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The French and Indian War Begins
The French and Indian war started because of tesion building in the new North American lands. The British and the French were fighting over the land in the Ohio River Valley. Both nations had colonies set up there that they wanted to expand.England would end up winning the war and the land that came with it that would be part of the colonies.
http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/related/frin.htm -
Fort Ticonderoga
Fort Ticonderoga was built during the French and Indian War in upstate New York in 1754. The Franch used this Fort to strategically defend major trade routes in the region. When the British won the war the for would play a major role later in the American Revolution.
http://www.fortticonderoga.org/learn/educators -
Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris was a treaty signed by Great Britain, France, Spain, and Portugal in agreement of the reprocussions of the French and Indian War. The treaty would be the formal end to the war and set Englands now land boundaries. The Britich were now in control of all of the French lands and parts of Canada. The British people were not permitted to settle on these lands under order of the king.
http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=true&doc=6 -
Royal Proclamation
The Royal Proclimation of 1763 was written by King George III about the newly conquered land from the war. The proclamation did not allow British colonists to settle west of the Appalachian Mountains. The colonists were angered by this and it would cause some problems in the future.
http://www.ushistory.org/us/9a.asp -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was a colonial outlash against British rule and the taxes. The tea came on three different boats and men dressed as indians boarded the ships. The men began throwing the tea overboard, destroying it and costing the king lots of money. It was one of the first acts of resistance of the Amreican Revolution. -
Sugar Act
The Sugar Act was one of the ways the British government tried to gain more money crom the colonists in North America. The colonists got angry at this and it caused the price of goods to go up. The anger would just be fuel to the fire that would become the American Revolution.
http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/related/sugaract.htm -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was a new tax that Britain added to its colonies in North America. It added a paper tax to all purchases made in the colonies that would go to the British government and the king. The colonists began to resist the stamps harshly. They began to protest and would brutally attack the tax collectors.
http://www.history.org/history/teaching/tchcrsta.cfm -
Stamp Act Congress
The Stamp Act Congress was the first congress in the colonies. It was a meeting that lasted 18 days to figure out how they were going to protest the newly implemented British taxes. They claimed that the British Parliment had no right to tax the colonies without representation. They began to make petitions to the government.
http://www.ushistory.org/us/10a.asp -
Patrick Henry "Give Me Liberty"
Patrick Henry would become a famous public speaker during the independance movement in the colonies. He was famous for his "Give me liberty, or give me death!" quote. This quote gained popularity in the colonies and because of that he would become know as the most influential person of the independance movements.
http://www.history.org/almanack/people/bios/biohen.cfm -
Townshend Acts
Townshend Acts were put in place by British Parliment to tax impoted goods in the colonies. It was put on products like paper, lead, paint, and tea. This was another blow to the happiness of the colonists and angered them even more. They became much more violent and wanted to get away from British control very urgently.
http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/related/townshend.htm -
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre was an event that happened in Boston in 1770 that resulted in the deaths of 5 civilian men. The men were angry and began taunting the British solders that were in town. Tensions between the two groups rose to a hight and they soldiers ended up fireing into the crowd. This event would be the one that would set the colonists off enough to be free form British rule.
http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/related/massacre.htm -
First Continental Congress
The First COntinental Congress was a meeting between delagates of 12 of the colonies to talk about future plans. They wanted to send a message to King George III about how they disagree with whats going on in the colonies. They want to be seperate and they want England to know about it.
http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/related/congress.htm -
Paul Revere's Ride
On the night of April 18, 1775 Paul Revere, along with others, rode to lexington to warn the army of how the Red Coats were arriving. Beacuse of him, the colonists were ready in time to defend their weapons. THis would break into the first battle of the Revolutionary War.
http://poetry.eserver.org/paul-revere.html -
Battle of Lexington and Concord
This battle was the first battle of the Revolutionary War. It has been greatly debated as too who fired the first shot and both sides claim it was the other. The English were on their way to break into a weapon vault but Paul Revere warned the people of it and they were ready to defend it.
http://www.history.com/topics/battles-of-lexington-and-concord -
Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress met in Philadelpia to further duscuss there independance efforts. They came up with the ideas for The Declaration of Independance and for the Continental Army to fight England. This was the final meeting that would push the colonists to freedom.
http://www.ushistory.org/us/10e.asp -
Battle of Bunker Hill
The battle of Bunker HIll was one of the first battles in the war and resulted in a colonist loss. ALthough they lost the Red Coats lost many soldiers and this would play a role in future battles. This battle was big for the colonists because it provided a positive outlook on the war to come.
http://www.history.com/topics/battle-of-bunker-hill -
"Common Sense" Published
"Common Sense" was a pamphlet written by Thomas Paine about the events going on the the colonies. He was greatly sided with becoming independant from Great Britain and his pamphlet spread his ideras around the colonies like wildfire. "Common Sense" played a huge role in the revolution because it turned so many people against England.
http://www.ushistory.org/paine/commonsense/ -
British Evacuate Boston
On March 17 George Washington and his troops forced the Red Coats out of Boston, Ma. It was achieved using the cannons captured at Fort Ticonderoga which were fired at the Red Coats until they left. This day will forever be known as Evacuation Day in Boston.
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-british-evacuate-boston -
Declaration of Independance
In July of 1776 the United States Declaration of Independance was released. The Americans and the British were still hard at war and on the 4th of July they officially became seperated fromEnglish rule.
http://www.history.com/topics/declaration-of-independence -
"The Crisis" Pubished
In December of 1776 Thomas Paine published "The Chrisis" to encourage all of the AMericans to continue the fight for freedom against English rule. This pamphlet became famous for keeping the war going.
http://www.ushistory.org/paine/crisis/c-01.htm -
Washington Captures Trenton
Washington successfully captures Trenton from the Red Coats on January 2, 1777. He and 500 men approached the Red Coats by boat and took 900 captive. Amazingly only 4 Americans were injured in the battle. This kept the Americans morlas high and they would push on with the Revolution.
http://www.hobart.k12.in.us/gemedia/amrev/revwar/trenton.htm -
Benedict Arnold Plan Found Out
Arnold felt angry at the Americans for not honoring him and began to turn to the British. He planned on helping the Red Coats capture a for at West Point NY but the Amreicans found out and he fled to England. He became known as the greatest traitor.
http://www.ushistory.org/valleyforge/served/arnold.html -
Battle at Saratoga
After weeks of fighting in Saratoga the colonists defeated Johnny Burgoyne. THis became known as the point in which the Americans took the lead in the war. Later, the French would team with the colonists in the war.
http://www.ushistory.org/us/11g.asp -
Winter at Valley Forge
George Washington moved 11 thousand of his troops into Valley Forge in the winter of 1778. There they rested for the winter to prepare for the future fighting. Although 2500 troops would die by the end their morals were still high to win the war.
http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/battleswars16011800/p/valleyforge.htm -
Cornwallis Surrenders
Cornwallis was forced to surrender in October of 1781 because he and his troops were surrounded by the French and the Americans. This would be the end of the Revolutionary War!
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/cornwallis-surrenders-at-yorktown