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Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was Grenville's way of trying to gain money to pay back Britian's debt after the French and Indian war. The Stamp Act taxed almost all paper goods. It taxed documents, playing cards, wills, deeds, newspapers and other goods. This was the first tax that had been placed directly on the people. Other taxes before it had been on just trade. -
Protest of the Stamp Act.
Protest of the Stamp Act actually began before the stamp was put into effect. The stamp act was approved in March of the same year but was not in effect until November. Protests began small but began to escalate. The first protests were petitions and phamplets and then refusals to pay the tax. More extreme ways of protesting were property damage and harrassment of officials - taring and feathering. -
Gaspee Affair
One of Her Majesty's ships, Ship Gaspee, was patrolling the waters off of Narrangesett Bay which is off of Rhode Island. Lieutenant W. Duddington had earned a reputation as overzelous enforcer. A local vessel out of Newport was heading towards Providence when the captain decided to bait the HMS Gaspee. The Gaspee was lead into shallow waters near Warwick and ran aground. Here a party of 55 lead by John Brown attacked the ship, the crew was dragged ashore forced to watch as their ship was looted. -
The Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea party was in response to the tricks Britian imposing the Tea Tax then trying to trick the colonists into paying the tax.Three tea ships arriving in Boston tipped the people over the edge.Thoughsands of local militia's wandered about the wharf - they were trying to get the ship to leave without paying the customs duties.The ships refused to leave without payment.A committee met later on and made up their minds on what to do - they decided to dress up as indians and attack the ship. -
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The Coercive Acts
There were four coercive acts, the Boston Port Act (June 1), the Quartering Act (June 2), the Administration of Justice Act (May 20) and hte Massachusetts Governement Act (May 20). The acts were created/designed to restore ordered to Massachusetts after the colonists began participating in acts of defiance, a major act of defiance was the Boston Tea Party. The Boston Port Act was done to shut down Boston's port because of what the colonists did to all of the tea. -
The Quebec Act
The Quebec Act was the start of a new beginning. While it did satisfy the Canadians in Quebec and some of the british merchant's demands it did not lead to a representative government. The document expanded the boundries of Quebec especially in the south, allowed free practice of Catholic faith in Quebec, replaced the oath to Elizabeth I and her heirs with one to George III -the second one did not reference the Protestant faith. and allowed the practice of civil law to continue. -
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First Continental Congress
This first Continental Congress had representitives from twelve of the thirteen colonies, Georgia had decided against attenting because they needed the support of the British soldiers. -
Paul Revere's Ride
Paul Revere met with Patriot leaders awhile before the battles of Lexington and Concord. They made a plan so if the British were to come they would have a way of warning everyone. Paul himself would ride throughout the night spreading the word that the British were coming. He and a friend of his made a plan, if the British were to come by land there would be one lantern in the belfrey tower but if they were to come by sea there would be two lanterns in the belfrey tower. -
Battles of Lexington and Concord
The British were marching towards Concord using the cover of the night to give them an element of surprise. But the whole countryside had been informed of their movemnts by Paul Revere's midnight ride. Instead of finding colonists unaware of their incoming presense they would find a rebel militia that had been deployed to stop them. This was the first battle in the American Revolutionary War. -
Second Continental Congress
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George Washington Appointed Commander in Cheif
At the second continental congress the local militias were established as the Continental Army and George Washington was appointed their Commander in Cheif. -
The Olive Branch Petition
THe Olive Branch Petition was approved by the Second Continental Congress on July 5th. The petition was an attempt to assert the rights of colonists but still maintain loyalty to the King. King George, howerever, refused the petition. In response on August 23rd of the same year he sent out his Proclamation for Supressing Rebellion and Sedition. He claimed the colonsts had been open and welcomed rebellion. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
The Battle of Bunker Hill was fought after the Battles of Lexington and Concord. After Lexington and Concord the militia had spies surrounding Boston and the militia heard from them that the British were planning to attack Bunker Hill. The Militia sent back up to Breed's hill were the battle was actually fought. -
Proclamation for Suppressing Rebellion and Sedition
On August 23rd King George III issued a proclamation following the outbreak of battle and armed conflict that had occured the previous spring in Lexington and Concord. The proclamation said that the colonies were openly rebelling his authority and were therefor subject to serever penalty. This was also true for any British subject who did not rebort knowledge of rebillion or conspiracy. This document is what caused loyal subjectst to transform into traitorous rebels. -
Common Sense Published
Written by Thomas Paine the phamplet 'Common Sense'. Paine was one of the first to say that the colonists were not suffering British but they were like a melting pot of people from all over. -
The British Evacuate Boston
Due Washington's successful planning and a little luck, the British had no hopes of using their position to an advantage or even defending it. American troops secretly began fortifying Dorchester Heights and bringing cannons from Fort Ticonderoga there. Their good luck comes in when a storm rolls in and gives the Americans more time to complete the set up of their artillery and finish fortifications. This extra time put the British plan of using the British ships in the Boston Harbor to an end. -
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Writing the Declaration of Independence
Drafted by Thomas Jefferson the Declaration is the nation's most cherished symbol of liberty. The document is known has one of Jefferson's most enduring moment, The ideas put into the document were not new, thye had already been stated by John Locke and other Contitnental philosphers. Jefferson simply summarized the philosophies. -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration was drafted by Thomas Jefferson between June 11th and 28th of the same year. Jefferson used ideas that had already been presented to the colonies by John Locke and other philosphers. Documetns like the Virginia Declaration of Rights, state and local calls for independence and his own draft of the Virginia constitution helped Jefferson write out a statement of the colonist's right to rebel against the British government. Also to have their own government based on their ideals. -
British Forces Pull Out of Virginia
British forces had pressed deep into Virginia and trapped themselves there. Washington, who has been waiting to launch a joint operation with the French Navy, uses his chance against Cornwalis. By the end of September Washingtons forces - mixed with French forces - and the French fleet have completely trapped and isolated Cornwalis. Cornwalis surrenders on October 19th when he realizes there is no hope of relief coming from New York.
