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French & Indian War
A war between Great Britain and France. At the end of the war, Great Britain won Canada and the Ohio River Valley, but was in huge debt. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was a law passed by Parliament to tax paper used in the colonies. -
Stamp Act Repealed
Parliament got rid of the Stamp Act after protests in the colonies -
Townsend Acts
A group of taxes on paper, tea, fancy plates, lead, and glass.The purpose was to fund the salaries of governors and judges -
Boston Massacre
A group of soldiers fired into a mob, killing 5 -
Tea Act
A law passed in Parliament to give the British East India Company a monopoly on the sale of tea -
Boston Tea Party
A group of Patriots disguised themselves and boarded three ships carrying tea in Boston Harbor. They proceeded to throw the tea overboard, destroying 90,000 pounds of tea -
Intolerable Acts / Coercive Acts
A series of laws to punish Boston for the Tea Party. The laws closed the port, reorganized the government, and forced colonists to quarter troops in their homes. -
Declaration of Independence
Who: Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin, John Adams
What: List of reasons why Britain is bad
Where: Philadelphia, Pennsylvannia
Why: The US should be it's own country -
1st Continental Congress
A meeting of colonial leaders to decide on how they should respond to the Intolerable Acts. They decided not to buy from or sell to British traders. -
Period: to
Canada Invasion
American colonists invade Canada & attack Montreal and Quebec City. Turns into a loss for the Americans. -
Period: to
Guns of Ticonderoga
Who: Henry Knox
What: Move 58 cannons (weighing 60 tons or 120,000lbs)
Where: Upstate NY to Boston
Why: Army needs cannons in Boston -
Liberty or death
Who: Patrick Henry
What: Speech
Where: Richmond, VA
Why: Support Boston, Rebellion?
"Gentlemen may cry, 'Peace! Peace!' but there is no peace...as for me, give me liberty or give me death." -
The Shot Heard Round the World
Who: MA militia; British soldiers
What: 1st Battle of the American Revolution
Where: Lexington & Concord, MA
Why: British wanted to take guns & ammo from militias
Outcome: Colonists: 49 killed; 39 wounded. British: 73 killed, 174 wounded -
Fort Ticonderoga
Who: Benedict Arnold, Ethan Allen
What: Colonists captures a British fort
Where: Upstate NY
Why: Strategic location, cannons
Cannons were expensive and hard to make -
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2nd Continental Congress
Who: 56 men from all 13 colonies
What: Political body - decision makers
Where: Philadelphia, PA
Why: Coordinate all colonies' actions -
Battle of Bunker Hill
Who:Continental Army (2,800), British Army (3,000)
What: 1st major battle
When: June 17, 1775
Where: Breed’s Hill - Boston
Why: The British don’t want Americans on high ground
Result: The British win; British- 1054 killed, US- 450 killed -
Olive Branch Petition
Who: 2nd Continental Congress
What: Asking King for peace
Why: Stop the war
Outcome: King says no & Americans are Traitors -
Common Sense
Who: Thomas Paine
What: Pamphlet arguing for independence and equal government
Where: American Colonies
Why: Unite Americans & Introduce political ideas -
British Evacuate Boston
9,000 Soldiers & 2,000 loyalists leave city
Forced out by new American cannons installed in one night on March 4, 1776 -
Ludington’s Ride
Who: 16 year old Sybil Ludington
What: Rode 40 miles at night to warn militia of British Attack
Where: Danbury, CT
Why: Warn & prevent more attacks -
Battle of Brandywine
Who: George Washington, British & American Armies
What: Try to stop British advance
Where: Brandywine Creek, near Philadelphia
Why: Protect Philly
Result: US loss; Philly open to British -
Battle of Saratoga - Freeman’s Farm
Who: Horatio Gates (US), John Burgoyne (British), American Army, British Army
What: Battle which halted British invasion from Canada. British decide to dig in
Where: Saratoga, NY
Why: Bottleneck - easy for Americans to defend -
Period: to
British Occupy Philadelphia
Who: British Army
What: Occupation; Congress abandons city
Where: Philadelphia -
Battle of Saratoga - Bemis Heights
Who: Horatio Gates (US), Benedict Arnold (US), John Burgoyne (British), American Army, British Army
What: British attack to escape after digging in and getting stuck
Where: Saratoga, NY
British running out of food and supplies
Results: American Win. 6,000+ British soldiers surrender 1 week after the battle -
Period: to
Valley Forge
Who:George Washington, American Army (12,000), Baron von Steuben
What: Winter Camp, Professional Training
Where: Valley Forge, PA
Why: Hart to fight in winter
Results: Learn European tactics; 2000 soldiers (1/6th of army) dies - cold & disease -
Treaty of Friendship
Who: Ben Franklin, Louis XVI
What: France promises money, soldiers, and ships to help the US -
Period: to
Attacks on the Frontier
Who: George Rogers Clark
Where: Modern Illinois & Indiana
What: Convince tribes to join US side -
Creation of the Navy
Who: John Paul Jones "Father of the American Navy"
What: USS Bonhomme Richard, take the fight to Great Britain
Where: British coast
Why: Disrupt trade
Results: Captures British warship.
Outnumbered 2:1 "Surrender?" "I have not yet begun to fight" -
British Capture Charleston
Who: British & American Armies
Where: Charleston, SC
Why: British Southern Strategy
Result: Americans surrender and humiliated -
Battle of Kings Mountain
Who: American Militia, Loyalist Militia
What: Subdue countryside
Where: Kings Mountain, SC
Result: American win -
Battle of Cowpens
Who: British Army, American Army & Militia
What: Americans disrupt British Southern strategy
Where: South Carolina
Strategy: Americans lure British into a trap & surround them
Result: American win -
Battle of Guilford Courthouse
Who: British & American armies
What: British move into North Carolina
Where: North Carolina
Strategy: Same trick as at Cowpens
Result: British win, but 25% killed/wounded/missing -
Period: to
Siege of Ninety Six
Who: British & American forces
What: Attempt to surround British Fort
Where: South Carolina
Result: British Win -
Battle of the Capes
Who: French Navy (24 ships) vs. British Navy (19 ships)
What: Naval Battle
Where: Entrance to Chesapeake Bay
Why: Prevent British resupply
Result: French victory! 6 British ships damaged, 2 French ships damaged -
Period: to
Siege of Yorktown
Who: US & French Army (~19,000) vs. British Army (~9,000)
George Washington, Lafayette, Alexander Hamilton (US); Lord Cornwallis (Brittish)
What: US traps British
Where: Yorktown, VA
Why: US brings all troops; British need supplies
Result: US- 389 killed/wounded
British- 904 killed/wounded, 7,685 prisoners (the rest of the British Army)
US WINS -
Newburgh Conspiracy
Who: George Washington, US Army Officers
What: Upset soldiers want to use the army to make Congress do what they want (get paid). Even make Washington king?
Where: Newburgh, NY
Result: Washington surprise speech; ends conspiracy -
Treaty of Paris
Who: Ben Franklin, John Adams, British & French Officials
What: US recognized as independent; US gets all land east of Mississippi River
Where: Paris, France
Why: US is own country