-
Navigation Acts
The Navigation Acts created restrictions on colonial trade. and since Britain had a mercantile economy, they used the colonies to strengthen the British economy. The colonists were only allowed to sell sugar and tobacco to England or other English colonies. This angered the colonists severely, and was a major contribution to the war. -
French and Indian War Ends
England defeated France and Native Allies, receiving much of Canada and Florida from Spain. Since the war cost so much, King George III decided to make the colonies pay the debt, since they benefited most from the war. -
Stamp Act
As a result from the French and Indian War, the British were deeply in debt, so they decided to tax the colonies. The enactment of the Stamp Act taxed all paper documents in the colonies. This caused many colonists to become angry as they believed that the act was unconstitutional, and they began mob violence to intimidate stamp collectors. -
The Boston Massacre
An angered crowd was throwing rocks and snowballs at a group of British soldiers, which caused them to open fire on the crowd. The colonists called the death of 5 protestants, the Boston Massacre. They gave it the name to make more colonists angry at the British, and make the American force stronger. -
Tea Act
The East India Company was low in finances, so the British Parliament enacted the Tea Act to boost the companies finances. This act made a monopoly on tea imports, and many members of parliament had shares. It permitted the company to sell tea directly to the colonists, however many jobs were lost, as the colonial middlemen were no longer needed. -
Boston Tea Party
This was the result of the Tea Act, which put a tax on Tea. A group of colonists got together, and threw the new tea that was just delivered into Boston Harbor to protest the act. The British parliament passed harsh laws to punish Massachusetts, and this caused other colonists to help them. -
Coercive/Intolerable Acts
This was the result of the Boston Tea Party. Angered by the Boston Tea Party, the British Parliament enacted the Coercive Act, or as colonists called it, The Intolerable Act. It enacted the Quartering Act, which allowed British troops to house in private homes at no expense. Finally, it enacted the Administration of Justice Act, which made it so that British officials would be tried in Britain. These angered the colonists, which brought them closer to war. -
The First Continental Congress
A group of 55 delegates from 12 of the 13 colonies, excluding Georgia, came together to discuss how to respond to the Intolerable Acts. They drafted a declaration of rights and grievances, explaining how each of the acts placed on the colonies affected them. -
Second Continental Congress
In June 1775, the congress created the Continental Army, which was lead by George Washington. The Second Continental Congress managed the war effort, by funding it, and asking states to contribute soldiers, funds, and supplies. However, they struggled to fund for the Revolutionary War. With the ratification of the Articles of Confederation, the became the Congress of Confederation. -
Lexington and Concord
British troops marched on Lexington to try and seize their arms, however Paul Revere made his midnight ride to alert the nearby minutemen to protect their arms. They successfully made the British retreat and were able to save their weaponry. -
Declaration of Independence Adopted
The Declaration of Independence was written to give America its independence from British rule. It was written by Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Roger Sherman, and Benjamin Franklin. It was officially adopted on July 4, 1776, a day we now call Independence Day. -
The Winter at Valley Forge
The harsh winter and short supply of provisions made it very hard to survive at Valley Forge. However, this was the major turning point of the war, as it was when George Washington proved his courage, and with the help of a former Prussian military officer, the Continental Army transformed into a world class army. -
Battle of Saratoga
The Battle of Saratoga was a very important war for the Americans, as it was the first turning point in the war. The victory helped to influence Frances decision in joining the Americans in there fight against the British. -
Battle of Yorktown
This was the most important battle of the war, as it effectively ended the war for the Americans independence. This American victory ended the fighting in the American colonies. -
U.S. Constitution is Written
Delegates from the United States came together to write a new governing document, as the first one, The Articles of Confederation did not work, as states were beginning to act as independent countries. At this convention, the delegates devised a plan to have a executive, judicial, and legislative branch, as well as a checks and balances system. These ideas were some of the main topics in the U.S. Constitution. -
U.S Constitution Adopted
After many months of waiting for 39 delegates to approve the document, and 9 of the 13 states to approve it, it was finally approved, and was ready to be used by the government. On April 30, 1789, George Washington was elected as the nations first president. Then, on February 2, 1790, the U.S. Supreme Court held its first session, marking the date when the United States government became fully operational.
