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French and Indian War begins
The French & Indian War
American name given to the seven years war. This war took place in Europe, India, and North America, the North American part taking place between the French and Native Americans and the British. This was the beginning of conflict between the colonies and Britain, as the colonists were not allowed to settle the land that they had earned. -
Treaty of Paris (1763)
Treaty of Paris, 1763
The 1763 Treaty of Paris ended the seven years war between France, Britain, and their allies. This treaty was not supported by the British public, but was signed nevertheless. This treaty eventually caused trouble between the British and colonies involving the land gained in it not being able to be settled because of the Royal Proclamation of 1763. -
Royal Proclamation (1763)
Royal Proclamation of 1763
The Royal proclamation of 1763 was established to prevent the colonists from angering the natives by stopping them from settling the land in the west that they had earned from the French and Indian war. It also gave Britain 4 new colonies: Quebec, East & West Florida, and Grenada. This angered the colonists because they could not use the land they had earned. -
Sugar Act
Sugar Act
Passed in 1764, the Sugar Act was a tax imposed by Britain on America, that taxed sugar, wine, etc. The British wanted to use the money collected by this tax for better security for the colonies. The colonists did not like this, because it forced them to do the majority of their trading with Britain, which severely hurt their foreign revenue. This eventually led to boycotts on British goods. -
Stamp Act
A Summary of the 1765 Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was a tax imposed on the colonies on March 22, 1765, that required the colonists to pay taxes on all printed paper that they used. These items included wedding certificates, newspapers, legal documents, etc. The Stamp Act was especially hated because it was viewed as not to regulate trade, but only to raise money and was resisted when the Stamp Act Resolves were created. -
Stamp Act Congress
Stamp Act Congress
The stamp act congress stated no taxation without representation. The stamp act congress took place in October 1765 in order to stop the tierreny that was the Stamp Act. The stamp act congress did not have a problem with parliament making laws, but only with them taxing America. In the end, the stamp act was repealed, but most likely because of boycotts, not the stamp act congress. -
Townshend Acts
Townshend Acts
The Townshend Acts were a series of taxes enacted after the repeal of the Stamp Act, that taxed on imported goods, like paper, paint, and other supplies. The Townshend Acts were a form of indirect taxation, taxing traders at customs ports on their cargo, rather than the items they had. The Townshend Acts were disliked by the people, as they were taken with hostile feelings because of the Stamp and Sugar Acts. -
Boston Massacre
Boston Massacre March 5, 1770
The Boston Massacre took place on March 5, 1770, in which 5 colonists were killed by British regulars and six others were wounded. The British claimed to have shot out of self defense, but to this date it remains a mistery if they were ordered to fire or not. The British fired after being harrased by colonists with icy snowballs and denied murder charges. -
Boston Tea Party
What was the Boston Tea Party?
The Boston Tea party was an event that took place on December 16, 1773, in which colonists living in Boston dumped large amounts of tea from the East India Tea Company into the Boston Harbor. The colonists dressed as Indians to avoid punishment and did this to protest the taxation that the colonies were facing, specifically the Tea Acts, which gave the East India Tea Company a monopoly over the tea trade. -
First Continental Congress
Taking ActionThe First Continental Congress was held from September 5, 1774 to October 26, 1774. It was held to discuss the issues of the intolerable acts and the taxation that Britain had imposed on the colonies. Held in secret in Philedelphia, the congress discussed what should be done about unfair treatment, what their relationship with Britain should be, and what rights they should have. -
Patrick Henry "Give Me Liberty"
"Give me liberty or give me death"
This quote was part of a speech given to the Virginia Convention on March 23, 1775. This speech was pro-war and was used to insue a feeling of patriotism among the crowd at the Virginia Convention. -
Midnight RIde of Paul Revere
The Real Story of Revere's Ride
Before the Battles of Lexington and Concord; on April 18, 1775, Paul Revere, among other riders set out to warn the townsfolk in the surrounding area. His imfamous quote, "The British are Coming!" is incorrect in that he said the regulars are coming and said it rather quietly, so that he did not alert the British soldiers nearby. After he spread the word, the minutemen were able to assemble. -
Battles of Lexington and Concord
Battle of Lexington and Concord
The Battles of Lexington and Concord were two seperate battles (one being a skirmish), that took place on April 19, 1775. The battles ensued after the British invaded the towns Lexington and Concord in order to get the citizens under control. The minutemen won the Battle of Concord, because they were prepared for the British attack after being warned by Paul Revere the night before. -
Second Continental Congress
Second Continental CongressAfter the battles of Lexington and Concord, the Second Continental Congress, not to be confused with the US congress, met, in order to discuss what was to be done about Britain. During the gathering, the Olive Branch Petition was formed. Eventually the Declaration of Independence was drafted, signifying change to come in America. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
The Battle of Bunker Hill was an attack led by the Americans in order to stop the British buildup of troops along the coast of Boston. In the end, the battle was lost, but the colonists inflicted a heavy toll on the British, and in that sense it was a victory. The battle was a short lived victory for the British, as the colonists took it back soon after. This battle was the first major battle of the Revolutionary War. -
"Common Sense" Published
Thomas Paine's "Common Sense"Common Sense was an essay published by Thomas Paine that stated that the colonies were being oppressed by Britain and that they should succeed from Britain. The essay stated that America was in a terrible state and would only get worse if nothing was done about the situation. -
British evacuate Boston
British: Evacuation of BostonAfter the battles of Lexington and Concord, the Continental Army had the British under seige at Boston. It was during this time, that the British were forced to retreat to Canada, in order to prevent the prolonging of the seige. The event that truly forced the British to evacuate, was the American occupation of Dorchester Heights, a hill overlooking Boston, along with the fact that they had artillery from Fort Ticonderoga. -
Declaration of Independence announced
On July 4, 1776, the delegates at the Continental Congress secretly agreed to approve the Declaration of Independence. It was not until July 8 that the signing of the Declaration was announced. The announcement did not sit well with King George. He declared the colonies in a state of rebellion, thus officially starting the revolution. -
"THe Crisis" published
Thomas Paine Writes "The Crisis"The Crisis by Thomas Paine was a paper that argued for the independence of America and supported the rebellion by stating the situtation that America was in. The collection of essays were written over the next seven years after Common Sense was published. -
Washington Captures Trenton
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In winter, 1776, after crossing the Delaware River secretly at night, Washington and his men attacked the Hessians at Trenton. The battle took the Hessians by surprise, as it took place at Christmas time, during the winter. The Hessians were not expecting to be attacked and thus were not prepared, allowing Washington to win the battle. -
Fort Ticonderoga
During the revolution, Fort Ticonderoga was the first major victory that the Americans had. This victory was a major turning point in the war, as it boosted the morale of the continental army significantly. Fort Ticonderoga separated America and New France, and was a key position to hold during the war. -
British defeated at Saratoga
The Battle of Saratoga
The Battles of Saratoga essentially decided the demise of British General John Burgoyne. The American victory at Saratoga encouraged the Americans, discouraged the British, and convinced the French to openly assist the Americans in their cause. This French assistance was, in essence, what allowed the Americans to defeat Cornwallis by seige at Yorktown. -
Winter at Valley Forge, PA
<a href='http://www.revolutionarywararchives.org/barontraincnc.html' ></a>During the winter of 1777-1778, Washington's guard stayed at Valley Forge for military training. They were formally trained by the French in traditional European signals and style and became much more organized as a result. Valley Forge was a huge success for the army, but was not without its struggles, as their training took place during the winter, a very dangerous time during this era. -
John Paul Jones defeats the Serapis
The History of the H.M.S. SerapisJohn Paul Jones, captain of the Bon Homme Richard, captured the Serapis, a ship used to protect the Baltic Merchant Fleet on September 23, 1779. He did so in order to obstruct the British and needed to capture the ship to save his crew from the severely damaged Bon Homme Richard. This victory was short lived, as the Serapis was placed under French control, but helped show the colonists devotion to the patriot cause. -
Benedict Arnold plans discovered
Benedict Arnold began consulting with the British, after being belittled by congress numerous times. Feeling unappreciated, he gave away American positions and tactics to the British. His plans were discovered on September 24, 1780 and when Washington found out, he was angry, but thankful that they found out about Arnold's treason, stating that god directly helped in the discovery of the plans in Colonel Andre's boots. -
Cornwallis surrenders
On October 19, 1781, after being forced into Yorktown by the colonists and then pinned from the sea by the French Fleet, then being seiged, Cornwallis formally surrendered to the Continental Army. This event essentially marked the end of the revolution, as it was the last actual battle that took place before the signing of the Treaty of Paris. It was this surrender that won the American Revolution.
