships at Vigo Bay (Oct.). 1702, Oct. 20-1705, March 14. First parliament of Anne.1 Dec. 1703. Harley speaker of the house of commons. Marlborough made a duke. Bill to prevent occasional conformity passed by the commons but rejected by the lords (High church and Low church). Severe laws in Ireland against Irish Catholics. 1 The dates are those of the actual meeting and separation of the parliaments, not of the proclamations summoning and dissolving them. 1703. Methuen treaty between England and Portugal. England agreed to admit the heavy wines of Portugal at one third lower rate than the light French wines, while Portugal promised to import all her woolens from England. Sept. Archduke Charles assumed the title of Charles III. of Spain. Nov. Establishment of Queen Anne's Bounty; a grant of the first fruits and tithes which Henry VIII. had confiscated for the crown, in trust for increasing the income of small benefices. In this campaign (1703) Marlborough took Bonn and Huy, Limburg and Guelders. 1704, Mar. Case of Ashby and White (right of electors to vote). July 24. Gibraltar taken by Sir George Rooke and Sir Cloudesley Shovel. Aug. 13. Victory of Blenheim or Höchstadt (p. 392). Naval victory off Malaga over the French. Attempt to pass the occasional conformity bill by tacking it to a money bill (tackers). The scheme was defeated in the com mons. 1705, Oct. 4. Capture of Barcelona by Charles Mordaunt, lord Peterborough. 1705, Oct. 25-1708, Apr. 1. Second Parliament of Anne. Whigs in majority. 1706. May 23. Ramillies; conquest of Brabant (p. 392); Turin, Sept. 7; conquest of Italy (p. 392). The allies in Madrid. 1707, Apr. 25. Battle of Almanza; defeat of the allies by the duke of Berwick. Spain lost to the allies. 1707, May 1. Union of England and Scotland under the name of Great Britain went into effect. This measure, which was made necessary by the omission of Scotland from the act of settlement, provided: 1. that Sophia, princess of Hanover and her Protestant heirs should succeed to the crown of the united kingdom. 2. There should be one parliament, to which Scotland should send sixteen elective peers and forty-five members of the commons. No more peers of Scotland to be created. Scotch law and legal administration to be unchanged; the Episcopal church in England and Presbyterian in Scotland to be unchanged. Adoption of the Union Jack (Crosses of St. George and St. Andrew) as the national flag of Great Britain. 1707, Oct. 23. First Parliament of Great Britain.1 The influence of Marlborough and his wife had been gradually weakened by Harley and by the influence of the queen's new favorite, Abigail Hill, now Mrs. Masham. Marlborough, however, was still so strong that a hint at resignation secured the dismissal of Harley and St. John from the cabinet, and the substitution of Boyle and Robert Walpole (secretary-at-war). Last Royal veto. 1 Not a new parliament, but the second parliament of Anne revived by proclamation. Henceforward parliaments are numbered without regard to reigns, but here the distinction is retained. The number as a parliament of Great Britain is indicated by a Roman numeral in parenthesis. 1708, March. James Edward (Chevalier de St. George; the Old Pretender) landed in Scotland. A French fleet sent to assist him was repulsed by Admiral Byng, and the Pretender soon returned to France. July 11. Battle of Oudenarde (p. 392). 1708, Nov. 16-1710, Apr. 5. Third Parliament of Anne (II.). Whig majority. Somers president of the council. Leaders of the whigs (Junto): Somers, Halifax, Wharton, Oxford, Sunderland. 1709, Sept. 11. Battle of Malplaquet (p. 393). Oct. Townshend's barrier treaty. Copyright act. 1710, Feb.-Mar. Trial of Dr. Sacheverell for preaching sermons of an ultra Tory cast. He was convicted and thereby secured great popularity in the kingdom. Harley chancellor of exchequer. St. John, secretary of state. Sept. Charles III. in Madrid driven out by Vendôme. 1710, Nov. 25-1713, July 16. Fourth Parliament of Anne (III.). Tory majority. Dismissal of Godolphin; resignation of all the Whig ministers. South Sea Company established. 1711. Mrs. Masham superseded the duchess of Marlborough as keeper of the privy purse. The duke retained his office. Attempted assassination of Harley by the marquis of Guiscard. Harley created earl of Oxford and Mortimer and lord high treasurer. Sept. 13. Marlborough captured the fortress of Bouchain. Passage of the occasional conformity bill. Marlborough, who had returned to England, was accused of peculation (Nov.) and dismissed from all his offices. Earl of Ormond, commander-in-chief. Dec. 30. Qualification act (repealed 1866). 1712. Creation of twelve Tory peers to secure a majority in the lords. July. Henry St. John created viscount Bolingbroke. 1713. Apr. 11. Peace of Utrecht (p. 393). Articles affecting Great Britain. Great Britain and France: Renunciation of the Pretender; recognition of the Protestant succession in Great Britain; crowns of France and Spain not to be united under one head; fortifications of Dunkirk to be leveled and its harbor filled up; cession of Hudson's Bay and strait, Nova Scotia (Acadia), Newfoundland, St. Christopher to England; Great Britain and Spain, cession of Gibraltar and Minorca to England; grant of the Assiento (el pacto de el assiento de nigros), or contract for supplying slaves to Spanish America, to the subjects of Great Britian for thirty years (Royal African Company). 1714, Feb. 16-1714, Aug. 25. Fifth Parliament of Anne (IV.). 1714, May 28. Death of princess Sophia of Hanover. Schism act. July 27. Duke of Oxford dismissed, and succeeded as lord high treasurer by the earl of Shrewsbury (Talbot). Aug. 1. Death of Anne. Alexander Pope, 1688-1744; Jonathan Swift, 1667-1745; Daniel Defoe, 1661 ?-1731; Joseph Addison, 1672–1719; Sir Richard Steele, 1671-1729. Periodical literature; Tatler, 1709, Apr. 12-1711, Jan. 2; Spectator, 1711, Mar. 1-1714, Dec. 20. 1714-x. House of Hanover or Brunswick. None of Anne's seventeen children having survived her, the crown, according to the act of succession, descended to the protestant house of Hanover, the catholic line of the Stuarts being excluded. 1714, Sept. 18. The king landed in England. George I. favored the Whigs in the formation of the first government; Lord Townshend sec. of state; Shrewsbury resigned, and Halifax was made first lord of the treasury (Shrewsbury was the last lord high treasurer) ; Sunderland lord lieutenant of Ireland; lord Cowper chancellor ; earl of Nottingham president of the council; Marlborough commander-in-chief. |