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French and Indian War
in 1754-1763 the french and Indian war took place. As the French and empire in North American expanded, it collided with the growing Britain had fought three in conclusive wars. -
Treaty of Paris
he Treaty of Paris of 1763 ended the French and Indian War/Seven Years' War between Great Britain and France, as well as their respective allies. In the terms of the treaty, France gave up all its territories in mainland North America, effectively ending any foreign military threat to the British colonies there -
Writ of Assistance
A writ of assistance is a written order issued by a court instructing a law enforcement official, such as a sheriff or a tax collector, to perform a certain task. Writs of assistance were documents which served as a general search warrant, allowing customs officials to enter any ship or building that they suspected for any reason might hold smuggled goods. -
proclamation
After Britain won the Seven Years' War and gained land in North America, it issued the Royal Proclamation of 1763, which prohibited American colonists from settling west of Appalachia. The Treaty of Paris, which marked the end of the French and Indian War, granted Britain a great deal of valuable North American land. -
sugar act and colonists response
Great Britain had borrows so much money during the war that it nearly doubled its national debt. By the time Grenville took over, tension between Britain and one colony, Massachusetts, were on the rise. -
stamp act & colonists response
It required the colonists to pay a tax, represented by a stamp, on various papers, documents, and playing cards. Adverse colonial reaction to the Stamp Act ranged from boycotts of British goods to riots and attacks on the tax collectors. -
sons of liberty is formed & samuel Adams
Despite very little documentary evidence as to the origins of the organization, Boston Patriot Samuel Adams is often credited as being the founder and leader of the Sons of Liberty. The Sons of Liberty was most likely organized in the summer of 1765 as a means to protest the passing of the Stamp Act of 1765. -
declaratory act
Declaratory Act took place in 1766, declaration by the British Parliament that accompanied the repeal of the Stamp Act. It stated that the British Parliament's taxing authority was the same in America as in Great Britain. Parliament had directly taxed the colonies for revenue in the Sugar Act (1764) and the Stamp Act (1765). -
Townshend Acts & colonist response
The Townshend Acts were actually a series of taxes and laws imposed upon the colonists. The first, the Townshend Revenue Act, placed a tax on glass, paint, oil, lead, paper, and tea. Other bills included in the Townshend Acts contributed to the colonists' angry reaction. -
Townshed repealed
The British parliament repealed the Townshend duties on all but tea. Pressure from British merchants was partially responsible for the change. -
John Lockes social contract
John Locke maintained that people gave natural rights to life, liberty, and property. He contended, every society is based on a social contract-an agreement in which the people consent to choose and obey a government so long as it safegaurds their natural rights. If the government violated that social contract by taking away or interfering with those rights, people have the right to resist and even over throw the government. -
Boston Massacre
A mod gathered in front of the boston Customs House and taunted the British soldiers standing guard there.shots were fired and five colonists including Crispus Attucks, were killed or mortally wounded. -
the Intolerable act
An infuriated King George III pressed Parliament to act. in 1774, Parliament responded by passing a series of measures that colonists called the intolerable act, authorized British commanders to house soldiers in vacant private homes and other buildings.to keep the peace General Thomas Gage placed Boston under martial law, or rule imposed by military forces.The committees of correspondence assembled the first continental congress. -
first continental congress meets
delegates from each of the 13 colonies except for Georgia (which was fighting a Native-American uprising and was dependent on the British for military supplies) met in Philadelphia as the First Continental Congress to organize colonial resistance to Parliament's Coercive Acts. -
second continental congress
The Second Continental Congress was the governing body of the American colonies from 1775 to 1781. It was founded when the British failed to address the grievances of the First Continental Congress and to organize a Continental Army to fight. On July 8, 1775 they tried again for peace by sending the Olive Branch Petition to the King of Britain and nearly a year later they issued the Declaration of Independence declaring the United States as an independent country from Britain. -
olive branch Petition
in May of 1775, colonial leaders called the second continental congress in Philadelphia to debate their next continental congress. Some delegates called for independence, while others agree for reconciliation with Great Britain. Despite such differences, the congress agreed to recognize the colonial militia as the continental Army and appointed George Washington as its commander. -
Battle of concord
The british marched on to Concord, where they found an empty arsenal. After a brief skirmish with minutemen the British soldiers lined up to march back to Boston,but the march quickly became a slaughter.3000-4000 minuteman had assembled by now, and they fired on the marching troops from behind stone walls an trees. British soldiers fell by the dozen. Bloodied and humiliated, the remaining of the british soldiers made their way back to Boston that night. -
Continental Army
Colonial leaders called the second continental congress in Philadelphia to debate their next move. The loyalty that divided colonists sparked endless debates at the second continental congress . Some delegates called for independence, while others argues for reconciliation with great Britian. Despite such differences, the Congress agreed to recognize the colonial militia as the continental Army and appointed George Washington as its commander -
Battle of Lexington
Colonists in Boston were watching, and on the night of April 18, 1775, Paul Revere, WIlliam Dawes, and Samuel Prescott rode out to spread word that 700 British troops were headed for Concord. The darkened countryside rang with church bells and gunshots- prearranged signals, sent from town to town, that the british were coming. The kings "red coats" because of their uniforms. The first battle of the Revolutionary War lasted 15 minutes. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
Cooper up in Boston, British general Thomas Gage decided to strike at militiamen on Breed's Hill, north of the city and near Bunker Hill. Gage sent 2400 British soldiers up the hill. The colonists held their fire until the last minute and then began to mow down the advancing redcoats before finally retreating. By the time the smoke cleared, the colonists had lost 450 men, while the British has suffered over 1000 casualties. it was the deadliest battle of the war. -
declaration of independence
On July 7, Virginia delegate Richard Henry Lee moved that these United colones are, and of a right ought to be, free and independent states. While talks on this fateful motion were under way, the congress appointed a committee to prepare a formal Declaration of independence. Virginia lawyer Thomas Jefferson was chosen to prepare the final draft -
Loyalists and Patriots
As the war began, Americans found themselves on different sides of the conflict.
Loyalists- those who opposed independence and remained loyal to the British king- including judges and governors, as well as people of more modest mean. Many loyalists thought the British were going to win and wanted to avoid punishment as rebels.
Patriots- drew their numbers from people who saw political and economical opportunity in an independent America. Many Americans remained neutral. -
publication of common sense
Common Sense was a pamphlet written by Thomas Paine in 1775–76 advocating independence from Great Britain to people in the Thirteen Colonies. Writing in clear and persuasive prose, Paine marshaled moral and political arguments to encourage common people in the Colonies to fight for egalitarian government. -
Minuteman
Minutemen were civilian colonists who independently organized to form well-prepared militia companies self-trained in weaponry, tactics, and military strategies from the American colonial partisan militia during the American Revolutionary War.