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Proclamation of 1763
The Proclamation of 1763 revoked the right for settlers to move west of the Appalachian mountains. The idea was to keep settlers East and away from Native Americans. But ultimately did not work. -
Sugar Act
The Sugar Act was a direct tax on sugar and molasses. It had been around for years before but became heavily enforced during this time. The colonists were in a state of economic depression at the time and reacted very angrily to the tax. -
The Currency Act
Colonists had a lack of currency to go trade as there were no gold or silver mines. So they began to print credit bills as a way to suffice this. The British issued the Currency Act which allowed them to take over the economy and banned the use of paper bills. The colonists did not like this and staged many protests against the act -
Quartering Act
The Quartering Act was proposed by the British that said all colonists must provide necessities and housing for nearby British soldiers if needed. The colonists were completely against this act as they were already paying taxes for army barracks. They also felt the army was not necessary as it was not a time of war. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was a direct tax on all paper documents. It was required to be paid by all people, wealthy and poor. The colonists were outraged as they had little money overall and did not want the army there in the first place. -
Repeal of the Stamp Act
After countless protests and boycotting. The King repealed the stamp act to stop the boycotts and appease the colonists. This was seen as a major win in the eyes of the colonists -
Declaratory Act
As an attempt to assert authority in the colonies. The British imposed the Declaratory Act which stated that the British taxing authority was the same in American as in Great Britain. The colonists did not like this at all and outright boycotted and ignored the act entirely. -
Townshend Act
The Townshend Act was a tax imposed by the British on items such as glass, paint, oil, and other such goods imported into the colonies. The colonists decided to boycott this as well. As it revived the notion in the colonies to stop using British imported goods. -
Boston Massacre
The presence of the army in Boston was highly unwelcome and soldiers were harassed often. A group of patriots began throwing things and shouting at British soldiers which turned into a street fight. 5 colonists were killed and the event sparked the move for independence even more. -
The Gaspee Affair
A British soldier was tasked to Narragansett Bay. He was known as a ruthless enforces of British law. A ship coming out of the harbor baited the soldiers ship, the HMS Gaspee, into grounding itself near the harbor. When news spread that it had grounded, a group of around 50 men attacked the boat and set it on fire. Which led to the British soldier being prosecuted for stealing goods and the suspects got away free. -
Tea Act
The Tea Act was a direct tax on imported tea. Which made it pretty much unaffordable to colonists. This led to the Boston Tea Party which resulted in colonists pouring $18,000 dollars worth of tea into the Boston Harbor in protest -
Intolerable Acts
The Intolerable Acts were imposed by the British to punish colonists for damages done. It closed the Boston Harbor and banned all town meetings. Which outraged colonists even further. -
Lexington and Concord
As the revolution began to brew. The King send a platoon of troops to Lexington and Concord to seize illegal weapons and stop the revolution before it could start. The troops were met by armed colonists and resulted in a bloody retreat of British soldiers. It was seem as a major victory and morale boost for patriots. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
Colonial troops are stationed here and occupy the hill. They were met by 1,500 British troops who staged a planned attack. The Americans run out of ammo and loose the hill but it was still seen as a morale boost for the troops. -
Second Continental Congress
The congress gather again to discuss recent issues as tensions continued to rise. The congress drafted the Olive Branch Petition, which proposed a return of peace between the colonists and Great Britain but was ignored by the King. They also decided a continental army would be formed and appointed George Washington as the commander.
