-
Period: to
French/Indian War
The French and Indian War was a North American conflict that was a colonial extension of the Seven Years War. Great Britain, France, and the Iroquois League all wanted to take control of the continent.The British did not do well in the beginning of the war, but as time passed the war began to turn in favor of Great Britain. In 1763, the war was ended with the Treaty of Paris. -
The Stamp Act
The British Parliament passed the Stamp Act in 1765 that imposed a new tax on all American colonists. It required them to pay a tax on every piece of printed paper the used such as, legal documents, licenses, and newspapers. The money that was collected was used to help pay the costs for defending and protecting the American frontier. The overall cost of the Stamp Act was small. However the law was portrayed as offensive to the colonists because of the standard it seemed to set of raising money. -
Towwnshend Acts
The Townshend Acts demanded duties on glass, lead, paints, paper and tea imported into the colonies. Townshend hoped that the acts would pay all of the imperial expenses in the colonies. However, many Americans viewed the taxation as an abuse of power, which resulted in the passage of agreements to limit imports from Britain. Three years later the only tax remaining was on tea. -
Boston Massacre
The Massacre began when the angry British troops were sent to Boston, where they were unwelcome, to enforce the Townshend Acts. Many citizens attacked a British sentinel and then a soldier as well as a captian, so shots were aimed back towards the mob. The troops fired into the rioting crowd, which led to the result of five men being killed. This legendary contributed to the build up to the Revolutionary War. -
Tea Act
This act imposed no new taxes but its main purpose was to bail out the floundering East Indian Company. No tea was allowed to be purchased unless it came from that specific company. It gave a tea monopoly that was presented in the American colonies to the new British Company. The Tea Act allowed the East Indian Company to sell its large tea surplus much below the prices that are charged by colonial competitors. -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was a protest against taxation. Colonists of Boston, dressed as Mohawk Indians, raided three British ships and dumped 342 chests of tea into the harbor, which left the government shocked. The government was livid and required the people of Boston to pay back all of the money that was put into the tea they wasted, plus taxes. This movement was also known as the Intolerable Acts. -
Period: to
Intolerable Acts
This series of acts was the punishment to the participants of the Boston Tea Party. The British are responsible for the Intolerable Acts. They also used taxation without representation on the colonies after the French and Indian War to recieve money. The five acts that were passed are: The Boston Port Act, Massachusetts Government Act, Administration Justice Act, Quartering Act and Quebec Act. -
Period: to
1st and 2nd Continental Congress
The First Continental Congress was a group of 56 delegates from 12 colonies, each colony except Georgia, who met together. They came together to act as one in response to the Intolerable Acts, but they met in secret so Great Britain would be unaware that they were united. The Second Continental Congress took place when the Revolutionary war begun. They met because things were not doing well, so the Continental Congress created the Continental Army. This led to the Declaration of Independence. -
Lexington and Concord
The Battles of Lexington and Concord kicked off the American Revolutionary War. On the night before the battles, hundreds of British troops marched from Boston to Concord to seize an arms cache. A confrontation on the Lexington town green started off the fighting, and the British were soon rapidly retreating under intense fire. Many more battles followed after this event. As a rusult, in 1783 the colonists formally won their independence. -
Publishing of Common Sense
Thomas Paine published this pamphlet showcased his arguments in favor of American independence. Pamphlets were crucial for the spreading of ideas in the 16th centruy until the 19th century. It recommended independence for the American colonies from Britain. It is considered to be one of the most influential pamphlets in American history. Also, this pamphlet is credited with bringing together average citizens and political leaders with the idea of independence.
