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Treaty of Paris
In 1763, the Treaty of Paris ended the war triumphantly for the British, who kept Canada, the Great Lakes country, the Ohio River valley, and Florida. They had driven the French from North America. Thereafter, the Mississippi River became the boundary between the British and the Spanish claims in North America. During the 1760's, the British acted on their own to impose new taxes and new regulations on coloional trade. Those changes angered the colonists. -
The Sugar Act
Colonial merchants had grown rich from trade, often smuggling or bribing officials to avoid duties, or taxes, on imports. The new prime minister, George Grenville, proposed rasising money by collecting duties already in effect. the law, known as Sugar Act was put in effect. -
Quatering Act
In early 1765, Parliament passed another unpopular law, the Quatering Act. This act required the colonies to provide housing and supplies for the British troops stationed there after the French and Indian War. Colonists complained but most went along with the changes because they accepted Parliament's right to regulate trade and provide for defense. -
Stamp Acts
Parliament passed a bill intended to raise money from the colonies. THe stamp act required colonists to pay a tax on almost on all printed materials incliding newspapers, books, court documents, contracts, and land deads.This was the first time that Parliament had imposed a direct tax within the colonies. -
Sons of Liberty
In the seaport streets, people showed a powerful new interest in politics. To lead the popular protests, some men formed associations known as the Sons of Liberty. Their most famous leader was Samuel Adams, a cousin of John Adams. As the protest continued, angry crowds assaulted colonists who supported or helped to collect the taxes. -
Boston Massacre
One night in March 1770, a group of colonists hurled snowballs and rocks at British soliders guarding the Custom House. The nervous soliders fired into the crowd, killing five colonists. The dead included Crispus Attucks, a sailor who may have been an escaped slave. Under the leadership of Samuel Adams, Patriots called the killings the Boston Massacre. -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was a political protest in Boston, Massachusetts residents against the British parliament. The tea boycott worsened financial problems for the already struggling British East India Company. To help the company and encourage the colonists to pay the tax. -
Intolerable Act
When the people from Boston destroyed the Tea, Parliament and the Crown were so outraged that they passed the Coercive Act. THey closed the port to trade until the inhabitance payed for the ruined tea including taxes. The colonists were outraged. In addition to closing the port, the acts forced colonists to ouse British troops and allowed British officials to be tried in Britian for crimes commited in the colonies. The horrified colonists called the legislation the "Intolerable Acts." -
First Continental Congress
Fortuanetely for Massachusetts, the other colonies also opposed the Coercive Acts and viewed them as a threat to their freedom. Delegates from every colony except Georgia met in Philadelphia,Pa, for the First Contiential Confress. Virginia's delegates included the fiery Patrick Henry, who became famous for declaring, "Give me liberty, or give me death." -
Battle of Lexington and Concord
Two country towns west of Boston. Gage provoked the battles by sending troops to arrest Hancock and Adams in Lexington and to seize Patriot weapons stockpiled in Concord. Tipped off by men, including Paul Revere, who had ridden into the countryside to warn of the approaching British troops, the local Patriots rallied to drive the troops back to Boston.
