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The Stamp Act
Put a tax on all paper goods -
The Boston Massacre
a group of nine British soldiers shot five people out of a crowd of three or four hundred who were abusing them verbally and throwing various missiles. -
Battle of Lexington and Concord
were the first military engagements of the American Revolutionary War. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
the British defeated the Americans. Despite their loss, the inexperienced colonial forces inflicted significant casualties against the enemy, and the battle provided them with an important confidence boost during the Siege of Boston. -
Thomas Paine's Common Sense
an important role in both the American and French Revolutions. In 1774, he emigrated to America where, for a time, he helped to edit the Pennsylvania Magazine. -
Moores Creek: Loyalists Defeated
American forces defeated the British. The victory ended British authority in North Carolina and provided an important boost to Patriot morale -
South Carolinians Repel British Attempt to Take Charleston
A small American Patriot force defending Charleston under the overall command of Major General Charles Lee successfully repelled a combined British assault force of 2,900 soldiers and seamen under Major General Sir Henry Clinton and Commodore Peter Parker -
America Declares Its Independence
Congress voted to declare independence. Two days later, it ratified the text of the Declaration. John Dunlap, the official printer to Congress, worked through the night to set the Declaration in type and print approximately 200 copies. -
Declaration of Independence
The United States Declaration of Independence, formally The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America -
George Washington Crosses the Delaware River
In a bold move, Washington moves his troops into New Jersey on Christmas night. The patriots then surprise a force of German troops fighting for Britain at Trenton on December 26. They achieve a similar victory over British troops at Princeton on January 3, reviving hopes that the war just might be winnable. The army then encamps for the winter at Morristown, New Jersey. -
Winter of Change for the Continental Army
With the British occupying Philadelphia just 20 miles away, the Continental Army enters winter quarters at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. During the winter, supply arrangements will be improved and the Continental troops will be drilled and emerge as a more disciplined, unified fighting force. -
George Rogers Clark Attacks the British in Ohio Country
With barely 150 men, Virginian George Rogers Clark captures several British posts in the Ohio Territory (present-day Illinois and Indiana) and convinces French-speaking inhabitants of Kaskaskia and Cahokia to support the patriot side. Although Indians will continue to oppose white settlement for three decades, Clark's exploits pave the way for the expansion of the U.S. north of the Ohio River. -
France Enters the War Against Britain
As a result of the patriot victory at Saratoga and American diplomatic efforts, France allied itself with the new American government. French financial and military aid will prove critical in winning the war. The Continental Army will learn of the French Alliance in May. -
Battle of Valley Forge
Valley Forge functioned as the third of eight winter encampments for the Continental Army's main body, commanded by General George Washington, during the American Revolutionary War. -
Kings Mountain Victory Revives Patriot Hopes
Patriot militia from the Carolinas, Virginia, and present-day Tennessee surround and defeat a force of loyalists under Major Patrick Ferguson at Kings Mountain, S.C. Indicating the deep divisions within America, Ferguson is the only British soldier on the field-Kings Mountain is truly a battle among Americans about their future. -
Battle of Cowpens: American Tide Continues
Continental soldiers and patriot militia under General Daniel Morgan defeat a British force under Banastre Tarleton at Cowpens. Coming on the heels of the victory at Kings Mountain, Cowpens helps convince worried patriots that the British southern strategy can be countered. -
Battle of Yorktown
The Battle of Yorktown proved to be the decisive engagement of the American Revolution. The British surrender forecasted the end of British rule in the colonies and the birth of a new nation -
Treaty of Paris Officially Ends the War
The Treaty of Paris ratifies the independence of the 13 North American states. Canada remains a British province, beginning its separate development as a U.S. neighbor. Another war with England (1812 - 1815) will be necessary to truly secure the American nation. -
American Victory Pushes Indians Farther West
The Treaty of Fort Stanwix imposes peace on those members of the Iroquois Confederacy that sided with the British in the Revolution. The war's aftermath will prove devastating to Native Americans. With no European allies to rely upon, Indian tribes will be under increasing pressure from settlers moving west out of the original 13 states. -
U.S. Constitution Replaces Articles of Confederation
A convention of states in Philadelphia proposes the Constitution to replace the much looser central government operating under the Articles of Confederation (adopted in 1777). With amendments, the Constitution remains the framework of government in the U.S.