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Albany Congress
Albany Congress was a meeting of colonial leaders in Albany, New York. The British wanted the colonies to cooperate in defending themselves against the French. They also invited the Iroquois. They hoped to form an alliance but the Iroquois refused. What ended up happening was Ben Franklin came up with a plan called the Albany Plan of Union. The Albany Congress approved but the colonial assemblies rejected it. -
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French and Indian War
The French and Native Americans fought the British, Iroquois, and colonists. They fought for control over the Ohio River valley. The British won the war, France lost their entire empire -
Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris was signed in Paris by the French and the British, this treaty had the French lose all their territory in the Americas including, French Canada, New Orleans, and Spanish Florida -
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Pontiac's War
In the last days of the French and Indian War a leader of the Ottawa nation, Pontiac, formed an alliance of Western Native Americans. In May 1763 they attacked British forts and at least 2000 backcountry settlers were killed. The Brittish finally defeated Pontiacs forces in early August. -
The Proclomation of 1763
The Britian wanted to avoid further wars with the Native Americans on the frontier. Therefore, the British government issued the Proclomation of 1763. It banned colonial settlement west of the line drawn along the Appalachian Mountains. Even though they just fought a war to get the lands west of the Appalachian Mountians for settlements. But the colonist didn't like this they ignored the Proclomation and proved impossible for the British to enforce. -
Sugar Act
The Sugar Act was a British effort to impose new taxes on the colonies. This act put several products on a duty such as molasses. It also called for harsh punishment of smugglers. Colonial merchants who sometimes traded in smuggled goods, protested. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was an even more unpopular law. This act required that all colonists buy special tax stamps for all kinds of products and activity's. Stamps were placed on newspapers, wills, licenses, insurance policies, land titles, contracts, and other documents. Protests were widespread. The colonist started to boycott which is an organized campaign to refuse to buy certain goods. The protests worked in 1766 parliament repealed the Stamp Act. -
The Quartering Act
One year later Parliament passed the Quartering Act. The purpose of this act was to save money. This act also required colonists to house, British troops and provide them with food and other supplies. The colonists protested angrily. The colonists complained that parliament was violating there rights. -
Boston Massacre
In Boston an angry crowd of workers and sailors surrounded a small group of soldiers. The angry crowd shouted at them threw snowballs and rocks. The frightened soldiers fired into the crowd killing 5 and wounded 6. They arrested 9 soldiers and charged them for murder. But John Adams a well known Massachusetts lawyer defended the soldiers, he did this because he believed that a free country every person should have lawyer and a free trial. The soldier had their thumbs branded. -
Tea Act
The Tea Act actually lowered the price if tea by allowing the East India Company to ship tea directly to the colonies Prior to the Tea Act. You would think that the colonists would like that the cost of tea was lowered but the colonists reacted angrily. The part of the act gave the East India Company a monopoly on selling British tea in the colonies. A monopoly is a control over a market for a certain product. The monopoly hurt colonial merchants. -
Boston Tea Party
A group of colonist called the Sons of Liberty soon organized in port cities to stop the East India Company from unloading. No tea was unloaded in New York, Philadelphia, or other ports except for Boston. Finally on the night of December 16, 1773 a large crowd gathered in the harbor they then threw 342 cases of tea into the harbor. They destroyed 90,000 pound of tea that's worth thousands of dollars -
Intolerable Acts
The Intolerable Acts closed down Boston harbor, two others increased the powers of the royal governor, abolished the upper house of the Massachusetts Legislature, and cut the powers of town meetings. Now anyone accused of murdering a British colonial official could be tried in Britain rather than in the colonies. Finally the fourth law strengthened the Quartering Act. Parliament also passed the Quebec act this acted claimed land between the Ohio river and Missouri rivers part of Canada. -
First Continental Congress
The First Continental Congress demanded a repeal or official end of the intolerable acts and declared that the colonies had the right to tax and govern themselves. They also called the training and militias to stand up to British troops as necessary. The Congress also called for a new boycott of British goods. -
Battles of Lexington and Concord.
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Battles of Lexington and Concord
General Thomas Gage sent 700 troops to seize the arms and capture some important colonial leader. As the troops send out to the Patriots appeared in the steeple of Bostons Old North Church. Two men Paul Revere and William Dawes they then rode out through the night to warn the minutemen. In the town of Lexington about 77 minutemen are waiting when the British arrived, suddenly a shot rang out. A larger battle took place in Concord this time the minutemen won. -
Battle for Fort Ticonderoga
In May of 1775 an group as the Green Mountain Boys attacked Fort Ticonderoga. That fort stood at the southern end of lake Champlain and protected the water route to Canada. The Green Mountain Boys attacked for two important reasons, it controlled the main route between Canada and the Hudson. The other reason it was important was because it help valuable weapons, especially cannons. The Americans needed the cannons to match the British's weapons. Later the cannons were moved to Boston. -
The Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress at first was divided about what to do. However, nearly all the delegates felt they needed to prepare for war. The first step was to form an army, they also chose George Washington as commander of the newly formed army. Another step was to pay for its army by printing paper money. The Second Continental Congress was starting to act like a government. -
Olive Branch Petition
The Olive Branch Petition was sent to King George to stop the fighting and have peace between the colonies and the British. The next day Congress passed a tougher statement called the Declaration of the Causes and Necessities of taking up arms. The effort to make peace failed King George didn't even bother to answer the Olive Branch Petition. instead he declared the colonies in open rebellion. Meanwhile Parliament voted to send 20,000 soldiers to the colonies to stop the revolt. -
Invasion of Quebec
Two American armies lead by Richard Montgomery, and Benedict Arnold were moving north to invade Quebec. Arnold army had a terrible journey north through Maine woods in the winter. His troops were forced to boil candles, bark, and shoe leather for food. Finally in late December 1775 the Americans attacked Quebec in a server snowstorm. The attack was turned back. Montgomery was killed and Arnold was wounded. The Americans stayed outside of Quebec until May 1776 when the Americans left Quebec. -
Battles of Bunker Hill and Breeds Hill
The Americans surrounding Boston were just farmers and workers, not trained soldiers. British General William Howe decided to march straight up Breeds Hill. But the American commander knew his soldiers were low on ammunition so he ordered them not to fire until the British were 150 feet away from them. When they opened fire hundreds of British soldiers dropped dead of wounded. The attack failed so they tried a second time that attack failed to but third didn't the Americans retreated for bullets -
The British Withdrawal From Boston
Washington needed powerful weapons to drive the British from Boston. He had the British cannons that were seized from Fort Ticonderoga, dragged on sleds across mountains and forest's to Boston. That trip took three months. Washington placed the cannons on high grounds over looking Boston. Now the British could no longer defend the city so the left Boston by sea and never returned.