Events Leading up to the American Revolution

By 21cday

  • The Sugar Act

    The Sugar act was actually a tax decrease. The tax was lowered to try and stop the smuggling of sugar. This was an indirect tax that was paid within the price of the sugar. The Colonists looked at this as if it was a new tax. This was because the colonists had not had their taxes inforced before.

  • The Stamp Act

    The Stamp Act was a tax on all printed goods. This was a direct tax, which means it was paid separate from your item or good. This was seen as an additional tax, and the colonists felt that their rights were violated. This was met with resistance

  • The Quartering Act

    The Quartering Act requires all Americans to house and feed British soldiers in the colonies. The colonists didn't like that they had to house and feed British soldiers because it meant that they had to provide for a whole nother person. The British Soldiers were also seen as foreigners.

  • The Townshed Act

    The Townshed Act replaced The Stamp Act. This was a tax on glass, paint, tea, and more. This is similar to the navigation acts. The exception was that the money was used to finance the troops in the colonies. This act was repealed in 1770 just four years after going into effect.

  • Second Continental Congress

    The Second Continental Congress has the same delegates as before but with some new and very influential faces. Such as Ben Franklin, John Hancock, and Thomas Jefferson. Not all of them wanted independence. So the Olive Branch was sent asking for the king to cease fire on Boston, to repeal acts, and to define the colonists' rights. The King sees this as an Open state of Rebellion. The delegates nominate George Washington to be the General of the army.

  • Massachusetts Government Act

    The Massachusetts Government Act was passed by Great Britain's parament in 1774, and was designed to control Massachusetts errant behavior. Britain though the reason Massachusetts was so defiant and outspoken was that they had the right to self govern. So they took away the right for all of Massachusetts to practice Self Government.

  • The Boston Tea Party

    The Boston Tea party was the event when a group of people who hated the Tea Act got together and dressed up as Indians to go into Boston Harbor. Once in the harbor they bordered ships and dumped $1-3 million worth of tea into the harbor. The king of Great Britain called this a "Threat to British rule."

  • The Boston Port Act

    The Boston Port Act was designed to punish the citizens of Boston, Massachusetts for the incident that would become known as the Boston Tea Party. The Port Act was one of a series of British Laws referred to as the Intolerable Acts passed by the Parliament of Great Britain. The Boston Port Act shut down Boston Harbor and allowed no goods to come in or leave Boston Harbor. The only way for the port to be reopened was for the colonist to pay back the $1 million in tea dumped int the harbor.

  • The First Continental Congress

    The First Continental Congress was a meeting of delegates from 12 of the 13 colonies. They met in Philidelphia in response to what was happening to Boston and Massachusetts and because of the intolerable acts

  • "Shot heard 'round the world"

    The shot heard 'round the world was the battle of Concord, and this phrase refers to the first shot fired at Concord between the British and the Americans. This is the first battle of the American Revolution, and marks the start of the Revolutionary war.