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The French and Indian War
The French and Indian War was a series of battles that led to the Colonies fighting against the French colonies. After the war, Britain was in severe debt because they spent so much money on the war. This led to all of the taxes in the Colonies. -
The Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was an act initiated by the British in order to make money after the French and Indian war. The Colonists, however, were infuriated and fought against it every chance they got. -
The Declaratory Act
The Declaratory Act was an act passed by British Parliament stating that the British Government had complete control over the Colonists and their laws. -
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre was something that happened because of the Colonists' fury at the British for taxing them. They lashed out at British soldiers by throwing rocks and snowballs at them. Shots rang out and five Colonists were killed. -
Boston Tea Party
Outraged with the British acts, the Sons of Liberty decided to fight back in the best way they knew how. They boarded British ships in Boston and dumped all the tea into the harbor. -
The First Continental Congress
The First Continental Congress was the first time the Colonies came together to discuss fighting against Great Britain for some kind of freedom. -
Minutemen
Before the Second Continental Congress and the forming of the Continental Army, the minutemen were the only men fighting for their rights against the British. -
The Intolerable Acts
The Intolerable Acts were put into place to punish the Colonists for the Boston Tea Party and further enraged the American people. -
George Washington
George Washington was appointed the leader of the Continental Army and led the soldiers fighting in the Revolutionary War. -
Paul Revere
This guy didn't do much, but he did inform the minutemen that the British were launching their attack against the Colonies. -
The Battle of Lexington and Concord
This battle was where the Revolutionary War started, the Revolutionary War was the war where the U.S. fought for freedom against Great Britain. -
The Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress was where they created the Continental Army and appointed George Washington as their leader. -
The Battle of Bunker Hill
The Battle of Bunker Hill was a battle that the Colonies lost, but it resulted in many British casualties, raising the U.S. army's morale. -
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson essentially wrote the Declaration of Independence. He had a few editors and four other people assigned to come up with a document announcing American freedom, but he was the one who wrote the majority of what the Declaration is today. -
The Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was a document written to encourage the Colonies splitting with Great Britain to become their own nation. This was the first time the Colonies determined that they wanted to be free. -
John Hancock
At the signing of the Declaration of Independence, everyone was a little antsy, but John Hancock took the first step toward American freedom and was the first to sign the Declaration. -
Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold was one of the leading Generals during the Battle of Saratoga. He was also shot in the left leg and had a limp for the rest of his life. -
The Battle of Saratoga
This battle is known as the "Turning Point" of the war because the Colonies won. -
French Alliance
At some point during the Revolutionary War, the French decided to create an alliance with the Colonies and helped them fight the war. This made it easier for the Continental Army to prevail. -
Battle of Yorktown
The Siege of Yorktown was the battle that led to the Americans winning the war. There, the British General Cornwallis was forced to surrender to the Colonists, two years later America's freedom was official.