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French-Indian War
Lasting from 1754 to 1763, the French and Indian War pitted British colonists and royal soldiers against the French and their Indian allies. The conflict began in the Ohio Valley, where Natives, French, and British all laid claim to land. Tensions in British-Colonial relations began during this war: The British seemed snooty and condescending; the colonists like bratty kids. Britain would have to pay for the war, and began implementing heavy new taxes. -
Sugar Act
An attempt to stop smuggling of sugar.
http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/related/sugaract.htm -
Currency Act
The printing of paper currency was forbidden in the colonies. But what else were colonists to do? There were no silver or gold mines with which they could create their own currency. -
Stamp Act
All paper goods with the stamp on it were subject to a special tax. This tax was especially hard on the colonists since there were so many paper products that they used. -
Virginia Stamp Act Resolutions
Virginian representatives officially resolved to oppose the Stamp Act. A famous moment during discussion of these resolutions was when Patrick Henry said, "If this be treason, make the most of it!" -
Declaratory Act
This was Britain basically saying "We own and control the American colonies." It was more or less a response to the Virginia Stamp Act Resolutions. -
Townshend Acts
A series of taxes placed on glass, paint, oil, lead, paper and tea. It elicited even more protests and ill feelings toward the British. -
Boston Non-Importation Agreement
An agreement among Boston businesses and merchants to neither import nor export items to/from Britain in response to the Townshend Acts. -
The Boston Massacre
A "patriot" mob threw snowballs at British soldiers who were occupying Boston, provoking them to open fire. The troops killed 5 and injured 6. Colonists blew this event out of proportion, calling it a "Massacre" in order to encourage anti-British sentiments. -
Tea Act
The British sought to reduce tea prices in order to better compete with lower smuggled prices. Even though tea prices were lowered, it forced colonists to accept the British right to tax (the tea was subjec to townshend taxes). -
Boston Tea Party
In response to the Tea Act, some of the Sons of Liberty (some of whom dressed up as Indians) raided British ships and dumped tea into Boston harbor. -
Intolerable Acts
In response to the Boston Tea Party, the British government passed a number of acts that the colonists called the "Intolerable Acts". Some of the acts included the Quartering Act, Boston Port Act, and Quebec Act. -
Quartering Act
Colonists were forced to house and feed British soldiers. This was an attempt to cut costs of taking care of military soldiers. -
Quebec Act
The British government extended the jurisdiction of Quebec into colonial frontier territory; it was a little too close for the colonists' comfort. It also reinstated French civil law, which allowed Catholicism to be practiced again. This alarmed colonists. -
Lexington and Concord
"The shot heard 'round the world." This was the first battle of the Revolutionary War.
