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The stamp act
Britain sets a tax that requires a stamp on all public documents like newspapers or legal documents. The colonists did not like having this tax placed on them. This led to unrest in the colonies and the Stamp Act Congress (October 1765). -
Paul Revere's Ride
The Revolutionary War starts and Paul Revere makes his famous ride to warn the colonists that the "British are coming". -
Battle of Lexington and Concord
The actual fighting starts with the first "shot heard around the world". The Americans win as the British retreat. -
Period: to
American Revolution
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Capture of Fort Ticonderoga
The Green Mountain Boys led by Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold capture Fort Ticonderoga from the British. -
The Declaration of Independence is Adopted
The Continental Congress agrees to Thomas Jefferson's Declaration of Independence. -
Valley Forge
The Continental army under George Washington spends the winter training at Valley Forge. -
America Chooses a Flag
The Continental Congress adopts the "Stars and Stripes" Flag sewn by Betsy Ross. -
Battles of Saratoga
British General John Burgoyne surrenders his army to the Americans after suffering defeat at the Battles of Saratoga. -
Alliance with France
France recognized the United States as an independent country with the Treaty of Alliance. -
Battle of Yorktown
The last major battle of the American Revolutionary War. British General Cornwallis' surrender at Yorktown was the unofficial end to the war. -
Treaty of Paris
Treaty that officially ended the war.
