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French/Indian war
The French Canadians wanted the rich Ohio River Valley. But Britain protested their invasion and wants Ohio for themselves and war began. The Virginia Government sent militia to evict the French. In September 1759 the British defeated the French in a surprise attack. The war officially ended in 1763 with the Treaty of Paris. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was a tax law the required colonists to purchase special stamps to prove payments of tax on documents such as wills, newspaper, and playing cards. The Boston people formed a group called the sons of liberty to protest the law. The merchants of New York, Boston, and Philadelphia boycotted the British goods until the Stamp act was repealed in March 1766 -
Townshend Act
This act taxed goods that were imported into the colony from Britain such as lead, glass, paint, and paper. The acts also imposed a tax on tea. The colonists protested "taxation without representation”. Samuel Adams (one of the founders of the Sons of Liberty) led the colonists to boycott British goods. It was finally repealed in July of 1767. -
Boston Massacre
The Colonists taunted British soliders who fired into the crowd and killed five inculding Crispus Attucks who was an american slave and considered a hero. Colonial leaders quickly labeled the confrontation the Boston Massacre. -
Tea Act
British Lord North created the Tea Act in order to give the bankrupt East Indian Company special concessions in the colonial tea business. This shut out Colonial tea merchants, angering them into dumping all the tea, which was known as the Boston Tea Party. -
Boston Tea Party
A large group of Boston Rebels disguised themselves as Native Americans and proceeded to take actions against three British tea ships anchored in the harbor. The "Indians" dumped 18,000 pounds of tea into the waters of the Boston harbor rebelling against the Tea Acts. -
Intolerable Acts
The Intolerable Acts were put into action to punish the colonists for the Boston Tea Party. There were three major acts: 1) They closed the Boston Harbor until the Colonists paid for all the tea that they threw into the harbor. 2) It allowed British soldiers to do whatever they wanted and not be tried for any crime they may commit. 3) Made so they could only have town meetings once a year unless the governor approved any more. In response the colonist assembled the First Continental Congress. -
First Continental Congress
56 delegates met in Philadelphia and drew up a declaration of colonial rights. The King and Parliament must be made to understand the grievances of the colonies. If the British used force they could fight back. -
Lexington and Concord
The minutemen pledged to fight against the British so they stocked piled firearms and gunpowder. British General Thomas Gage learned about these activities so he sent soldiers to destroy guns and ammunition. Paul Revere rode from town to town warning citizens that the British were coming. The war started in Lexington and only lasted 15 minutes and then they moved on to Concord where they met 3 to 4 thousand minutemen where they defeated the British in a bloody battle. -
Second Continental Congress
The Colonial leaders came up with the Second Continental Congress to decide their next move. Some delegates called for independence while others wanted reconciliation with Great Britian. At the end they all agreed to recognize the colonial militia and appointed George Washington as commander. -
Publishing of Common Sense
Thomas Paine wrote this pamphlet to explain that revolting against King George would help people see that independence would allow America to trade more freely, create a better society, free from tyranny, and with equal social and economic opportunities for all. It helped many to overcome colonists’ doubts about separating from Britain.