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The Stamp Act
Britain sets a tax that requires a stamp on all public documents like newspapers or legal documents. The colonists did not like having this tax placed on them. This led to unrest in the colonies and the Stamp Act Congress (October 1765). -
The Boston Massacre
Boston colonists are shot by British troops. -
The Boston Tea Party
Angry with a new tax on tea, some Boston colonists calling themselves the Sons of Liberty board British ships and dump crates of tea into the Boston Harbor. -
The First Continental Congress Meets
Representatives from the colonies get together to unite and oppose British taxes. -
Paul Revere's Ride
The Revolutionary War starts and Paul Revere makes his famous ride to warn the colonists that the "British are coming". -
Battle of Lexington and Concord
The actual fighting starts with the first "shot heard around the world". The Americans win as the British retreat. -
Capture of Fort Ticonderoga
The Green Mountain Boys led by Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold capture Fort Ticonderoga from the British. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
Major battle where William Prescott told the American troops "don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes". -
The Declaration of Independence is Adopted
The Continental Congress agrees to Thomas Jefferson's Declaration of Independence. -
George Washington Crosses the Delaware
George Washington and his troops cross the Delaware River on Christmas night and surprise the enemy. -
America Chooses a Flag
The Continental Congress adopts the "Stars and Stripes" Flag sewn by Betsy Ross. -
Battles of Saratoga
British General John Burgoyne surrenders his army to the Americans after suffering defeat at the Battles of Saratoga. -
Valley Forge
The Continental army under George Washington spends the winter training at Valley Forge. -
Alliance with France
France recognized the United States as an independent country with the Treaty of Alliance. -
Articles of Confederation
Defined the official government of the United States. -
Battle of Yorktown
The last major battle of the American Revolutionary War. British General Cornwallis' surrender at Yorktown was the unofficial end to the war. -
Treaty of Paris
Treaty that officially ended the war.