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The Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was a law passed by Britain to raise money for the war. It taxed non-essential goods, like newspapers. They were scared that Britain would see how well it was working, and then tax important things like tea and sugar. This raised tensions because it made the colonists even madder. https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-resources/spotlight-primary-source/stamp-act-1765#:~:text=11)%20On%20March%2022%2C%201765,%2C%20documents%2C%20and%20playing%20cards. -
The Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre was the first battle leading up to the American Revolution, but it was mostly an accident. A mob of colonists protested against the Stamp Act. They started off peacefully, but then the colonists started throwing snowballs and ice at British soldiers. Then, someone yelled "Fire." One of the soldiers fired on the colonists, by accident, so the colonists got mad. These were the first deaths, even if it was an accident. https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/boston-massacre -
The Tea Act
The Tea Act made tea more expensive. The British were taxing basic goods, like tea. The colonists were mad at Britain, and it raised the tensions even more. This act was the reason for the Boston Tea Party. https://www.bostonteapartyship.com/the-tea-act#:~:text=The%20Tea%20Act%3A%20The%20Catalyst,sales%20in%20the%20American%20colonies. -
The Proclamation Line
The Proclamation of 1763 prevented the colonists from moving West of the Appalachian Mountains. This made the colonists mad because they fought in the French and Indian War, but didn't get a reward for it. They crossed the proclamation line and moved West anyway. This is important because it was the first time the colonists disobeyed the laws of England. https://history.state.gov/milestones/1750-1775/proclamation-line-1763 -
The Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was the colonists' response to the Stamp Act and the Tea Act. They dressed like Native Americans and boarded a British supply ship. They threw all of the tea off of the ship because they thought it was too expensive. This made Britain very mad. They lost a lot of money and resources because of the colonists. This was a big act of rebellion for the colonies. https://www.masshist.org/revolution/teaparty.php -
The Intolerable Acts
After the Boston Tea Party, Britain needed a way to punish the colonies. The Intolerable Acts were ade to completely stop the colonial economy. The worst of the four acts, the Quartering Act, made it so the British Soldiers were able to go anywhere, so there was no private property anymore. The other acts stopped trade and controlled the government. This made the colonists mad because their basic freedoms were being taken away. https://web.csulb.edu/colleges/cla/projects/EM/smintolerable.html -
Battles of Lexington and Concord
At the first Continental Congress, the colonists decided to stockpile weapons. The British wanted these weapons so that the colonies couldn't start a war. At Lexington, the "Shot Heard Around the World" started the fighting. No one knows who fired first. At Concord, the colonists actually won the battle. It was their first "victory." These battles were the first real fighting, with the colonies fighting back against British soldiers. https://www.loc.gov/item/today-in-history/april-19/ -
Attack on Fort Ticonderoga/Parts of the Invasion of Canada
This was the first time that the colonists chose to attack the British. They wanted to open up Canada so the French would support them. Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys took Fort Ticonderoga, Crown Point, and Montreal, but they lost Quebec. The British also killed one of their biggest leaders, Montgomery. This was a huge blow to the colonies, which made it feel like the war was closer than it really was. https://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/capture-of-fort-ticonderoga -
The Battle Of Bunker Hill
The colonists built a fort on Breed's Hill. The British assumed they could take the fort easily, so they launched an attack on the fort. The colonists didn't have much ammunition, but they held off two of the British attacks before the British took the fort. It felt like a win for the colonies because they made the British lose a lot of soldiers. https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/the-battle-of-bunker-hill.htm#:~:text=On%20June%2017%2C%201775%2C%20New,the%20Charles%20River%20from%20Boston. -
"Common Sense"
In 1776, there were still a lot of loyalists in the 13 colonies. The delegates at the Second Continental Congress wanted people to be patriots so they would support the Declaration of Independence. Thomas Paine wrote a pamphlet called "Common Sense." It showed people why they should be patriots and why they should break away from England. It was a huge success, and it made many people support the patriots' cause. https://www.brandeis.edu/library/archives/essays/special-collections/paine.html -
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The Declaration of Independence and the Second Continental Congress.
At the Second Continental Congress, the colonies decided to go to war with Britain. They did this by writing and signing the Declaration of Independence. It stated that every person in the colonies had basic rights that no one could take away. This was what the Americans were fighting for. This was the final action that started the war. https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-transcript -
Battle of Trenton
This was one of the biggest times George Washington boosted the colonists' morale during the war. He led his troops across the Delaware River on Christmas Day, which was against the rules of war. They attacked and defeated the Hessian army at Trenton. This was the biggest victory for the colonies in a long time, and it encouraged many soldiers to continue their enlistment in the army. https://www.battlefields.org/learn/revolutionary-war/battles/trenton -
Battle of Princeton
After the battle of Trenton, the Continental Army was ready to win another battle. George Washington helped the army win the Battle of Princeton because of the increase of men wanting to join the army. It also made France start to believe in the American cause. https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/battle-of-princeton/#:~:text=On%20January%203%2C%201777%2C%20Continental,summer%20and%20fall%20of%201776. -
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Battles of Saratoga
The Battle of Saratoga was actually two battles. At the first one, the battle of Freedman's Farm, the British won because of the Hessian reinforcements. However, the Hessians didn't really want to fight for Britain. In the second battle, the colonists won because of Benedict Arnold, but he wasn't recognized for it. This was also the first time the colonists won a face-to-face battle against the British. https://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/battle-of-saratoga -
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Valley Forge
George Washington decided to move into Valley Forge to survive the winter and used the time to train his troops. Baron Von Steuben was sent by the French to train the Continental Army. He made them less like a militia and more like an army. They won more battles because they could follow a leader or general. https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/valley-forge/ -
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War in the South/Siege of Charleston
The British were losing in the North, so they shifted their focus to the South. There was more loyalist support in the Southern colonies, and they wanted to recruit slaves to fight in the war. The British won many battles in the South, including Charleston, Camden, and Savannah. It was a huge victory for the British. https://www.loc.gov/classroom-materials/united-states-history-primary-source-timeline/american-revolution-1763-1783/revolutionary-war-southern-phase-1778-1781/ -
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Battle of Yorktown
The British only had two big leaders left, Clinton and Cornwallis. Clinton was being held by George Washington, so Cornwallis went to Yorktown. He was attacked and held there by Marquis De Lafayette until George Washington got there from New York. They also had help from the French Navy, which was led by Admiral De Grass. They surrounded Cornwallis and attacked him until he surrendered. This was the end of the end of the war. https://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/siege-of-yorktown