-
Albany Plan of Union
In 1754, in response to French attacks on the frontier, Benjamin Franklin proposed a plan for uniting the colonies- the Albany Plan of Union. The colonies rejected the plan because it gave too much power to an assembly made up of representatives from all thirteen colonies. -
French and Indian War
This war changed the relationship between the British and the colonies. The British defeated the French, wiping out their power in North America. It started as a struggle between the French and the British over lands in western Pennsylvania and Ohio. By 1756, several other European countries became involved. The defeat of France meant American colonies no longer needed the British to protect them from the French. British was left with a huge war debt the leaders wanted the colonists to pay for. -
George III becomes king of Great Britain
When George III became king of Great Britain, he was determined to deal firmly with the American colonies. The king levied taxes on tea, sugar, glass, paper, and other products to help pay for the war. -
Stamp Act
the Stamp Act of 1765 imposed the first direct tax on the colonists. It required them to pay a tax on legal documents, pamphlets, newspapers, and even dice and playing cards. -
Stamp Act Congress
Nine colonies sent delegates to a meeting in New York called the Stamp At Congress. This was the first meeting organized by the colonies to protest King George's action. Delegates to the congress sent a petition to the king, arguing that only colonial legislatures could imposed direct taxes such as the Stamp Act. -
Boston Tea Party
British passed other tax laws to replace the Stamp Act, but the situation reached a boiling point in 1773. a group of colonists dressed up as Mohawk Indians dumped 342 chests of British tea into Boston. In retaliation the Parliament passed the Coercive Acts, which the colonists called the Intolerable Acts. One of these acts closed Boston Harbor. -
Coericive Acts
Parliament passed the Coercive Acts in relations to the Boston Tea Party. The colonists called this the Intolerable Acts. One of these closed the Boston Harbor. Another of the Coercive Acts withdrew the right of Massachusetts colony to govern itself. -
Committees of Correspondence
They urged resistance to the British. They consisted of colonists who wanted to keep in touch with one another as events unfolded. Samuel Adams established the first committee in Boston. The idea spread quickly, and within a few months, Massachusetts alone had more than 80 such committees. Virginia and other colonies soon joined in this communication network. Two prominent members of the Virginia committee of correspondence were Thomas Jefferson and Patrick Henry. -
First Continental Congress
Key colonial members such as Patrick Henry, Samuel Adams, Richard Henry Lee, and George Washington attended. The delegates debated what to do about the relationship with Great Britain. They imposed an embargo on Britain and agreed not to use British goods. They also proposed a meeting the following year if Britain didn't change its policies. -
Second Continental Congress
Delegates from all thirteen colonies gathered in Philadelphia for the second Continental Congress. It immediately assumed the powers of a central government. It chose John Hancock of Massachusetts as president. He was a well-known leader, but he was also a wealthy merchant and thus well-placed for helping to raise funds for an army. The Second Continental Congress served as the acting government of the colonials throughout the war. It purchased supplies, negotiated treaties, and rallied support. -
Lexington and Concord
British Redcoats clashed with colonial minutemen at Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts. This was the first battle of the Revolutionary War. -
Resolution of Independance
More than a year after fighting had begun in the colonies, Richard Henry Lee of Virginia did declare independence. Lee introduced a resolution in the Continental Congress. -
Declaration of Independence
John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Robert Livingston, and Roger Sherman had to prepare a written declaration of independence. The committee asked Thomas Jefferson to write the draft. A month later the congress approved Lee's resolution. The colonies officially broke with Great Britain. The Congress then turned its attention to Jefferson's draft. A few changes were made and about a months later the Congress approved the final draft. John Hancock was the first to sign the document.
