Causes of the Revolutionary War

French and Indian War

Period: 1754 to 1763

This war was caused by the colonists upsetting the Natives because they were settling on their land. The two parties were going t make peace until George Washington killed the two men who were supposed to make peace with them, this led to a chain of fights between the parties. The British won and kicked the French out and caused the Proclamation of 1763.

The Proclamation of 1763

Oct 7, 1763

This was an effect of the French and Indian war that to prevent any more problems with the Natives the British made a boundary that did not allow the colonists to settle west of the Appalachian Mountains. The colonists did not like this because it made them feel that Great Britain was trying to control them.

Sugar Act

1764

This law was passed when Parliament needed a way to make some money because they were in debt from the French and Indian war. They put a tax on sugar and molasses and the colonist did not like it because they felt that Britain should not tax them if they didn't have a representative in Parliament.

Quartering Act

1765

This was a law passed that stated that the colonist had to feed and house the british troops while they were over there.

Stamp Act Congress

1765

This was an meeting made up of representatives from the colonies to get together and discuss the stamp act.The meeting happened in New York and they came up with an list of grievances and sent them to Britain.

Stamp Act

1765

This was a law that Parliament passed stated that every printed piece of paper had to have a British seal on it. The colonies really did not like this one, so much that a group named the Sons of Liberty was created and they actually delayed this law. The law was later repealed in the Stamp Act Resolves.

Declaratory Act

1766

This law stated that even though they had repealed some of the acts britain is now going to start really enforcing the laws.

Townshend Act

1767

Law that Parliament passed that put a tax on almost everything and was the first direct tax on the colonist, and also had the Writs of Assistance that allowed british soldiers to search a house for smuggled goods whenever they wanted. The colonist were furious about this law because they were being directly taxed.

Boston Massacre

Mar 5, 1770

*There was a altercation at kings hall between british soldiers and colonists
*It escalated and a British soldier fired his weapon and so did others.
*5 colonist were killed.

Boston Tea Party & Intolerable Acts

1773

This was an event were the Sons of Liberty dressed up as the Mohawk Indian tribe and went on to boat full of tea and dumped it into the Boston Harbor. This was dont because of the Townshend Act, the British responded by passing the Intolerable Act. This was a series of laws mainly known for shutting down the Boston Harbor.

Quebec Act

1774

This was a law passed by the British Parliament to start a permanent government in Canada replacing the temporary government created at the time of the Proclamation of 1763. It gave the French Canadians complete religious freedom and restored the French form of civil law.

First Continental Congress

Sep 5, 1774

This was a meeting that happened in Philadelphia, there were representatives from 12 of the 13 colonies Georgia being the one not present. They got together to discuss the Intolerable Acts, and they ended up organizing resistance to the acts and saying they would meet again in the spring.

Battle of Lexington and Concord

1775

This battle is important because it is the first of the war, this is when British troops were marching looking for hidden weapons and George washington and Samuel Adams.They were met by the colonial minutemen and started fighting. There were about 700 British deaths.

Second Continental Congress

May 10, 1775

This meeting was held in Philadelphia and they discussed the colonial war effort, making every state set up an army to be ready, they also wrote the Olive Branch petition and the Declaration of Independence.

Battle of Bunker Hill

Jun 17, 1775

This battle happened on bunker hill in Massachusetts where the colonists made the British soldiers try multiple times to make up the hill and defeat them. The colonist lost, but the fact that they hung in there with Britain gave them a huge confidence boost.

Declaration of Independence

Jul 4, 1776

This was a document written by Thomas Jefferson that stated that they were breaking away from England and it told the reasons why. This document is significant because it is the founding document of the USA, the document was signed on July 4 1776, and the colonist loved it.

Commo Sense

Jan 10, 1777

This was a pamphlet written by Thomas Paine, that was about how the colonies should want to break away from Britain because they were no less than the king, The importance of this is that it actually made more people want to be a independent country.