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Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was passed by the British Parliament on March 22, 1765. The new tax was imposed on all American colonists and required them to pay a tax on every piece of printed paper they used. Ship's papers, legal documents, licenses, newspapers, other publications, and even playing cards were taxed. -
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Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was a political protest that occurred at Griffin’s Wharf in Boston, Massachusetts. American colonists were frustrated and angry at Britain for imposing “taxation without representation". The Patriots dumped 342 chests of tea, imported by the British East India Company into the harbor. The Patriots dressed up as Native Americans. The patriots used a surprise attack on the British goods, just like the British had a surprise attack on the battle of Lexington and Concord. -
Lexington/ Concord
The Battles of Lexington and Concord kicked off the American Revolutionary War. Tensions had been building for years between residents of the American colonies and the British authorities. On the night of April 18, 1775, hundreds of British troops marched from Boston to nearby Concord in order to seize an arms cache. This event is asymmetrical to the stamp act for the British. In the stamp act the British taxed the patriots and in the battle the British had a suprise attack. -
Bunker (Breed's) Hill
On June 17, 1775, early in the Revolutionary War, the British defeated the Americans at the Battle of Bunker Hill. Despite the American loss the inexperienced colonial forces inflicted several casualties on the British forces, and the battle provided them with an important confidence boost during the Siege of Boston. Although commonly referred to as the Battle of Bunker Hill, most of the fighting occurred on nearby Breed’s Hill. This battle was the first major battle in the Revolutionary War. -
Common Sense
Thomas Paine publishes his pamphlet “Common Sense,” setting forth his arguments in favor of American independence. Originally published anonymously, “Common Sense” advocated independence for the American colonies from Britain, and is considered one of the most influential pamphlets in American history. The pamphlet like the Boston Tea Party was another act done by an angry Patriot that was affected by the American Revolution. -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was the 1st formal statement by the nation’s people asserting their right to choose their own government. A 5 man committee including Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and Ben Franklin were tasked with drafting a formal statement of the colonies intentions. The Congress formally adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, a date now celebrated as the birth of American independence. This relates to common sense because both were written by the nation's people. -
Battle at Trenton/Princeton
General Washington’s army crossed the Delaware on Christmas Day 1776. Over the course of the next 10 days he won 2 crucial battles of the American Revolution. In the Battle of Trenton Washington defeated a garrison of Hessian mercenaries before withdrawing. A week later he returned to Trenton to lure British forces south, then executed a night march to capture Princeton on January 3. The British thought that the Patriots were luring them south, but they were actually capturing Princeton. -
Battle of Saratoga
Fought 18 days apart in the fall of 1777, the two Battles of Saratoga was a turning point in the American Revolution. On September 19th, British General John Burgoyne achieved a small, but costly victory over American forces. Burgoyne again attacked the Americans at Bemis Heights on October 7th, but this time was defeated and forced to retreat. He surrendered 10 days later, and the American victory convinced the French government to recognize the colonist’s cause and enter the war as their ally. -
Continental Army wintering at Valley Forge
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War in the south/ Charleston
After a siege Americans suffer their worst defeat of the revolution. With the unconditional surrender of Major General Benjamin Lincoln to British Lieutenant General Sir Henry Clinton and his army of 10,000 at Charleston, South Carolina. With the victory the British captured more than 3,000 Patriots and a great quantity of munitions and equipment, losing only 250 killed and wounded in the process. -
Battle of Yorktown
In the fall of 1781, a combined American force of Colonial and French troops laid siege to the British Army at Yorktown. Led by George Washington and French General Comte de Rochambeau, they began their final attack on October 14th, capturing two British defenses and leading to the surrender of British General Lord Cornwallis and nearly 9,000 troops. Yorktown proved to be the final battle of the American Revolution, and the British began peace negotiations shortly after the American victory.
