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Stamp Act
An Act of the Parliament of Great Britain which forced a direct tax on the British colonies in America. They also required that many of the printed materials in the colonies be produced on stamp paper made in London. All printed materials were to be paid in British Currency and the purpose of the Stamp Act was to get the freedom and get money. This was very symmetrical because the British continued to tax the colonists. -
The Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre, known to the British as the incident on King Street in which British soldiers shot and killed several people while being harassed by a mob in Boston. It began as a street fight between colonists and a British soldier but quickly escalated paving the way for the American Revolution. -
Boston Tea Party
It was a political protest by The Sons of Liberty in Boston, Massachusetts. The target was the Tea Act because the Patriots strongly opposed the taxes in the Townshend Act as a violation of their rights. some dressed up as Indians and destroyed an entire shipment of tea. -
Lexington and Concord
These battles were the first military engagements of the American Revolutionary War. They marked the outburst of armed conflict between Great Britain and the Thirteen Colonies. The battle was won by Major Pitcairn who was with the British over Joseph Warren who was with the Colonists. -
Bunker (Breed's) Hill
The British defeated the Americans at the Battle of Bunker Hill in Massachusetts. When the Colonists occupied Breed's Hill, which is where most of the fighting occurred, the redcoats attempted to drive them off but failed until the third attempt where they finally succeeded because Colonists ran out of ammunition. Although the British won they had far more casualties than the colonists. -
Common Sense
A pamphlet written by Thomas Paine advocating independence from Great Britain to people in the Thirteen Colonies.Although little used today, pamphlets were an important medium for the spread of ideas in the 16th through 19th centuries. The whole point of the war for the colonists was to gain independence from the British. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/thomas-paine-publishes-common-sense -
Declaration of Independence
The pronouncement adopted by the second continental congress meeting. The declaration explained why the Thirteen Colonies at war with the Kingdom of Great Britain. With the declaration, the states were starting to form the United States of America. -
Battle at Trenton/ Princeton
After Washington crossed the at night to surprise a Hessian garrison which had been holding Trenton for the British. The battle of Princeton took place giving the colonials two victories over the British. The Battles of Trenton and Princeton were important because they confirmed American control of much of New Jersey. -
Battle of Saratoga
The two battles of Saratoga were a turning point in the American Revolution. This battle gave a crucial victory to the Americans over the British. The battle convinces the French to join the war on the American side. -
Continental Army Wintering at Valley Forge
The encampment at Valley Forge served as winter quarters for General George Washington's Continental Army. Washington chose a site on the west bank of the river so that way it could be effectively defended in the event of a British attack. -
War in the South/ Charleston
The battle of Charleston was a major British victory during the war. British began to shift there focus to the towards fighting in the southern colonies. This battle was resulting in one of the worst colonial defeats in the War. -
Battle of Yorktown
Yorktown battle was a final victory by a combined force of American Continental Army troops led by General George Washington and French Army troops. Colonists had their independence when the British General Charles Cornwallis surrendered his troops. Yorktown was the most important battle of the American Revolutionary war because the battle was the last major conflict of the war.
