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The Mayflower lands at Plymouth Rock
The Mayflower was a ship that carried about 100 pilgrims who were searching for a place where they could practice their religion freely. The Plymouth rock was the rock that the Pilgrims stepped on when they first arrived in America, according to the history book. The ship was heading for Virginia at first, but due to harsh weather, they ended up in Cape Cod, present day Massachusetts. -
Pennsylvania becomes a colony
Pennsylvania was founded and named by William Penn and many Quakers, who are members of Christian groups. The people there allowed freedom of religion. Pennsylvania had an important role in the Revolutionary war. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was where the first and second Continental Congress was taken, and it was also the capital before Washington D.C., where the Declaration of Independence was signed. -
The French and Indian War
May 28, 1754 is the date when George Washington and his troops hit the French fort Duquesne, which can also be thought as the start of the French and Indian war. The reason the French and Britain fought was to take over the American land and keep control over it. It lasted 7 years, and the war ended with Britain gaining the victory. -
The Sugar Act
The reason for the passage of this law was to prevent the colonists from contrabanding molasses into the colonies and to also raise money for the army. It put taxes on sugar and molasses, and naturally the price for rum, wine, and coffee rose too. The colonists complained about this, and started to boycott English products. -
The Currency Act
The currency act, also called the Paper Bills of Credit Act, was a law that Great Britain passed that banned colonies from printing paper money and only allowed silver or gold for pay. Britain tried to block colonists from creating their own currency, which became another reason for the revolutionary war. -
The Stamp Act
England wanted to pay their troops in the colonies, so they passed the Stamp Act. It put a tax on papers, documents, and other stuff. If the colonists didn’t pay, they were punished unfairly without a jury. The colonists hated this act. For them, it was an example of “taxation without representation.” -
The Quartering Act
It was a law that forced colonists to provide food, housing, transportation, bedding, beverages and so on to the British soldiers. Its purpose was to reduce the cost going into the soldiers because Great Britain was lacking money from the French and Indian war. The colonists thought that this law was unfair, and it had an effect on the revolution. -
The Townshend Acts
The purpose of this law was to raise revenue by taxing goods in the colonies, such as glass, paper, paint, lead, and tea. This law was named after Charles Townshend, who was a British politician who passed the Townshend Revenue Act. The colonists protested to Britain because the law wasn’t passed by the colonists’ government, and only the British government. -
The Boston Massacre
The colonists were forced to pay the taxes because of the laws taxing items. In response, patriots broke into stores that sold British goods and threatened the people. But one day, a British soldier named Hugh White was on guard, met some patriots and started a fight. Captain Thomas Preston and his soldiers headed to rescue White. However, due to a misunderstanding, the soldiers ended up shooting the people, and the battle ended leaving 5 dead and 6 wounded people. This was the Boston Massacre. -
The Boston Tea Party
The Boston tea party, also known as the midnight raid, was a protest from the colonists to Great Britain. It was because of a law passed called the Tea Act of 1773. The colonists were mad about being taxed on tea. So to show their anger, they found a ship docked at the port of Boston and threw 342 chests of black tea into the sea. -
The First Continental Congress
The first Continental Congress took place in the Carpenters' Hall located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Delegates from 12 of the colonies gathered in the congress and talked about the future of America and about another law passed by the Parliament, the Coercive Act. The congress passed the Articles of Association which was to boycott English goods until the Coercive Act was abolished. -
Patrick Henry's "Give me Liberty or give me Death" Speach
Patrick Henry is a politician and also an independence activist of America. He was self-educated, and eventually became a lawyer at the age of 24. In the second Virginia Convention, he had a speech known as the “Give me liberty or give me death” speech. The speech convinced people to prepare for the war against the British. -
The Ride of Paul Revere
Paul Revere was an American silver industry player and also a patriot during the American Revolution. He usually worked as a herald. The purpose of this event was for Paul Revere to alert the patriot leaders, such as Samuel Adams and John Hancock that the British military was on their way to capture them in Lexington and Concord. -
The Second Continental Congress
The second Continental Congress located in the Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A total of 56 delegates from each of the colonies gathered together to discuss the threat of the British troops, and also pass the Articles of Confederation. They eventually decided to create a continental army. The Articles of Confederation stated that the 13 colonies would unite together to defend the British. -
George Washington named Commander in Chief
The Second Continental Congress concluded that they needed the ‘Continental Army’. It was formed to prepare for the British troops in case they attack. George Washington, also known as the first president of the United States later on, was named Commander in Chief of the Continental Army. He was elected by the candidates of the congress. Many people served him as a sort of monarch, and bought trust from the colonists.
