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The French and Indian War
This war was triggered by conflict between the French and the British over land in the colonies. The French were allied with the Native Americans and after France stopped funding the war, they were quickly defeated. The war was ended by the Treaty of Paris in 1763 and Britain gained control of much more land as a result. -
The Proclamation of 1763
This was issued after the French and Indian War by the British and declared that all land west of the Appalachian Divide could not be inhabited by colonists. This was the first law that affected all thirteen colonies. -
The Sugar Act
This act put a tax on the importation of foreign sugars and other goods without the consent of the colonists. Although this did not greatly affect the majority of the colonies' population, it had an impact on colonial merchants. -
The Stamp Act
This required colonists to pay a tax on all printed paper. The tax was very small, but the colonists were deeply offended by the implication of the law, which was that the British had control over their everyday lives. -
The Quartering Act
This act required colonists to house British soldiers in barracks provided by the colonies and set standards for the conditions of the housing. If the barracks were too small to accommodate all of the soldiers, it was the job of the colonists to provide other means of shelter to them. Many colonists were very unhappy about this law. -
The Boston Massacre
After being heckled by a crowd of colonists, a squad of British soldiers in Boston, Massachusetts let loose a volley of shots and killed five people. This resulted in public outrage and sparked more colonists' desire for independence. -
The Battle of Alamance
In present-day Alamance County, Piedmont Regulators clashed with government militiamen because of the Regulators' belief that they were being overtaxed. The Regulators were defeated in battle and were subsequently tried and convicted of treason. This was ultimately a failure, but was still a significant rebellion against the Crown. -
The Tea Act
The British granted the East India Company, which was one of Great Britain's most profitable sources, a monopoly on the importation of tea in the colonies. The colonists strongly opposed this and it was the main cause of the Boston Tea Party. -
The Boston Tea Party
During this event, colonists boarded East India Company ships disguised as Native Americans in the Boston Harbor and poured loads of tea overboard in protest of the Tea Act. -
The Intolerable Acts
The British passed the Intolerable Acts, which were a series of four laws that were very harsh and limited the people of New England's freedom. The laws were intended to punish the colonists for acts of defiance (i.e. The Boston Tea Party) and maintain control over the colonies. The British hoped that by isolating New England from the rest of the colonies, it would prevent them from uniting against Britain. Their plan backfired and created an even stronger resistance against British rule. -
The Battles of Lexington and Concord
These were the first battles of the Revolutionary War, and took place in the towns of Lexington, Concord, Lincoln, Menotomy, and Cambridge, Massachusetts. British troops attempted to seize an arms cache and Paul Revere, along with other riders, alerted the colonists. As a result, fighting broke out.
