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The Stamp Act & It's Aftermath
The British imposed the Stamp Act on the colonies in order to try and cover the expenses of paying to defend a large empire. Colonialists were enraged and boycotted the stamps, rioted, burned stamps, and intimidated British stamp distributors. -
Townshend Acts
In retaliation for such strong resistance to the Stamp Acts, British Parliament passed the Townshend Acts that restricted trade with the colonies and most importantly suspended a representative from the colonies in the British Parliament. This began the reign of what the colonists began to call "taxation without representation." -
Boston Tea Party
Protesting a tax on tea without any representation in Parliament and the monopoly of the East India Company, hundreds of Bostonians dressed up as Native Americans and stormed ships at the Boston Harbor. They dumped over !0,000 euros worth of tea in the bay. -
Intolerable Acts
In response to the colonists rebellion, British Parliament passed four separate pieces of legislation. It colloquially became known as the Intolerable Acts by the colonists. The colonists were so enraged with these acts and the consequences of them on their daily lives that they then decided to convene the First Continental Congress. -
First Continental Congress Convenes
In response to the Intolerable Acts, twelve of the thirteen colonists sent delegates to the First Continental Congress to decide how to respond. (Georgia did not send a delegate) Congress agreed to boycott British trade and they created the Petition to the King, which plead for Parliament to repeal the Intolerable Acts. The appeal had no effect. -
Second Continental Congress
After the battles at Lexington and Concord, the colonies had to decide what to do. Here they decided to create a continental army to fight against the British Redcoats who were storming Boston. Congress appointed George Washington as the supreme commander. -
Battles of Lexington & Concord
On the night of April 18, Paul revere rode from Charlestown to Lexington to warn that the British were marching from Boston to seize the colonial armory at Concord. In between the two cities, the British were met by minutemen (local fighters) at Concord. No one knows who fired the first shots, but this shot was known as "the shot heard around the world." At Concord, the British marched into hundreds of American militiamen and were well outnumbered so the British troop surrendered. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
This was critical for the morale of the Americans for the war. This was part of the British siege for Boston, and the Americans forced 2,300 Red Coats out of the city. Americans led 40% of the troops fighting, but it made Americans excited for the war. -
Olive-Branch Petition
Congress endorses a proposal that asks George III for American rights and to end the Intolerable Acts in exchange for a cease fire. He denies the proposal. This leads to Thomas Paine's writings and garners more public support for the war. -
"Common Sense" Published
When Thomas Paine published "Common Sense," most colonists still aligned with the British. This was a great campaign that made so many colonists favor the war. It is credited as being the main thing that transformed the conflict with the British from a squabble to the Revolutionary War. It garnered solidarity and support from the American public for the war. -
Declaration of Independence Adopted
The Continental Congress formally announced its separation from the British empire on July 4, 1776. The document severed political ties with Britain and summarized why the colonies were doing so. This more than likely would not have been possible (or at least so early on) without Thomas Paine's pamphlet, "Common Sense." -
Washington Crosses the Deleware
After Washington and his troops were forced to abandon New York, Washington made a come back on Christmas night by stealthily crossing the icy Delaware River. They surprised the Hessian group and took over 900 prisoners. This triumph at Trenton and the Battle of Princeton excited the country and kept the war alive. -
Winter at Valley Forge
Following several major battle losses, Washington and 11,000 regulars made their winter quarters at valley Forge. A lot of soldiers died from disease, starvation, and the cold. Who emerged, however, was a well-disciplined and efficient fighting force. This rough winter prepared the Continental Army to fight effectively against the British. This lasted from December 19, 1777 to June 19, 17778) -
France and US Form an Alliance
The French had been secretly supplying Americans with money and materials to fight the British since 1776, but they finally made an alliance with the signing of the Treaty of Amity and Commerce and the Treaty of Alliance. After formalizing their alliance, France began to prepare fleets of miltia that would enter the fight. France formally declared war on Britain in June of 1778. Without the help of the French, it is unknown whether the colonists would have won independence or not. -
Articles of Confederation Ratified
The Articles of Confederation were a plan of government. They were written and ratified by the states. This substantiated the public while they were fighting in the war. It kept morale up and gave purpose to the fight. -
Battle of Yorktown
A combined force of French and Colonial troops fought against the British Army in Yorktown, Virginia. The final attack was on October 14th where the generals captured two British defenses. General Cornwallis retreated and was regaining strength, but then 34 French ships showed up, and they trapped the British general. This eventually lead to General Cornwallis and his 9,000 troops surrendering. This lasted from September to October of 1781. -
Treat of Paris, End of the War
After the British were defeated at Yorktown, the land battles largely died out, but some battles continued at sea. Nevertheless, the British knew they had lost the war so the peace treaty was signed by the British and the Americans and it recognized the independence of America. It also extended the boundaries of America to include west of the Mississippi river, but Canada kept its land.
