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Treaty of Paris
The French & Indian War (Seven Years War) comes to an end as France surrenders. Along with the victory, British accumulated a large debt. In order to help pay its expenses, it decided to have the American Colonies pay their part for the war. -
Period: to
1763-1776
Events from the Treaty of Paris (1763) to the Declaration of Independence that influenced the 13 Colonies to Rebel. -
Proclamation Act
The Crown did not want the American Colonies to cause trouble in the territory it had acquired from the French. As a precaution, it called the land West of the Appalachian Mountains off-limits to colonists. Many colonists were upset because they felt that they had played an important part in the French & Indian War and were entitled to the spoils. -
Sugar Act
In an effort to reduce French & West Indies goods in the Colonies, the Crown lowered taxes on British goods. This act also increased the presence of the British Navy in an effort to reduce piracy. -
Stamp Act
The Crown puts a tax on all papers that are used for legal purposes. Colonists were outraged and the people in charge of collecting the tax were too afraid of the colonists to enforce it. -
Declaratory Act
Because of strong colonial opposititon, the Crown decides to remove the Stamp Act. However, it reminds colonists that the Cown has the power to levy taxes whenever it wants. -
Townshend Duties
Up to this point, all taxes placed on the Colonies were to help increase British revenue. The Townshend Duties placed taxes on imports, but they went to the Governors' salaries. This did not sit well with the colonists. -
Boston Massacre
On this day, the Townshend Duties are repealed and the Boston Massacre takes place. In the Boston Massacre, British soldiers fired at unarmed colonists and killed eight of them. Nobody knows for sure what events led the soldiers to fire on the civilians, but colonists were outraged at what the British Regulars did. -
Tea Act
This act raised no new taxes. However, it was meant to help out the East India Company, which was in a financial mess. The Company had a lot of tea left over and needed a place to sell it. Acting with the Company's fate in mind, it allowed it to sell its surplus tea in the Colonies for low prices. Colonists were mad because the lower price hurt their own economies. -
Boston Tea Party
Even before this event, Colonists had already refused shipments of the Company's tea to dock at the harbors. In this particular case, Colonists dressed up as Indians and boarded a British vessel and threw hundreds of chests into the harbor, resulting in a big financial loss for the East India Company. -
Intolerable Acts
In response to the Boston Tea Party, the Crown passed a series of laws:
-Boson Harbor would be closed
-Court cases dealing with British soldiers would take place in Britain
-Massachusetts would be placed under Military Rule. -
First Continental Congress
12 out of the 13 Colonies meet to discuss the Intolerable Acts and to make sure that the Crown understood how they felt about the new laws. They pledged to meet in 1775 if their needs were not met. -
Lexington & Concord
British Regulars and Minutemen exchange fire at the two cities after the British discovered that the Colonists were storing ammunition. No one knows who fired the first shot. This was seen as the point of no return. -
Second Continental Congress
The Colonies met again and sent an Olive Branch Petition to the King, asking for peace. King George refused it and declrared the Colonies in a state of rebellion. In response, the Congress created a Continental Army and asked Thomas Jefferson to draft a document declaring their independence. -
Common Sense (Published)
In this book to this fellow Colonists, Thomas Paine called for independence from Great Britain. What made it popular was the fact that it spoke in plain language, so that everyone could understand it. -
Declaration of Independence
Thomas Jefferson writes an inspiring document that summarizes the feelings of the Colonies toward the King. It also lists the reasons for which they declare their sovereignty.
