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The French and Indian War
Also known as the Seven Years' War, the French and Indian war was a battle of the French against the British from 1754-1763. It occurred because the French expanded into the Ohio River Valley, which sparked conflict among the British colonies. The British were in the lead for most of the war, and the French were far behind. To end the war without more violence, they held a peace conference in 1763; the British acquired Canada and Florida, and let France maintain their West Indian sugar islands. -
The Stamp Act: Source- "Paying Up." BackStory. N.p., 2019. Web. 31 Aug. 2019 . .
Due to the Seven Years’ War, the British were in serious financial debt. To try to bring in some income, they taxed the colonies on all paper documents, hoping this would solve their financial issues. The colonists believed that the tax was unconstitutional, so they engaged in violence assuming it would get the British to stop taxing them. It was repealed in 1766, but the British created the Declaratory Act to ensure its reinforcement if needed. -
The Townshend Act: Source- "Townshend Acts." HISTORY. N.p., 2019. Web. 31 Aug. 2019 . .
The Townshend Acts, which were passed in 1767, were several laws that the British government passed on the American colonies. These four acts took away some of the colonists’ freedoms and taxed many imported items such as glass, paint, oil, paper, and tea. These taxes were meant to pay the salaries of people like governors and judges. Just like the Stamp Act, these acts angered the colonists, so they began to resist them. The phrase "no taxation without representation" came from these tax acts. -
The Boston Massacre: Source- "Boston Massacre." Ushistory.org. N.p., 2019. Web. 31 Aug. 2019 . .
The British were trying to stop resistance from the colonists about the new tax acts, but what started as a small argument escalated into a massacre. It occurred outside the Custom House in Boston on King Street. Only a few colonists were there at first arguing with British Private Hugh White, but then more than fifty colonists showed up, causing the British to call more soldiers. Snowballs, stones, and sticks were thrown by the colonists, but the British had guns, so five colonists were killed. -
The Tea Act: Source- "The Tea Act | Boston Tea Party Facts | 1773." Bostonteapartyship.com. N.p., 2019. Web. 31 Aug. 2019 . .
The Tea Act was passed because the East India Company was going bankrupt, so the British were trying to save it by giving the East India Company a portion of the tea sales they made on the American colonies. The Tea Act did not raise new taxes on tea, but the previous taxes on tea remained. The colonists were outraged at the high tax on tea, since tea was an extremely common drink and violated their right of “no taxation without representation”. -
The Boston Tea Party: Source- "Boston Tea Party." HISTORY. N.p., 2019. Web. 31 Aug. 2019 . .
The Boston Tea Party was a protest against the taxes the British imposed on imported goods to the colonies. Colonists dumped 342 chests of tea into the ocean. This protest was the first major protest made by the colonists against the British, and inspired the 13 colonies to fight for their independence. Many men dressed themselves as Native Americans that night, and dumped chests of tea off the docked ships into the water. Samuel Adams and his Sons of Liberty were behind the Tea Party. -
The 1st and 2nd Continential Congress: Source- "Continental Congress - HISTORY." History.com. N.p., 2019. Web. 31 Aug. 2019 . .
On September 5, 1774 the 1st Continental Congress formed in response to the Intolerable Acts. From all of the American colonies except for Georgia, 56 delegates came together to plan a resistance against the British. Massachusetts lead their resistance by forming a civilian military force and creating their own form of government. On July 4, 1776, the 2nd Continental Congress met to discuss their crisis with England, and created the Declaration of Independence during their meeting. -
The Intolerable Acts: Source- "Intolerable Acts | Adventures Of Rush Revere Library." Adventures of Rush Revere Library. N.p., 2019. Web. 31 Aug. 2019 . .
The Intolerable Acts, also called the Coercive Acts were passed after the Boston Tea Party to punish the colonists for their revolt against taxes. First, the British closed Boston Harbor until money was found to replace the tea, only allowing certain items to come through. Next, the British traded the local council for an appointed one. To add on, they allowed British officials charged with a crime to go to England for trial. Finally, British troops were allowed to stay in colonists' homes. -
Lexington and Concord: Source- "Boston Campaign." American Battlefield Trust. N.p., 2019. Web. 31 Aug. 2019 . .
These two battles were the first battles of the American Revolutionary War. The night before, British troops were going to Concord to capture an arms cache, but Paul Revere alerted colonists that the British were on their way. In Lexington, 700 British troops and 77 militiamen battled, leaving 8 militiamen dead. The British made it to Concord and burned what arms were left. Militiamen who saw the fire went to some British soldiers; the British fired the first shots, but the militiamen shot back. -
Publishing of Common Sense: Source- Noble, Barnes. "Common Sense|Paperback." Barnes & Noble. N.p., 2019. Web. 31 Aug. 2019 . .
He originally published “Common Sense” anonymously, but nonetheless contributed to the American Revolution and quickly spread his beliefs about American independence. Most colonists still considered themselves as oppressed Britons, but his pamphlet changed their perspective. He explained his arguments clearly, allowing even uneducated people to understand it. His two main points were the need of independence from England, and building a democratic republic.
