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French and Indian War
It was a rivalry over the Ohio River Valley. The war erupted after six years of peace between the two nations. -
Writ of Assistance
This allowed any British general to have a search warrant and be able to search a colonist home for signs of smuggled goods. -
Treaty of Paris 1763
Britain took Florida, Canada, and most of North America east of the Mississippi, leaving France with little islands and barely any land. -
Proclamation of 1763
It established a Proclamation line across the Appalachian Mountains, blocking the colonists from spreading across the land. -
Sugar Act
The Sugar Act placed duties on imports that had not been taxed before, and halved the duty on molasses, to make the colonists ppay taxes instead of smuggling. Furious, merchants and traders boycotted the goods in hoped of gettint the act repealed, -
Stamp Act
This was a tax on documents and printed items such as newspapers. The colonists revolted by forming a secret group called the Sons of Liberty to protest the act. -
Sons of Liberty formation
The Sons of Liberty was a group formed by several men, including Samuel Adams. They protested against the new, unfair laws. -
Declaratory Act
This act asserted Parliament’s full right “to bind the colonies and
people of America in all cases whatsoever." -
Townshed Acts
These acts taxed good that were imported such as glass, tea, and paint. The colonists were enraged by these acts, especially the tax on tea. Eventually the acts were repealed because Britain wasn't gaining any money. -
Boston Massacre
A mob of colonists taunted a group of British soldiers, who eventually opened fire and killed five people. The colonists immediately labeled the event as a bloody massacre and took advantage of the oppurtuinty to turn it against Britain. -
Tea Act
The act cut colonial merchants out of the equation by having the British East India Company sell tea directly to the colonists. The colonists protested dramatically against this act. -
Boston Tea Party
A group of colonists disguised as Native Americans snuck aboard three British ships in Boston's harbor and dumped over 15, 000 pounds of tea into the ocean. -
Intolerable Acts
This law shut down the Boston harbor, allowed soldiers to seize vacated homes and buildings, and placed a ner governor in charge of Massachusettes. Soon the state was under martial law. -
First Continental Congress meeting
This meeting, consisting of fifty-six delegates, met in Philadelphia and drew up a declaration of colonial rights. They agreed that they should use force back against the British. -
Midnight Riders
Paul Revere, William Dawes, and Samuel Prescott rode during the night to spread word that the British troops were coming. -
Battle of Lexington
British soldiers ordered the minutemen to lay down their weapons; they refused. Someone fired, and soon shotsd rang out from both sides. Eight minutemen were killed, and many injured. -
Olive Branch Petition
The colonists sent the petition, which urged the king to reconcile with the colonies to return to the former peaceful times. The king rejected the petition. -
Battle of Concord
British soldiers marched on to Boston. They prepared to head out but were bombarded by shots from hidden minutemen. Slaughtered ruthlessly, the remaining British soldiers retreated. -
Second Continental Congress
There were endless debates at the meeting, from loyalists wanting to make amends with Britain to colonists wanting to declare independence. -
Continental Army formation
They all agreed to name the colonial militia as the Continental Army and appoint George Washington as its commander. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
The British suffered over 1,000 casualties, while the colonists suffered less than half that amount. This battle proved to be the bloodiest of the war. -
Publication of Common Sense
In this fify page pamphlet, Thomas Paine attacked the British goverment and monarchy for cruelty and unjust laws. Many people began to agree with his ideas, including George Washington. -
Loyalists and Patriots
Loyalists remained loyal to Britain and the king. They feared punishment as rebels. Patriots wanted American independence, and were inspired by talks of war. Many Americans remained neutral, however. -
Washington Pushed Across the River
The colonial army attempted to defeat the British redcoats, but they were outnumbered and untrained. By late fall, they had been pushed across the Deleware River. -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration stated that all men were equal, and that Parliament had violated the laws of the colony. It stated all the wrongs Britain had comitted and officially declared itself independent from its rule. Thomas Jefferson was the lawyer who wrote the final document. -
Washington's Surprise Christmas Attack
Washington made a bold move by moving troops across the Delaware River and attacking the soldiers at Trenton, New Jersey. The colonials won. -
Saratoga
A British general named Burgoyne came up with a scheme to meet up with fellow allies and form a large group of forces to overthrow the colonist army. However, his allies were busy holding Philidelphia, and didn't come to meet him. He soon surrended. -
French-American Alliance
The surrender of the British at Saratoga led the French to believe the Americans were a worthy fighting cause, and they openly signed an alliance with them. -
Valley Forge
Washington and his army fought to stay alive during harsh weather conditions. They were also low on food and other supplies. Over 2,000 men died. -
Friedrich von Steuben and Marquis de Lafayette
These two men trained the Continental Army and helped turn them into a raw fighting force. -
British Victories in the South
British forces took Savannah, Georgia, and Charles, South Carolina. General Cornwallis continied to push south, to meet up with General Clinton's forces. -
British Surrender at Yorktown
American and French troops surrounded the British forces on the Yorktown penninnsula. After less than a month of fighting they surrendered. America had won the war. -
Treaty of Paris
The treaty confirmed US independence and marked its boundaries.
