-
End of the French and Indian War
The end of the French and Indian war was just the beginning of why colonists wanted their independence. It all started when the Britsh set up the Proclamation Line of 1763, which forced colonists to stay away from the newly claimed land. Colonists that did cross the line sometimes had their log cabin burnt down by troops. The British did not want to spend anymore money to protect colonists if they wanted to move westward. Many taxes were enforced after this to help with the debt of the war. -
The Sugar Act
This act was the first of many to come. This was a tax that forced colonists to pay a three cent tax on sugar. It also increased taxes on coffee, indigo, and wine. Many colonists were angered by this because it was enforced without their consent. The act was repealed in 1766 and replaced with the Revenue Act. -
The Stamp Act
This tax required colonists to pay a tax on every piece of printed paper they used. Ship's papers, legal documents, licenses, newspapers, other publications, and even playing cards were taxed. The money collected from this act was used to pay the cost of defending and protecting the American fronteir across the Appalachian Mountains. This offended colonists because they were actally raising money for something without being informed. The actual cost of the Stamp Act was relatively small. -
The Quartering Act of 1765
This act required colonists to allow British soldiers to live with them. If there was no space for the soldiers, they would be allowed to say in inns, uninhabited houses, barns, and other buildings. Colonists were expected to pay the cost of housing and feeding the troops. In 1766,1,500 troops arrived in New York refusing to follow the Quartering Act. This expired on March 24, 1776. -
The Boston Massacre
This event could be considered as a street fight between a mob and a group of soldiers. It all started when soldiers started to receive verbal abuse and then snowballs, sticks, and rocks were thrown at them.Then shots were fired by the soldiers at the mob of people. This led to 5 dead and 6 wounded. The Boston Massacre was a signal event leading to the Revolutionary War. -
The Gaspee Affair
This event happend because of the anger colonists had after the Townsend Acts were passed. The HMS Gaspee was an armed British customs vessel that stopped off the coast of Rhode Island. John Brown and 67 colonists saw an opportunity to take their anger out. They rowed out to the ship then seized control of the ship and shot its Scottish captain in the abdomen. The captain and crew were sent to shore but their ship was lit on fire.No action was taken because the suspects weren't identified. -
The Tea Act
This act was one of the several measures imposed on the colonists. The main purpose was to bail out theEast India Company that helped the British economy. This imposed that American colonists couldn't buy tea unless it came from the East India Company. The colonists never accepted this. Their resistance was shown at the Boston Tea Party. -
The Boston Tea Party
When three ships arrived in the Boston Harbor, colonists demanded that the tea be returned to England. This caused a group of Massachusetts colonists disguised as Mohawk Indians to board the ships at night. Then they dumped 342 chests of tea into the harbor. The Boston Tea Party was a protest of the Tea Act. The Intolerable Acts were put into place after this event. -
The Boston Port Act
This was one of the measures of the Intolerable Acts and a very significant one. The act was a punishment against the colonists for the destruction that took place at the Boston Tea Party. This caused the Boston port to be closed causing loss of goods, merchandise, and resources to the colonists. That event left merchants terrified for an impending econmic disaster. The Boston Port Act was one of the easiest acts to put in place of the Intolerable Acts. -
The Battle of Lexington and Concord
This event was known as the start of the Revolutionary War and the first victory for the colonists. It started in Lexington where 700 British troops came upon 77 militiamen which were one of the groups of the colonists military. Shots were fired which left 9 militiamen dead and only one Redcoat( British troop) injured. After this event the fighting continued in Concord. This event proved they could stand up to one of the most powerful armies in the world.
