I shut off the harbors that were bringing in supplies and it's a political battle too because if you take the biggest city then you strike more fear and often win.
What do you need help with?
is steam engine one of the options?
I think the most important event was when the pilgrims came to the Americas. Although they came there to escape persecution, they were the first to start a colony and life there. Once that colonization started, many other European also wanted to come to the Americas to find more freedom and escape persecution.