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The End of the French and Indian War
At the end of the French and Indian War, also known as the Seven Years' War, the Treaty of Paris was signed by officials from Great Britain, France, and Spain. It stated that the British got all of the French lands in Canada and lands east of the Mississippi River. After this treaty was signed, Great Britain removed their policy of salutary neglect on the colonies, causing mass outrage. They also end up in huge debt after the war and decide that the colonies should pay for some of it with taxes. -
Proclamation of 1763
The Proclamation of 1763 was issued after the end of the French and Indian War. It ordered that colonists stay to the east of the Appalachian Mountains. Although, there were very few British troops to try and restrain the thousands of already settled colonists. The troops tried to enforce it by burning a couple of log cabins, but the settlers just rebuilt them. This bothered the colonists because they helped the British win the war and the land so they felt as if they should be able to use it. -
The Sugar Act is Passed
The Sugar Act was a modified version of the Sugar and Molasses Act of 1733 and levied taxes on imports to British colonies in North America. It was established to tax sugar, molasses, and other necessary assets from the West Indies but it actually lowered the duty on foreign molasses instead. The primary purpose of this act was to raise revenue and it was strictly enforced in hopes of ensuring that the colonists pay their taxes. -
The Quartering Act is Passed
The Quartering Act of 1765 required the colonies to provide housing and supplies for the British troops stationed there after the French and Indian War. The soldiers were there to defend the colonies but the colonists complained in return. They did not like having British soldiers in their homes nor being forced to supply for them. Most of the colonists however went along with the changes because they accepted Parliament's right to regulate trade and provide for defense. -
The Stamp Act is Passed
Great Britain passed the Stamp Act, which was a tax on all printed items made from paper including books, legal documents, newspapers and etc. This act caused a general frustration among the colonists, because it was the first direct tax from Parliament that was imposed on them. The colonists were required to pay this tax to aid Britain in their debt from the French and Indian War, which the colonists helped fight. Protests from the colonists got the act repealed in just under a year later. -
Townshend Acts are Passed
The Townshend Acts levied new import duties on everyday items such as glass, lead, paint, paper, and tea. They were collected to support the royal officials in the colonies but the colonists didn't want the money to be used for their pay. The Townshend Acts also allowed custom officials to enter anyone's home without probable cause to look for smuggled goods. This greatly angered the colonists and so they boycotted goods. This was very effective because the taxes were repealed except for tea. -
The Boston Massacre
One night a group of colonists threw rocks and snowballs at British soldiers. The soldiers were guarding the customs house. Soldiers then shot the crowd after they heard someone yell fire and they killed five colonists. Of the dead included one colonist who escaped slavery, named Crispus Attucks. Colonists saw an engraving of the Boston Massacre made by Paul Revere and got very angry. It looked like the British soldiers were slaughtering innocent colonists. It was used as propaganda. -
Boston Tea Party
Colonists heavily protested and boycotted in response to the existing tax on tea from the Townshend Acts. In return, Parliament passed another law in which only they could directly sell tea to the colonies and their tea was cheaper. The colonists felt as if they were being tricked by the British to pay into their taxes and instead took matters into their own hands. In the night, Patriots disguised themselves as Indians and snuck aboard the British ships and dumped all of the tea into the harbor. -
The Intolerable Acts are Passed
The Intolerable Acts, also known as the Coercive Acts, were a series of cruel laws passed down by Parliament intended to control the colonies. The Parliament wanted the colonists to pay for the destroyed tea so the laws consisted of closing the trading ports, increasing the powers of the governor, sending more warships and troops to Boston, forcing colonists to house British troops, taking away their claimed land and allowing British officials to be tried in America. The colonists were outraged. -
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First Continental Congress Meets
Due to Parliament's enactment of the Intolerable Acts in the colonies, the First Continental Congress was formed. It was a meeting between the colonies, excluding Georgia, to discuss the procedures that would be taken in response to Parliament's actions. The First Continental Congress established colonial unity, colonial resistance to the Intolerable Acts, a new government that bypassed Parliament, and an organized boycott of British imports. -
The Battles of Lexington and Concord
The Battles of Lexington and Concord started off the American Revolutionary war. Up until then, the tensions between the colonies and the British have been building up for years and were very strained. Hundreds of British troops marched to nearby Concord in order to seize the weapons and ammunition held by Congress in the armory and to capture revolutionists. But the midnight riders quickly sounded the alarm and colonial militiamen intercepted and cut them off. The British ended up retreating.
