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Stamp Act
This was Great Britain's first attempt to tax the colonists. This act required the colonists to pay for an official stamp, or seal when they bought paper items. -
Townshend Acts
The Townshend Act placed taxes on glass, lead, paints, paper, and tea. This made the colonists furious. -
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre happened because there were troops guarding the outside of the Customs House, and an angry mob aroused. The mob was made up of angry colonists throwing rocks and snowballs at the British soldiers. Eventually, the British got the command to fire and they ended up killing five colonists. To the townspeople this was the start of war. -
Tea Act
The Tea Act was a document stating that the colonists must buy tea from the East India Company, which was floundering in debt. This allowed the British to sell tea directly to the colonists. -
Boston Tea Party
The colonists were mad about all of the taxes King George III was putting on them. The one they were most angry about was the Tea Act which put a tax on tea. So one night about 200 angry colonists jumped aboard British cargo ships, and dumped tea over board into the Boston Harbor. This makes the British very mad and eventually this leads to the Intolerable Acts. -
Intolerable Acts
The Intolerable Acts were originally called the Coercive Acts. They made the Boston Harbor closed until Boston paid for the ruined tea. Along with that, they cancelled the Massachusetts charter and made the new governor General Thomas Gage. This angered colonists so they called them the Intolerable Acts. -
First Continental Congress
12 out of the 13 colonies sent delegates to Philadelphia's Carpenter's Hall. Here 55 appointed delegates met briefly after the passing of the Intolerable Acts. The Congress wanted to boycott British trade, publish a list of rights, and write a petition to King George. They also made what is called the Declaration of RIghts. -
Battle of Lexington and Concord
This little "battle" all started because British General Thomas Gage found out that the colonists were stocking guns and ammunition in the armoury at Concord. So troops under Gage's command marched down to Concord to find the weapons. Meanwhile, the colonists heard about this and hid most of their weapons. The British were unsuccessful and were chased back to Boston by the colonists. -
Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia and established a colonial militia to represent all 13 colonies. It was called the Continental Army. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
Despite the name, this battle actually took place at Breed's Hill in Charleston, Massachusetts. British suffered heavy losses but eventually gained control of Breed's Hill because the Americans ran out of ammunition. Even though the Americans were forced to retreat, they still thought of it as a small victory. -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was so important for American history. This document stated that the colonists were going to break away and create their own independent colonies. It was signed in Philadelphia, PA in what is now Independence Hall. -
Battle of New York
This battle enabled the British to gain control of a strategicly important city which basicly became their "main base." This also made General Howe happy because it's his revenge for one of his losses earlier in the war. -
Battle of Trenton
This was a smart move by General George Washington to sneak a surprise attack on the British on Christmas night. They snuck across the Delaware River and killed over 100 and captured 1,000 British soldiers. This was a major boost for the American troops. -
Battle of Brandywine Creek
This battle was located near Chadds Ford, PA. British General Howe wins and is able to capture Philadelphia. This is an important British battle because Philadelphia was like the colonies' capital. -
Battle of Saratoga
This battle is considered the turning point of the Revolutionary war. General Horation Gates made British General Burgoyne surrender thousands of his troops (the largest American capture in the Revolution). This battle also enabled Benjamin Franklin to gain the support of the French because they finally realized that the Americans could win the war. -
British capture Philadelphia
The British were smart in capturing this city because it is basicly the colonies' capital. That's where Congress met and signed the Declaration of Independence. This also makes some Americans lose hope. -
British capture Charleston
This was a big win for the British. Charleston was a major city for the colonies. It was actually one of the wealthiest. So when trying to seige this city, British General Henry Clinton didn't want to destroy it. He knew that they greatly outnumbered American General Ben Lincoln, and didn't think it would last that long. But Lincoln stretched it out long enough and finally surrendered. -
Battle of Yorktown
This was the last major battle of the revolution. In this batte, French navy ships helped Washington's army to corner the British at a point in which they could not escape. British General Cornwallis demanded for more troops, but they came to late. Cornwallis was forced to surrender. This was an important American victory. -
Treaty of Paris
This document was signed in Paris, France. It ended the Revolutionary War. Britain, France, Spain, and the Netherlands were all at the signing and recognized America as an independent country.
