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French and Indian War
This was a war between Britain and France over the Ohio river valley. Many of the British colonists wanted this war because they wanted to move into the river valley . However even though the British won they did not let the colon.ists go into the valley because Britain couldn't protect them from the Indians. The war ended in 1763 -
Proclamation of 1763
After Britain won the French and Indian war british was worried since the Indians sided with the Frenh about the safty of the colonists. Britain passed the Proclamation of 1763 to keep colonists safe from the native americans. The colonists didnt like this though because they wanted ot move into the valley and Britain wouldn't let them and so when colonists tried to protest they sent soldiers to keep the colonists wheer they were. -
Treaty of Paris
This treaty ended the French and Indian war. It gave Spain everything west of the Ohio River Valley and Britain claimed everything East of the river valley because they won the war. The majority of the colonists were very happy about winning the war, but what they weren't happy about is the Proclamation of 1763 that stated that they couldn't go beyond the Appalachian mountians. -
Sugar Act
A law passed by Parliament that taxed sugar and molasses. The colonists were not affected majorly but it did make them worry about future taxes. -
Stamp Act
A law passed by Parliament that taxed every piece of offical paper. The Stamp Act Congress formed to organized a boycott and burnings. Because of all of this resistance the act was eventually repealed. -
Writs of Assistance
A law passed by Parliament that allowed certian British officers to search merchant ships. The colonists weren't directly affected by this act, but the merchants felt that it was a invasion of privacy. -
Townshed Acts
This law passed by Parliament on various household items. Colonists boycotted the items that were taxed and the act was eventually repealed. -
Quartering Act
During this act the colonists had to provide food and housing to whatever soldier came by, so britian didnt have to. The colonists were very angry about this act, but there wasn't much they could do about it. -
Boston Massacre
A mob attacked soldiers at the Boston Customs House and soldiers fired shots and killed 5 protesters. Sam Adams was the first person to call this event a massacre and his naming this event causeed quite a stir among the colonies. The first causualty of the massacre was Crispus Attucks and he was african american and indian. -
Tea Act
British East India monopolized all the tea in the colonies and made the colonists pay more fo the tea. The colonists were enraged and so they dumped tea into the Boston Bay. -
Boston Tea Party
The colonists were enraged by the taxes on the tea, and so they dumped 90,000 pounds of tea into the Boston Harbor. Britian then shut down harbors so the colonists had to pay even more for their goods if they got them at all. -
Intolerable Acts
A series of laws passed Parliament that included: the port of Boston was closed, and the colonists couldn't hold town meetings. The colonists becan to unify in the First Continetal Congress. -
First Continetal Congress
The First Continetal Congress met in Philadelphia and the delagates decided to ban all trade with Britan until the acts repealed. They also decided to start training troops just in case the colonies went to war with Britan. The reason for this meeting was that the colonies were scared after the Boston Massacre. -
Give me Liberty Speech
Patrick Henry knew there would be a war so he tried to prepare the colonists.He gave his famous "Give Me Liberty" speech at the House of Burgesses and fired up the colonists for the war. His famous line was"Give me liberty or give me death!" -
Battles of Lexington and Concord
After the Midnight ride the colonists were prepared for the British to attack. When 700 British troops reached Lexington, only 70 colonists were waiting and somehow three of the colonists were killed. Britian marched to Concord and to their suprise 4,000 militiamen were waiting to attack. The Americans were ready for the war to start and to earn their independence. -
The Battle of Bunker Hill
This was one of the middle battles of the war and though Britian techlecally won bothe sides suffered. -
Second Contential Congress
The Contential Congress met this second time because they realised that there was no way to aviod war with Britain. At this meeting the Congress decided to start drafting a Declaration of Independence from Britain, decided to start training a contential army and decided to apoint General George Washington as the leader of the army. The Congress also decided to have Tomas Jefferson draft a Declaration of Independence. -
Common Sense published
Tomas Paine was an englishman living in the colonies and he noticed the obvious things that the colonists set in their ways hadn't. He published the pamphlet called Common Sense to increase public support for the war. -
Declaration of Independence
In 1776 the Contenital Congress met and eanted to declare independence. Not all of the colonies wanted to agree to declare independence so the Congress apointed Tomas Jefferson to write the first draft so the colonies could agree on something. The offical document was passed on July 4th 1776. the base ideas for the Declaration came from the ideas of John Locke. -
Battle of Trenton & Princeton
Washington launched a suprise attack and captured over 800 Hessian prisoners without losing any of his men. This was a big blow because the Hessians were not prepared. -
Battle of New York
During this battle Britain wanted to capture New York because it was the economic capitol of the U. S.. Britain attacked Washington's army with the hopes of capturing the city and Washington, but somehow Washington avoided capture. Even though Washington got away the British inflicted heavy casualties. -
Battle of Saratoga
British general Burgoyne planned on cutting off New England from the other colonies in order to seperate and conqure the armies seperatly. Daniel Morgan and the colonists had another plan, so with American General Gates they surrounded Burgoyne's remaining army in Saratoga and forced them to surrender. An important effect of this battle is that shortly after Benjamin Franklin got France on the side of the colonists and later they convinced Spain to help. This was called the Treaty of Allience. -
Winter at Valley Forge
The winter at Valley Forge was long and hard. The nights were extremely cold and the soldiers were ill equiped; many were wearing the same clothes for weeks on end for everything they did. Even with the hardship, Washington pulled out a victory. Sadly most of the men that dies, died not from war, but from starvation and frostbite. -
Battle of Yorktown
During this final battle of the American Revolution, general Cornwallis was moving his troops to Virginia. General Washington sent James Armestead to double as a spy in the British ranks. Washington forced the British army back and fleet of French ships helped trapped Cornwallis and defeat Britain. -
Treaty of Paris
This treaty ended the war between the United States and Great Britain. Britain agreed to see the U.S. as an independant countryand to give America all of the land east of the Mississippi river up to Canada which they kept. The U.S. agreed to give the loyalists their land back.
