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French and Indian War
A series of military actions between Britain and France in North America between 1754 and 1763.In a battle between British and French forces near Quebec City in Canada, the British gained control of all of Canada.The French and Indian War was very necessary in the American Revolution because the war debt was the reason that Parliament started imposing taxes on the colonists in the first place.Also,the French and Indian War weakened the British making the colonists actions work more effectively. -
Sugar Act
The Sugar Act was a law that was passed by the British Parliament putting taxes on molasses and sugar imported by the colonies. -
The Boston Massacre
The British soldiers fired into a crowd of colonists who were nagging at them, Five colonists were killed. The colonists blamed the British and the Sons of Liberty and used this event as an excuse to encourage the Revolution. -
The Tea Act
A tax on tea was placed by the British Parliament on the colonies because the British East India company was facing bankruptcy. -
The Boston Tea Party
A group of Massachusetts colonists that were disguised as Mohawk Indians went aboard three British Tea ships and quickly moved into the Boston Harbor and dumped 342 chests of tea into the water. It was a protest of the Tea Act of 1773 -
Boston Port Act
British Parliament passes the Boston Port Act, closing the port of Boston and demanding that the city’s residents pay for the nearly $1 million worth of tea dumped into Boston Harbor during the Boston Tea Party. -
The Quartering Act 1774
The Quartering Act required the colonials to provide food, a place to sleep, and other necessary supplies for the British troops in the colonies. -
Patrick Henry's “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death” Speech
Henry points to the arrival of British soldiers in the colonies, declaring that they're not there for the protection of the colonists. They're there to enforce British colonial rules. He insists that the colonies have already been defeated and that the only way to free their country is to start a revolution. He then famously declares, “I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!” -
Battles of Lexington and Concord
The Battles of Lexington and Concord were the first military arrangement of the American Revolutionary War. Hundreds upon hundreds of British troops marched from Boston to nearby Concord in order to grasp an arms stockpile. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
In the Battle of Bunker Hill the British defeated the Americans. Regardless of their loss, the untrained colonial forces faced significant casualties against the enemy, and the battle provided them with an important confidence boost. -
George Washington is Named Commander in Chief
The Continental Congress ordered George Washington as Commander in Chief of the Continental Army. Washington was selected based on his previous military experience and the hope that a leader from Virginia could help unite the colonies. Washington left for Massachusetts within days of receiving his commission and assumed command of the Continental Army in Cambridge on July 3, 1775. -
Common Sense
Common Sense was a pamphlet that was written by Thomas Paine saying that the colonies had the right to be an independent nation -
Declaration of Independence is written and signed by delegates in the Continental Congress
Thomas Jefferson of Virginia was charged with drafting a formal statement justifying the 13 North American colonies separation with Great Britain. A member of a five man committee that also included John Adams and Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson drew up a draft and included Franklin’s and Adams’ corrections. At the time, the Declaration of Independence was regarded as a collective effort of the Continental Congress. -
Battle of Ticonderoga
The Battle of Ticonderoga was a small battle but still impacted a lot. A British army approach that forced the Continental Army to surrender. -
Battle of Saratoga
The significant thing about this battle was that it was actually 2 battles and it was a crucial victory for the patriots.The Battle of Saratoga was marked as the turning point of the Revolutionary War. The Americans won this Battle. -
Alliance is Made between the Rebels and the French.
On February 6, 1778, Benjamin Franklin was in France signing the Treaty of Amity and Commerce and the Treaty of Alliance. The Treaty of Amity and Commerce recognized the U.S. as an independent nation and promoted trade between France and America.The French decided to back the U.S. in its military efforts until the U.S. had full independence from Great Britain. After that, the treaty required France and the U.S. to work together on any peace agreement. -
Peace Treaty Signed ending the American Revolution recognizing US independence.
The Treaty of Paris of 1783, negotiated between the United States and Great Britain, ended the revolutionary war and recognized American independence. The Continental Congress named a five-member commission to talk about a treaty–John Adams, Benjamin Franklin,John Jay, Thomas Jefferson, and Henry Laurens. Laurens, however, was captured by a British warship and held in the Tower of London until the end of the war, Jefferson did not leave the United States in time to take part in the negotiations. -
Battle of Yorktown
This was the last major battle of the Revolutionary War. Cornwallis and his troops were trapped in the Chesapeake Bay by the French army. He was stuck between the French navy and the American army. He then surrendered October 19, 1781. -
General Cornwallis surrenders to Washington at Yorktown
On this day in 1781, British General Charles Cornwallis formally surrenders 8,000 British soldiers and sailor to a French and American force at Yorktown, Virginia, bringing the American Revolution to a close.
