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Proclamation of 1763
Britain wanted to stop white farmers from moving West, which would spark more conflicts between Native Americans and the settlers. The colonists responded with resentment and failure to comply, they felt that their growing population required more land. -
Sugar Act
British wanted to repay debt from 7 years war and thought the colonists should be taxed for the cost of the empire at a rate comparable to levels of taxation for those overseas. The Colonists in Boston experimented with boycotts because they believed that BR had no right to tax them without any representation in the Parliament. -
Currency Act
Britain passed it to protect merchants and creditors from being paid in depreciated currency. This resulted in smoldering resentment from the colonists because it limited the colonies from printing their own money. -
Stamp Act
The money collected by the Stamp Act was used to help pay the costs of defending and protecting the American frontier near the Appalachian Mountains. The colonists did not like the idea of getting taxed on every piece of printed paper they used so they responded with petitions, boycott and violence. Americans believed they had the same rights as the English, especially the right to be taxed by their own representatives only. -
Quartering Act
The Quartering Act was put into place to force the colonists to house the soldiers and pay for the army there. It was passed because the British didn’t want to have to pay to have an army in the colonies. This angered the colonists and led to them protesting in assemblies because they thought it was a form of tax and it wasn’t shared by all colonists. -
Repeal of Stamp Act and passage of Declaratory Act
The British wanted to end the colonial boycotts on the British merchants in the colonies. They passed the declaratory act to assert their power over the colonies. The colonists were happy about the repeal of the Stamp Act and they pretty much ignored the Declaratory Act. -
Townshend Acts
Parliament passed this act to give the officials in America more revenue to enforce British rule more efficiently. This angered the colonists and led to more boycotts. They thought that the act was just a way to get more money out of them. -
Tea Act
This purpose of this act was to save the British East India Company from going out of business. This led to the colonies boycotting the tea company and the Boston Tea Party as well. The colonists believed this act was meant to bribe them into giving up opposition to taxation. -
Coercive or “Intolerable” Acts
The purpose of these acts was to force Massachusetts to accept the taxes and to give up. These acts angered all the colonies and brought them closer together. This led to more boycotts and the convening of the First Continental Congress. -
Battle of Lexington and Concord
The colonists were holding weapons and the British went to get them. This battle led to Thomas Paine’s Common Sense, stating that it was common sense to break away from Britain. -
Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia Pennsylvania to make the decision about what to do for the war. The SCC made decisions towards fighting for independence and set up the colonies for war. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
The Battle of Bunker Hill took place in Boston. Although the British won, the battle was a major confidence boost for the Americans because of the large number of losses on the British side. -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was written and signed in Philadelphia. The document declared the colonies independent from Britain and they became the United States. The effect it had on the war was that it gave them a sense of unity and brought them together. -
Battle of Saratoga
This battle that was fought at Saratoga New York was a turning point in the war. The American victory proved that America could win to the French. The French then began to support the US with supplies and troops. -
Battle of Yorktown
This battle was fought at Yorktown, Virginia and was the last major battle of the revolution. After Cornwallis surrendered Britain started to move towards wanting peace and ending the war. -
Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris was signed in Paris France and it officially ended the Revolution. The terms of the treaty were that America would be recognized as a free nation, it set the boundaries between British North America and required both sides to return people and land to each other.
