American Revolution

  • French and Indian war

    The British and French wanted to extend their North American colonies into the land west of the Appalachian Mountains creating conflict between both nations. Although the french were the ones that moved their territory to the Ohio river first.
  • French and Indian war

    It took seven years to solve the problems between these two nations. The resolution was that the British received the territories of Canada from France and Florida from Spain, opening the Mississippi Valley to westward expansion.
  • Proclamation of 1763

    After the victory in the seven years’ war British government issued the proclamation to prohibit colonist from moving west of the Appalachian Mountains. The British hoped that limiting settlements would prevent future hostilities between colonist and American Indians.
  • sugar act

    Due to the French and Indian war the economy was low so the government had to place duties on foreign sugar and certain luxuries to raise money for the crowns it also provided strict enforcement on the navigation act to stop smuggling.
  • Stamp act

    The stamp act was an effort to raise funds to support British military forces in colonies. This act required that revenue stamps be placed on printed paper, legal documents, and newspaper.
  • Quartering act

    This was the third act passed to make colonies pay for the French and Indian war. This act required the colonists to provide food and living quarters for British soldiers stationed in the colonies.
  • Townshend act

    This act required new duties to be collected on colonial imports of tea, glass, and paper. This act also provided for the search of private homes for smuggled goods. Revenues raised would be used to pay crown officials in the colonies.
  • Boston Massacre

    Bostonians resented the British troops who had been quartered in their city to protect customs officials from being attacked by the sons of liberty. On march 1, a crowd of colonists harassed the guards near the customs house, the guards then fired into the crowd killing five people. The guards were defended by colonial lawyer John Adams.
  • Committees of correspondence

    Committees started in 1764 to fix problems but it was later disbanded. Boston then began one in 1764 and New York another one in 1765 but there was no permanent inter colonial structure. In 1773 the Virginia house of burgesses proposed that every colony should have a committee for inter colonial correspondence.
  • Tea act

    Due to Britain having a huge and heavily post war debt they had to pass an act to add a tax on tea. British tried helping the British east Indian company out of their financial problem by making tea cheaper than smuggled Dutch tea.
  • Boston tea party

    Americans refused to buy the cheaper tea because if they did they had to recognize parliament’s right to tax the colonies. A shipment of east India company arrived in Boston harbor but no buyers showed up and before royal government arranged to bring the tea ashore a group of Bostonians disguised themselves as American Indians, boarded the British ships, and dumped 342 chests of tea into the harbor some colonists thought it was an act of liberty.
  • intolerable act

    news of the Boston tea party angered the king and members of parliament in retaliation British government enacted a series of punitive acts. these acts are known as intolerable acts.
  • First Continental Congress

    The intolerable acts drove all colonies except Georgia to send delegates to a convention in Philadelphia. The purpose of the convention was to respond to what the delegates viewed as Britain’s alarming threats to their liberties. These conventions were later known as the first continental congress.
  • Lexington and Concord

    Parliament searched for total control. they sent British troops to confiscate weapons owned by colonist. They faced furious militia 700 troopers died giving the victory to the colonists.
  • Second Continental Congress

    After the fighting in Massachusetts, delegates to the second continental congress met in Philadelphia. the congress was divided, one group of delegates thought colonies should declare their independence. Another group hoped the conflict could be resolved by negotiating a new relationship with Great Britain.
  • Common Sense

    Published by Thomas Paine, this writing challenged the British government and the royal monarchy. it was the first work to openly ask for independence from Great Britain.
  • Declaration of Independence

    Richard Henry lee of Virginia introduced a resolution declaring the colonies to be independent. Five delegates including Thomas Jefferson formed a committee to write a statement in support of lees resolution. The declaration lists specific grievances against George lll’s government and expressed basic principles that justified revolution.