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Treaty of Paris
This was a meeting between Great Britain, France, Spain with Portugal signing the treaty that ended the French and Indian War. After this war England began to loose control over colonies, only way to keep any control was to place taxes on goods in the colonies. As other results of the treaty, France lost Canada to Britain and all territories west of the Mississippi. Spain tried to make up for lost territory in Cuba by cededing Florida. The Treaty of Paris was an overwhelming triumph for Britain -
Stamp Act
This act was passed by British Parliament placing a tax on pieces of paper which effected all colonists who purchased pamphlets such as newspapers or legal documents. This was the first big attempt of governement to have complete control over the colonies. Since Great Britain was in such great debt after the French and Indian war, the were also forced to place a tax on the English. This caused major revolts from citizens which led to its repeal. -
Townshend Acts
Charles Townshed and english politician wanted to gain support by taking the Stamp Act tax off of Englishmen. An income of money was still required to help pay off the tax, so Townshend Acts were placed on colonists. This was a tax placed on glass, lead, paint, and tea. This angered colonnists and caused revolts such as not paying the tax and smuggling goods. Leading to the Quartering Act that sent British soldiers into American colonies to make sure laws were followed. creating tensions. -
Boston Massacre
Due to the Quartering Act groups of British soldiers were being placed in all major colonial cities. One in particular was Boston, Massachusetts. After a group of Bostonians were taunting soldiers by throwing snowballs and stones, shots were fired that killed 5 civilians. The actual killing of citizens wasn't the major outcome of the event. The newspapers printed this event as much more bloody than it was causing an uprising of rebellious spirit in Boston. -
Boston Tea Party
The phrase "no taxation without representation" was a common phrase coined at this time.The colonists believed they had no obligation to pay the taxes to parliament since they weren't involved in any British government. Virtual representation was used by parliament but it didn't fool colonists. One act of revolt was by a group of Bostonians who dressed up as Mohawk indians, boarded boats, and tipped boxes of tea into the Boston Harbor. This fuse ignited the explosion of Independence -
Revolutionary War
All of these events of taxation and rebellions led to colonists beginning to take up arms in the colonies. But first the first meeting of the Contiental Congress took place on Sep. 5 leading up till Oct. 26. A cry from colonists about the acts and taxes being placed, led to leaders of colonies to join together. Meeting in Philadelphia, they agreed on non-importation and non -exportation, accomplishments were modest only that it brought colonies together. -
Declaration of Independence signed
Before this document was written, the colonies and Britain had already been at war for over a year. However, it gave a backbone to the cause and logically outlined reasons for rebellion. It named the causes they were fighting for, including unalienable rights and the list of unaddressed grievances against the king. It was a list greatly influenced by the theories of British philosopher John Locke. It was mainly drafted by Thomas Jefferson after a committee was appointed to write it. -
Battle of Saratoga
This battle continued from September to October. Before this battle, the American forces had been in a steady state of retreat. However, by the time of this battle, Major General Gates had taken over and they managed to win the battle against the British General Burgoyne. This battle was highly important as it convinced the French that the Americans were serious about winning and had a strong enough leadership to make and hold an alliance; the French-American alliance treaty was signed in 1778. -
French-American Alliance Treaty signed
The French-American alliance began with the Treaty of Alliance in 1778, signed by both the Second Continental Congress and delegates of King Louis XVI of France. This would be the only official political alliance the US entered into for the next 173 years. This treaty provided for French help in event of British attack. The French alliance was extraordinarily helpful to the Americans, giving them a strong military, brave leadership, a morale boost, and recognition of their rebellion efforts. -
Cornwallis surrender at Yorktown
Before Yorktown, the American forces were struggling with both bad morale and mutiny. However, the French commander, Comte de Rochambeau, had a plan. His army and George Washington's would march south to Virginia, while other French forces and navy would seal off the coast. In September, the French surprised the British at the Chesapeake, forcing them north to New York. After a 5-day bombardment, Cornwallis was forced to surrender, shocking everyone. -
Treaty of Paris signed
This treaty formally ended the American Revolution between Britain and the United States (other, separate treaties were signed with France and the Dutch). The treaty was signed in Hotel d'York by John Adams, John Jay, and Benjamin Franklin. It recognized the US as a separate nation and set boundaries, granted the US fishing rights in Newfoundland, gave both Britain and the US access to the Mississippi River, protected American Loyalists, and allowed all pre-war debts to be paid back to Britain.
