-
French and Indian War
There were great tensions between France and Britain on the Ohio River valley. French built Fort Duquesne in the region knowing the fact that 200,000 acres belonged to a group of wealthy planters. In response, a Virginian governer sent militia to evict the French -
Proclamation of 1763
To avoid further expensive conflicts with Native Americans, the British government established a Proclamation line along the Applachians, which the colonists were not allowed to cross. -
Sugar Act
It halved the duty on foreign-made molasses in the hopes that colonists would pay a lower tax rather risk arrest by smuggling, placed duties on imports that had not been taxed before, and it provided that colonists accused of violating the act would be tried in a vice-admiralty court rather than a colonial court. -
Stamp Act
This act imposed a tax on documents and printed items such as wills, newspapers, and playing cards. Stamps would be placed on items to prove you've paid tax. -
Sons of Liberty is formed
Boston shop keepers, artisans, and laborers organized this secret resistance group to defy the the Stamp Act -
Townshed Acts
This act taxed goods that were imported into the colony from Britain, such as lead, glass, paint, paper, and tea (most popular drink) -
Boston Massacre
Mobs gathered around the Boston Customs House and attacked the British guards. Five colonists including Crispus Attuck were wouned or killed -
Tea Act
Imposed tax on tea. Sell tea free of the taxes that the colonial tea sellers had to pay. -
Boston Tea Party
A huge group of Boston rebels disguised themselves as Native Americans and proceeded to take action against three British tea ships anchored in the harbor. The Indian dumped 18K pounds of East India Company's Tea into the waters of Boston harbor -
Intolerable Acts
Parliment responded to this act after King George III pressed Parliament. It shut down the Boston harbor -
Battles of Lexington and Concord
On April 18, 1775, Paul Revere, William Dawes, and Samuel Pescott rode out to spread the word that 700 british redcoats were headed for concord. As the redcoats reached Lexington, Massachusetts, five miles short of Concord, the British commander ordered the minutemen to lay low. But someone fired a shot. Eight minutemen were killed and ten were wounded while one redcoat was wounded. Battle of Lexington lasted 15 mins. British reached Concord and found empty arsenal. Many british men were killed. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
Thomas Gage sent 2,400 British soldiers up the Breed's Hill and ordered them to fire until the last minute. Colonists losts 450 men while the British lost over 1,000. -
Olive Branch Petition
Most delegates like colonists, felt deep loyalty to George III and blamed the bloodshed on king's ministers. -
First Continental Congress meets
Civillian soldiers who pledged to be reardy to fight against the British on a minute's notice, quietky stocked guns and gunpowder -
Second Continental Congress
The call for independence while othere argued reconciliation with Great Britain. Although the the differences were recognized the congress agreed to appoint George Washington as its commander. -
Declaration of Independence
Jefferson's document declared the rights of "life, liberty, and the persuit of happiness" to be "unalienable" rights, ones that cannot be taken away. -
Publication of Common Sense
A 50 paged phamplet explaining that independence would allow America to trade more freely. Also would give American Colonists the chance to creat a better society- free from tyranny, with eual social and economic oppurtunities for all -
Early British Victories
In the summer of 1776 some 32,000 British soldiers sailed into the New York harbor.They had strong well trained army and navy, Strong central Government with available funds. Washington led 2,400 men in small rowboats across the Delaware River. They marched to Trenton, New Jersey and defeated garrison of Hessions in a surprise attack. -
Friedrich von Steuben and Marquis de Lafayette
Steuben helped train the continetal army whie Lafayette lobbied France for French reinforcements in 1779 and led command in Virginia in the last years of the war. -
Early Continetal Army Victories
The continental army gathered all over from New York and New England. Suppor of conlinal loyalists and native americans -
Saratoga
American troop finally surrounded Burgoyne at Saratoga, where he sureendered on October 17, 1777. This bolstered France's belief that Americans could win the war -
Valley Forge
More than 2,000 soldiers died due to low food and supplies in Valley Forge, Pennnsylvania. -
British Victories in the South
Henry Clinton and Charles Cornwallis captured Charles Town, South Carolina, in May 1780. Clinton went to New York while Cornwallis tried to conquer the South. Cornwallis sent his army of 7,500 men between James and Yorkt rivers and camped at Yorktown. -
British Surrender at Yorktown
Shortly after learning Cornwallis's actions, the armies of Lafayetter and Washington moves south toward Yorktown. By late September 17,000 French and AMerican troops surrounded the British on Yorktown peninsula and began bombarding them. Cornwallis finally surrendered in October 19, 1781 -
Treaty of Paris
This treaty confirmed U.S. independence and set the boundaries of the new nation. The U.S. now stretched from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi River and from Canada to the Florida border
