American Revolution

French and Indian War ends

Feb 10, 1763

The Treaty of Paris of 1763 ended the French and Indian War/Seven Years' War between Great Britain and France, as well as their respective allies. In the terms of the treaty, France gave up all its territories in mainland North America, effectively ending any foreign military threat to the British colonies there.

Navigation Acts

Sep 1, 1763

The Acts increased colonial revenue by taxing the goods going to and from British colonies. The Navigation Acts were one of the direct economic causes of the American Revolution.

Stamp Act

Mar 22, 1765

Britain needed money because they were in debt from the war so they taxed the colonists. The colonists boycotted British goods. They also organized the Sons of Liberty and the Daughters of Liberty.

Boston Massacre

Mar 5, 1770

Colonists were still angry about previous events, particularly the Quartering Act. Relations were poor between the soldiers and colonists. So Colonists started throwing snowballs at the soldiers and called them names. Shots were fired and five colonists were killed.

Tea Act

May 10, 1773

The colonists boycott against British goods because they had hurt their trade, so the British repealed the Townshend Acts after the Boston Massacre. Parliament only kept the tea tax. The Sons of Liberty organized a protest against the Tea Act known as the Boston Tea Party.

Boston Tea Party

Dec 16, 1773

The colonists didn't want taxed tea so the Sons of Liberty dressed up as Indians and dumped all the tea of three ships when they brought a new supply to the colonists.

Coercive/Intolerable Acts

Mar 31, 1774

Spread American rebellion and led to the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War in April 1775.

First Continental Congress

Sep 5, 1774

The king was mad about the Boston Tea Party and wanted to punish the colonists so the First Continental Congress met.

Lexington and Concord

Apr 19, 1775

Start of the American war for independence, persuaded many Americans to take up arms and support the cause of independence.

Second Continental Congress

May 5, 1775

Britain's refused to sufficiently repeal the Intolerable Acts, so the Congress declared independence from Great Britain.

Declaration of Independence Adopted

Jul 4, 1776

Britain was taxing and mistreating the colonies so the colonists fought Britain in the Revolutionary War to gain independence.

Battle of Saratoga

Sep 19, 1777

The Battle of Saratoga was a turning point in the Revolutionary War as it lifted patriot morale, furthered the hope for independence, and helped to secure the foreign support needed to win the war. A big win for Americans.

Winter at Valley Forge

Dec 19, 1777

George Washington led his 12,000-man army into winter quarters at Valley Forge, they remained there for six months, from December 19, 1777 to June 19, 1778. At Valley Forge, the Continentals struggled to manage a disastrous supply crisis while reorganizing their units. About 1,700 to 2,000 soldiers died from disease.

Battle of Yorktown

Sep 28, 1781

Siege of Yorktown that entrapped a major British army on a peninsula at Yorktown, Virginia, and forced its surrender. The siege virtually ended military operations in the American Revolution.

U.S. Constitution written

Sep 17, 1787

The United States Constitution was written to protect citizens and also the states. It ensures rights, prevents the federal government from disobeying these rights, and creates laws.

U.S. Constitution adopted

Mar 9, 1789

States could and did ignore laws passed by the Congress created by the Articles of Confederation so they came up with the constitution.