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The French and Indian War
The French and Indian War happened because the British were looking for cheap farm land in the Ohio River Valley, but the French were already there. George Washington was the first to shoot in this war. It changed the relationship between the Colonists and British because the Colonists were being forced to pay for the war debts. They were also not allowed to cross the Appalachian Mountains because of the Proclamation of 1763. -
The Proclamation Line of 1763
Following the French and Indian War, The British Parliament established a boarder aligned with the Appalachian Mountains that separated the Colonists from the unhappy Natives living in the west. The British passed this act In order to prevent more war debts. It became illegal for Colonists to cross this boarder. This proclamation made the colonists angry because they just fought that land they weren't allowed to settle in. -
The Sugar Act
The British Parliament taxed the Colonists three cents for sugar. The purpose of the Sugar Act was to pay for the debt of the French and Indian War. The colonists were not very happy with this act because they had no say in the British Parliament. They would chant, "no taxation without representation". This is the first example of the British taxing the Colonists. -
The Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was where they would put Stamps on important documents like, playing cards, pamphlets , newspapers, birth certificates, almanacs, and court papers. The colonists went into rebellion against the taxes. The colonists would attack the tax collectors by doing many things to keep them from collecting tax. They would tar and feather the collectors, and send verbal messages and anonymous letters. -
Committees of Correspondence
The Committee of Correspondence was created for the purpose of sharing information about each new issue faced in the developing crisis with England. Samuel Adams was the first patriot leader to have started the first Committee of Correspondence. This Committee was made to help form bonds between the 13 colonies. They would send various information about what their colony was doing to resist the British and end their unfair policies. -
Townshend Acts
This act was not only used to raise money for the French and Indian war but it was also used to show that the English government still has power over the Colonists. The Colonists reacted by stealing important items which coasted the merchants a lot of money. The Parliament decided to repeal, or cancel, the Townshend Acts in 1770 due to pressure from the colonies except for the tax on tea. -
Boston Massacre
In the city of Boston in the Massachusetts tensions were high, Colonists provoked soldiers by assaulting them and throwing snowballs, sticks and stones and daring the soldiers to shoot. Then the firing began. The first shot was shot by a soldier who was hit with a flying object then in reaction, fired his musket. When the smoke cleared 5 Colonists lay dead and many more seriously injured including Crispus Attucks. -
The Tea Act/The Boston Tea Party
The Parliament passed the Tea Act to help the East India Company, because they needed money. So the Parliament decided to make a tax on tea. The Colonists protested the Tea Act by refusing the shipments of tea and sent the ships back.In Boston they left the tea to just rot on the docks. Colonists absolutely refused to pay taxes on the tea. on the night of December 16, 1773, around 60 Colonists boarded the ships and tossed 342 creates of tea into the harbor. -
Coercive (Intolerable) Acts
The English governments punishments for the Colonists after the Boston Massacre was to make a new set of laws that was called the Intolerable Acts. It consisted of closing the harbor to all shipment until the tea was paid for, sending the Colonists to trail in England and housing the soldiers . They also did not allow the Colonists to have meetings. -
The First Continental Congress
The First Continental Congress was a group of men that consisted of, George Washington, John Adams, Patrick Henry, John Jay, Samuel Adams, and many others. The meeting took place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the First Carpenter Hall. The group of men discussed the current crisis with England and said how they wanted to make peace with Britain. The significance of the First Continental Congress was that it was the first time that the colonies were all untied together with a united government. -
Battles of Lexington and Concord
900 British troops marched up to lexington where 60 rebels were waiting. No one knows who took the first shot, but they call it "The shot heard around the world".The rebels eventually lost but didn't give up. British then traveled to Concord where 100 Rebels where waiting. It was a long good fight but the Rebels fought well and pushed throughout and then, they won.
