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Stamp Act
The first internal tax levied directly on American colonists by the British government. The act, imposed a tax on all paper documents in the colonies, this act came at the time the British empire was deeply in debt from war and looking into its North American colonies as a revenue source. -
Boston Massacre
A squad of British soldiers, come to support a sentry who was being pressed by a heckling crowd, let loose a volley of shots. Five American colonist died that day due to the British troops actions. -
Boston Tea Party
In Boston, a group of Massachusetts colonist disguised as Mohawk Indians boarded three British tea ships and dumped 342 chest of tea into the harbor. -
The battles of Lexington and Concord
The first shots fired between American and British soldiers. No one is still sure who fired first, but it was known as the "The shot heard 'round the world." -
Bunker Hill
Two-day engagement between British forces under the command of General William Howe and American forces under Colonel William Prescott. The next day, the British attacked. They took the hill but suffered heavy losses. Even though the battle was fought on Breed's Hill, it was always remembered as the Battle of Bunker Hill. -
The Declaration of Independence
Document declaring the 13 American Colonies independent from Great Britain. Written by Thomas Jefferson and declared in effect by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. Many prominent Americans signed it, including John Hancock, John Adams, and Samuel Adams. Great Britain's response was to continue the war. -
Battle of Brooklyn
First real battle between British and American forces, in August 1776. Also called the Battle of Long Island. The troop movements for this battle actually occurred over a number of days. It was the first British victory and the first of many legendary Washingtonian escapes. -
Battle of Princeton
American victory on January 3, 1777, following hard on the heels of General George Washington's great success at Trenton. The victory at Princeton drove the British out of New Jersey, almost for good. -
Hessians
German soldiers loyal to King George III who fought for Britain in the Revolutionary War. King George was from Hanover, an area in Germany, and called in a favor to his homeland, asking for soldiers willing to fight in the New World. The Hessians numbered almost 30,000, and they fought mostly in the Northern Campaign
