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Period: to
The Late 1700s
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Stamp Act
This act, passed by Parliament, required stamps to be put on materails such as newspapers, pamphlets, posters, wills, mortgages, deeds, licences, etc. This tax was the first direct tax Britain put on the colonists. -
Protest of Stamp Act
(This event occured in the Spring of 1765, not directly on April 1) This was when the colonists protested about the Stamp Act. Huge debates began, and many pamphlets and speeches were spread through out the colonies. The Virginians believed that the British people could not tax them, but only could be taxed by their representatives. -
Gaspee Affair
A custom ship named Gaspee was seized and burned by about 150 colonists. The Rhode Islanders disliked the commander of the Gaspee because he searched ships without a warrent and had his crew seized food without paying. Custom ships were sent by the British to patrol North American waters. The British were outraged at this incident, so they sent a commission to take suspects over to England for trial. -
Boston Tea Party
This event consisted of approximately 150 men dumping 342 chests of tea into the harbor. The colonists were upset at the Tea Act placed on the colonists by the British, so they decided to take action. Colonists also forced agents for the East India Company to go home with the tea. -
Coercive Acts
(These acts were introduced through out the spring, not specificaly on March 1). In the spring of 1774, these acts were passed to punish Massachusetts for the Boston Tea Party. The British wanted to end the colonist's challanges to British Authority. These acts shut down Boston's port, banned town meetings, had council members being appointed by the governor, had local officials being forced to provide lodging to the British soldiers, and gave the governer the power to transfer trials. -
Quebec Act
This act stated that the governer and council that would run Quebec, appointed by the king of England. This act also gave more teritory to Quebec, which forced the colonists to move West. This act angered the colonists. -
First Continental Congress
55 delegates from 12 of the North American colonies were represented at this meeting. The purpose of this meeting was to find a compromise to this crisis of suspending trade with Britian. Some of the states, such as New York and Rhode Island, belived that a compromise could be found. The delegates from the states were sent to discuss this issue. This Congress created the Declaration of Rights and Grievances in the future. -
Paul Revere's Ride
Paul Revere traveled to Lexington by midnight along with the patriot leader William Dawes. These two heard about the Britian's plan to arrest the Massachusetts Provincial Congress. so they rode to Lexington to warn that the British were coming. Dr. Samuel Prescott tagged along with the two men to go and warn Concord, but Dawes and Revere got caught by British Patrol. Prescott managed to spread the news to Concord. -
Battle at Lexington and Concord
70 minutemen were lined up on the vilage green in Lexington. The British asked them to disperse and the minutemen almost backed away when a shot was fired. No one knows to this day if a colonist or redcoat fired their gun. 8 minutemen were killed and 10 were wounded. The British tried to march back to Boston, but were shot along the way. 99 men died and 174 were wounded when the British finally reached Boston. -
Second Continental Congress
This Congess met in Philadelphia. They voted to name the militia, surrounding Boston at this time, the Continental Army. This army kept the British from escaping Boston. The Congress agreed George Washington would be it's general. -
George Washington is appointed General
George Washington was voted by the Second Continental Congress to be the Continental Army's general and commander in chief. He did not have a chance to lead the soldiers through the Battle at Bunker Hill, because the British came in before Washington was appointed. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
The British decided to sieze the hills north of Boston to try and gain control of the area. The Continental Army, fortunately, found out about this and acted before the British could. They went into battle in the intense heat. The army was forced to retrear only after running out of ammunition. They drove back two British advances. This event built American confidence by going against one of the world's most feared armies. -
Olive Branch Petition
The Continental Congress sent this petition to the king, which was writen by John Dickinson. This petition stated that the colonies were still loyal to the king and wanted to call off fighting untill they could figure out the situation peacefully. King George refused to look at the petition when it arrived to him. -
Proclamation for Suppressing Rebellion and Sedition
King George issued this Proclamation. He issued it after he recieved the Olive Branch Petition, which he refused to look at. This Proclamation stated that the colonies were now open enemies to the British. The Continental Congress began to act like an independent government once this news was heard. -
Committees of Correspondence established
These committees served as an important role in the revolution.The committees of correspondence established plans for action. The group of committees was the beginning of what later became a political society among the colonies. About 7000 to 8000 Patriots served on these committees. Loyalists were not allowed. -
Common Sense published
Common Sense was writen by Thomas Paine.The Patriots were worried that most colonists were loyal to the king when Common Sense was published. Once it was read by the colonists, however, public opinion began to change. Paine attacked the king in this pamphlet, not Parliament. He said that monarchies were set up to seize power from the people. In three months, it sold 100,000 copies. -
British evacuate Boston
British forces are forced to evacuate. American Brigadier General John Thomas, secretly led 800 soldiers and 1,200 workers to Dorchester Heights. British General Sir William Howe hoped to use the British ships in Boston Harbor to destroy the colonists, but a storm set in. The colonists recieved time to set up their artillery. 11,000 British troops and some 1,000 Loyalists departed Boston by ship on March 17, sailing to the safety. -
writing the Declaration of Independence
From July 1 to July 4, a comittee composed of a few men drafted the Declaration of Independence. These men were John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, Robert Livingston, and Thomas Jefferson. Once the people voted for independence, these men started working on the declaration. -
Declaration of Independence
Thomas Jefferson drafted this document on independence. The Second Continental Congress formally approved the Declaration on this date. They formally declared themselves, the United States of America. This is the biggest step of all to the American Revolution. -
British pull out of Virginia
This happened during the battle in Yorktown Virginia when the British had a limited amount of weapons. The British were hoping that more troops would come to provide assistance but they did not arrive at the right time. The British General attempted to escape but couldn't because colonists saw them. British leader Cornwallis signed the surrender agreement on this date and they left.
