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French And Indian War
The French and Indian war of the French and their Native American allies and the American Colonists, and was part of the seven year war. The war was over land, and resulted in the Treaty of Paris. The Treaty of Paris was the official declaration of peace, after the French had lost, forcing them to relinquish their land to the British. -
The Sugar Act
The sugar act was a tax on imported sugar and molasses, causing colonists to only buy from British imports. This is also an example of taxation without representation. This act mainly affected the manufacture of rum in New England due to the extra expense. Since some sugarcane was grown in the colonies, but most was imported from the West Indies and taxed more by Britain. -
Stamp Act
The stamp act was a tax upon all paper in the colonies set to pay for the debt acquired during the seven years war. The colonists were experiencing, yet another example of, taxation without representation. The colonists saw it unconstitutional and fought to have it repealed. Another act urging the colonists toward repletion and the American Revolution. -
The Quartering Act
Britain had soldiers, in time of peace, in the colonies. Housing and providing food for the soldiers became expansive, so to cut down on costs the king ordered the Quartering act. This act forced British soldiers into the homes of the colonists; the colonists were forced to house them, feed them, do their laundry, give them their basic needs. The colonists were very upset of the intrusion and extra cost, and the colonists were wanting to separate themselves from this type of ruling. -
The Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre was an event in which 5 colonists were killed by British soldiers. A soldier placed on guard was being pelted with snowballs by a crowd of colonists, so a group of British soldiers came to support him. Private Hugh Montgomery was hit, and the soldiers were ordered to fire at the crowd. Five were hit; of the five, three were killed immediately, and two died later. In court two patriots decided to represent the regulars to keep it unbiased. -
The Tea Act
The Tea Act of 17773 was an effort by the British to secure their mercantilism through the west india tea company. The British have made a monopoly for tea in the colonies and the company was going bankrupt. So the tea act was put in place, this act allowed the company to sell directly to the colonists undermining the transporters and merchants to raise more money. -
The Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was caused due to a taxation placed on tea by the British; since the colonies could only receive tea from Great Britain they had to pay the tax. As a result of this tax a group of Massachusetts colonists disguised themselves as Mohawk Indians and boarded three British tea ships in the Boston Harbor. While on the ships they dumped 342 chests of tea into the harbor in protest to the tea act of 1773. -
Boston Port Act
In an attempt to tame the increasingly unruly residents of Boston, the crown appointed General Thomas Gage, commander of the British army in North America, as governor. He then named all town meetings and colonial council, as well as revoking the towns 1691 charter. -
Patrick Henry's “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death” Speech
Patrick Henry gave his speech about the importance of freedom and how he would rather die at the kings had for treason the live as, what he compared living under the king's rule to, a slave. -
Battles of Lexington and Concord
The battles of Lexington and Concord were especially important because these two battles were the first of the American revolution. The colonists were preparing for battle and had their weapons stashed, so they had two riders out in the night to watch for coming British, Paul Revere included. The British eventually came, to destroy the weapons stash, but the colonists were ready at a moment's notice and won the battles. -
Battle of Ticonderoga
During this battle, the Continental army made a strategic move helping them win the war. The two groups of American soldiers had made a surprise attack on the British in which they captured a British garrison. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
Although referred to as the battle of bunker hill, the majority of the fighting occurred on nearby Breed’s hill. Though the battle was lost to the British, the British had many casualties significant enough to give a much needed “confidence boost” to the American forces as they were inexperienced against, of the time, the most experienced and fearsome army. -
George Washington is Named Commander in Chief
George Washington accepted this position as Commander in Chief of a very under trained and undersupplied Continental army. With George Washington as Commander in Chief, this army won many battles against the British army, most fearsome army at the time, then on to winning the revolution. -
Thomas Paine Writes Common Sense
Thomas Paine was the author of the pamphlet of Common Sense and made 500,000 copies of it distributing them throughout the colonies. The pamphlet was about the British rule hurting instead of helping the colonies. Thomas Paine tried to convince the colonists they didn’t owe any loyalty to the king or any monarch. -
Declaration of Independence is written and signed by delegates in the Continental Congress
This was the end of the the war and an official separation from Great Britain. The colonists declared their rights and how a government should work as well as announcing to the entire world how, in their opinion, the king had wronged them. They also used philosophy on government from people during the time to begin forming their separate government. -
Battle of Saratoga
General John Burgoyne lead the British forced in this battle and achieved an expensively small victory over the Americans, only to be defeated later. This American victory finally allowed the Americans to convince the French to form an alliance with them and enter the war. -
Alliance is Made between the Rebels and the French
The French, enemies of Britain, are hesitant to assist the Americans in their fight for freedom due to their humiliating loss during the seven years war at the hands of the British. Though they agree to fight as their alliance, after the battle of Saratoga, and greatly increasing their odds against their mother country. -
General Cornwallis surrenders to Washington at Yorktown
Along with their French allies, the Continental army fought the British, and the result, General Cornwallis surrendering 8,000 men and seamen. The last step, taken, toward their independence from Great Britain, with the help of the French, the American colonists became the United States of America. -
Peace Treaty Signed ending the American Revolution recognizing US independence.
A five member commission, named by the continental congress, was sent to negotiate a treaty, including John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, John Jay, Thomas Jefferson, and Henry Laurens. Though the negotiation was conducted only by Adams, Franklin, and Jay due to the capture of Henry Laurens, until the end of the war, and the late timing of Thomas Jefferson.
