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Stamp Act
Britain wanted to bring in more money than was being provided by the Sugar Act. The Stamp act was passed by Parliament and required stamps to be put on printed items. Items included things such as newspapers, magazines, posters, wills, deeds, licenses, diplomas, dice, mortgages, and playing cards. There was a total of fifty items taxed. This was the first direct tax Britian had ever placed on the colonists, who were furious. -
Protest of Stamp Act
The protest of the Stamp Act started November 1, 1765 when the Stamp Act was suppsoe to happen but instead the colonists ignored it. The colonists started to boycott not only stamps but all Bristish goods as well. In New York, merchants signed a nonimportation agreement. This action was pledging the refusal of buying any Bristish goof until parlament repealed the Stamp Act. -
Gaspee Affair
The Gaspee Affair was when Brian sent of ships to North America. This affair was hated by the colonsits becasue becasue the leader of the Gaspee would search any ship he wanted.
this truly got the colonists angry and about 150 furious colonists seiezed and burned the Gaspee ship itself. -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was an act by the colonist when thety decided to protest the tea tax. O nNovember 29, 1773 the colonist threw 342 caswes of Tea intop Boston Harbor. The British did not accept the rebilion of the tax and laid down a new set of rules known as the Coercive (Intolerable) Acts. -
Coercive Acts
Also known as the Intolerable Acts, the Coercive Acts consisted of four Acts in the spring of 1774. The Acts consisted of the Boston Port Act, the Massachusetts Government Act, the Administration of Justice Act, and the Quartering Act. When the Coercive Acts were implimented George III sent 2,000 British troops to New England to make sure the colonists were following the new acts. -
Quebec Act
The Quebec Act stated that a governor and council appointed by the King would work for Quebec in hopes of extending its boundries but also run Quebec. -
First Continental Congress
The First Continental Congress was a way for the Colonists of Massachusetts to meet and resist the Coercive Acts set upon them by the Bristish. THe Colonists tool this very seriously, they pladded to the king to revoke the Coercive Acts. THe Colonist were so upset the boycotted taxed good but also set a date for aother Congress to take place in 1773 because Brsitish held frim to their acts and even put troops in cities the colonists lived in. -
Committees of Correspondence Established
The Committes of Correspondence was created after Thomas Jefferson suggested so. The Committes of Correspondence was a way for the colonies to come together and communicate abotu the Bristish activitives. The Committes of Correspondence truly help shape public opinion and come together as a whole. -
Paul Rever's Ride
The British troops began to march toward Concord on April 18, 1775 to destroy hidden arms. Joseph Warren discovered that the troops were on the move and Paul Revere, William Dawes, and Dr. Samuel Prescott were sent to warn the colonists and ready the minutemen. All along the way Revere called out that the British were coming and prepare to fight. Dawes and Revere were stopped before reaching Concord by British patrol. Dr. Samuel Prescott warned Concord. -
Battles of Lexington and Concord
General Gage recieved orders to arrest the political leaders in Boston and destroy all arms stored in Concord. On the morning of April 19th, the troops reached Lexington where minutemen were prepared to fight. Warning the British not to trespass, a shot fired and both sides started to fire. The troops continued to Concord. They were met at Concord on the North Bridge by minutemen. As the British retreated, minutemen shot from behind stone walls and trees. 273 redcoats and 95 colonists died. -
Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia in May of 1775 when the redcoats were storming Boston again. They Congress discussed how the colonists could meet the threat of British troops, made Washington supreme commander, and how arms would be paid for during battle. The congress also appointed a committee to get help from foreign countries if the need ever arose. The Congress was now a governing body. -
George Washington Appointed General
George Washington was Appointed General after the Second Continental Congress met in May. He offered to do it without pay. Washington had a calm, determined mind and sense of true patriotism. He kept the Revolution from collapsing. He was a true leader who had fought for eight years in war. This made him experienced in war, which was the foundation to becoming a General. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
On June 17, 1775 the Brsitish came in with 2,600 soliders while the colonists only had about 1,600 men. This battle mainly took place because the American colonists wanted Boston but also felt the need to get the Bristsih back after loosing them in the balttle of Lexington and Concord. Unfortunately, for the colonist they lost, but on the bright side the land stayed under their own control and was not taken by the Bristish. -
Olive Branch Petition
The colonists tried to make an effort at peace by sending the Olive Branch Petition to King George III. The Olive Branch Petition was written by John Dickinson and proclaimed that the colonists were still loyal to the king. It asked the king to call off all hostilities of the British troops until they could work out a peacful agreement. -
Proclamation for Supressing Rebellion and Sedition
The Proclamation for Supressing Rebellion and Sedition was agaisnt any colonist who stood up agaisnt authority. Any colonist who stood up agaisnt authority was punished to aggersive measures. Also any Bristish subject who did not report rebellion was eqauly penalized. Overall, this document often turned those who seemed to be loyal, not adn into rebels. -
Common Sense Published
The Common Sense Published was written by Thomas Paine. THis document was along the lines of John Locke's natural rights and also truly stated the wanted independence from Britian. The Common Sense seemed to be a hit, thousands adn thousands of copies were being printed off and read by the colonist showigng how this truly was a sucess. Common Sense even prepared for what was put in the Declartion of Indpendence, truly having an impact on the American Revolution. -
British Evacuate Boston
Washington had an army of 14,000 men in 1776. They set up artillery in Dorchester Heights and Nook's Hill. This gave the colonists a high position of power of the British troops. General William Howe realized that he was in a bad position and decided to evacuate Boston. British Navy moved to Halifax, Canada with about 9,000 troops. -
Writing the Decration of Independence
In June of 1776 is when the Declaration of Independence was first drafted by Thomas Jefferson. It was then given to John Adams and Benjamin Franklin for revision before presented to Roger Sherman and Robert LIbingston. The original draft expressed Jefferson's opinion and disaproval. Franklin and Adams told Jefferson to take it out in fear that some colonists would support slavery, and therefore support the king. Many other changes were made before submitting the document to the printer. -
Decleration of Independence
After Common Sense was published, many colonists wanted independence from Britain. Thomas Jefferson had drafted the document that was issued by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. It stated that they were now the United States of America. The Declaration also stated that people had natural rights that should be protected by the government. It also states that they had full power to trade with countries, make war, and form alliances.
