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Treaty of Paris - 1763
The Treaty of Paris ends the French and Indian War. The British take control over the Ohio River Valley. -
Sugar Act
The Sugar Act was the first law ever passed by Prime Minister George Grenville to tax revenue in the colonies for the crown, causing many bitter protests. -
Stamp Tax
The Stamp Tax put taxes on every document or newspaper that was printed in the colonies, such as, playing cards, pamphlets, diplomas, bills of lading, marriage licenses, and more. -
Quartering Act
This law required citizens of certain colonies to supply the British troops with food and housing. This once again renewed the anger of the colonists. -
Stamp Act Congress
The Stamp Act Congress met in New York City, where twenty-seven delegates stated the rights and grievances of the colonists, but this was ignored in England. The Stamp Act Congress was one of the first steps toward intercolonial unity. -
Declaratory Act
After the Parliament repealed the Stamp Act, they passed the Declaratory Act. This allowed the Parliament the right “to bind” colonies, angering the colonists even more. -
Townshend Acts
Charles Townshend convinced the Parliament to pass the Townshend Acts. It taxed goods on goods imported to the Americas like, glass, paper, paint, and tea. -
Boston Massacre
When a crowd of colonists began to taunt and throw snowballs at the British soldiers, shots were soon fired. The redcoats killed or wounded eleven citizens. The soldiers were taken to court, with a defense attorney of John Adams, and two were found guilty of manslaughter. -
Boston Tea Party
The Sons of Liberty, disguised as Indians, snuck onto docked ships in the Boston Harbor. On these ships were hundreds of chests of tea, that they smashed open and dumped into the Atlantic, to show their rebellion. -
Intolerable Acts
In response to the Boston Tea Party, the Parliament passed multiple acts to punish Massachusetts, Boston in particular. One of the main ones was the Boston Port Act, where they closed the port until all the damages were paid off. The Parliament also placed restrictions on town meetings, Colonists were now sent to Britain for trial, and a new Quartering Act gave local authorities power to lodge soldiers anywhere. -
First Continental Congress
The First Continental Congress was was a meeting Philadelphia where 12 of the 13 colonies joined together to deliberate and redressing grievances. They drew up a Declaration of Rights, as well as appeals to other colonies. -
Battles of Lexington and Concord
The British commander in Boston sent troops to Lexington and Concord to seize stores of gunpowder and to also capture Samuel Adams and John Hancock. At Lexington, shots were fired killing 8 Americans and wounding others. British troops soon moved on to Concord, where they suffered heavily. -
Second Continental Congress
At the Second Continental Congress, they selected George Washington to lead the army in Boston. They also drafted appeals to the British people and King. The delegates also found ways to raise money and to create and army and a navy. -
Bunker Hill
At the Battle of Bunker Hill, the colonists seized a hill, the British came at them with 3,000 men. The colonists were forced to retreat. Despite the loss, the colonists gained a great amount of confidence because of the fatalities caused. -
Publishing of Common Sense
Common Sense, written by Thomas Paine, was pamphlet that advocated independence from Great Britain. He used moral and political arguments to encourage other colonists to fight for their independence. -
Declaration of Independence
After Richard Henry Lee’s informal version of the Declaration of Independence, the congress appointed someone to write a more formal version, appointing Thomas Jefferson. The document reveals the reasons the United States was founded and why it is separating from Great Britain. -
Battle of Trenton
Washington and and troops slowly crossed the Delaware River on a cold, cold night. The Hessians were surprised and 1,000 of them were captured. A week later, Washington defeated a small British detachment at Princeton. These victories were “life-saving”. -
Battle of Saratoga
The Battle of Saratoga included two very important battles that were fought 18 days apart. Burgoyne was trapped at Saratoga, unable to advance or retreat, because of the armies on both sides of him. The victory was a crucial turning point in the Revolutionary War. -
Siege of Yorktown
British General Cornwallis was falling into a trap. As he fell back to the Chesapeake Bay at Yorktown he awaited supplies and reinforcements. Cornwallis assumed Britain still controlled the seas, but at this moment British naval superiority slipped away. Washington and his troops, plus the French blocking the sea, marched 300 miles and Cornwallis soon surrendered. -
Treaty of Paris, 1783
The Treaty of Paris was signed by U.S. and Great Britain representatives, ending the Revolutionary War, and giving the U.S. independence. Britain granted generous boundaries to Mississippi, Great Lakes, and to Spanish Florida.
