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End of French and Indian War
The French and Indian War ended in 1763 with the Treaty of Paris. The British were triumphant-- they kept Canada, the Great Lakes country, the Ohio River Valley, and Florida. They had also driven the French from North America. Also, the Mississippi River became the boundary between British and Spanish claims in North America. -
Sugar Act
The Sugar Act lowered the tax on molasses, but increased penalties for smuggling, and denyed a jury trial to accused smugglers.The act also listed more foreign goods to be taxed. These goods included sugar, certain wines, coffee, pimiento, etc, This act also regulated the export of lumber and iron. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was imposed on all American colonists. The act required the colonists to pay a tax on every piece of printed paper that they used. The money that was collected by the Stamp Act was to be used to help pay the costs of defending and protecting the American frontier near the Appalachian Mountains. -
Townshend Acts
The Townshend Acts imposed taxes on glass, lead, paints, paper and tea imported into the colonies. It was hoped that the acts would provide money to pay imperial expenses in the colonies. However, many Americans viewed the taxation as an abuse of power. This resulted in the passage of agreements to limit imports from Britain. -
British Troops Land in Boston
At the end of September in the year 1768, troop ships, accompanied by British men of war, arrived in the Boston Harbor. Friction broke out immediately when the Governor offered the troops Manufactory House as a barracks. The inhabitants of the Manufactory House refused to be evicted and the troops were forced to find other locations. -
The Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre was a street fight that occurred between a "patriot" mob and a squad of British soldiers. There was throwing of snowballs, sticks, rocks, and more. The riot began when about 50 citizens attacked a British sentinel. Several colonists were killed and this led to a campaign by a speech-writer. After the incident, the presence of British troops in the city of Boston was increasingly unwelcome. -
Tea Act
The Tea Act launched the final spark of the Revolutionary Movement in Boston. The act was not intended to raise revenue in the American colonies. In fact, the act imposed no new taxes. It was designed to prop up the East India Company, which was having difficulty financially and burdened with eighteen million pounds of unsold tea. This tea was to be shipped directly to the colonies, and sold at a bargain price. This act led to the Boston Tea Party. -
Boston Port Act
This event came as a result of the Boston Tea Party. King George III charged the colonists with attempting to injure British commerce and subvert the Constitution. The Boston Port Act outlawed the use of the Port of Boston by setting up a blockade/barricade for landing, discharging, shipping and loading of goods and merchandise. -
First Continental Congress Meets
The first Continental Congress lasted from September 5 to October 26, 1774. All colonies, with the exception of Georgia, sent delegates. These delegates were elected by the people, by colonial legislatures, or by committiees of correspondence of the respective colonies. The colonies presented there were determined to show authority to Great Britain together, but, their aims lacked uniformity. -
Battle of Lexington and Concord
On April 19, 1775, British troops marched from Boston to Concord in order to seize an arms cache. Paul Revere sounded the alarm, and colonial military men began mobilizing to incercept the Redcoats. The first shot of the battle was known as the "shot heard around the world". Fourty-nine colonists were killed, thirty-nine injured, and five went missing.
