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French and Indian War
The British responded to the French building forts by sending a small militia to prevent the construction of one of the forts. The British then for several represantatives of colonies to meet in order to provide for common defence. The war ended with the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1763 resulting in a British victory. This victory ensured that Great Britain's colonies no longer faced danger from outside attacks from other European powers. -
Proclamation of 1763
The British Government issued a proclamation that prohibited the colonists from expanding west of the Appalachian Mountains. This was to prevent conflict between the colonists and the Native Americans. The colonists viewed this as restricting their rights to the land they had earned fighting in the French and Indian war. The colonists defied this proclamation and many went westward. This defiance demonstrated the first active resistance to the British Government. -
Sugar Act of 1764
The British Government issued the Sugar Act that placed taxes on foreign sugars and other luxaries. This was also accompanied by a companion law that would more strictly enoforce an act to prevent smuggling in the colonies. These acts were significant because they put tighter regulations in the colonies that would eventually lead to more and more frustrated colonists. -
The Quartering Act of 1765
This act required colonists to provide food and accomadations for any British soldier stationed in the colonies. This act enfringed on the colonists privacy. It was a something for the colonists to use as ammunation later when stating their grievances against the British Government. -
The Stamp Act of 1765
This requried that a direct tax was placed on paper in the colonies such as legal documents newspapers, pamplets, and advertisements. As this was the first direct tax people weren't happy and protested it. The colonists called for representation in Parliment and protested the act until it was repealed. This act resisitance further planted the seeds of revolution into the minds of the colonists. -
Stamp Act Congress
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The Boston Massacre
Some colonists were harassing some guards outside of a customs houseand the guards fired into the crowd killing 5 people. This attack was blown out of proportion by Samuel Adams claiming that it was a massacre. This is significant because it showed the rising levels of tension between the colonists and the British. -
The Gaspee Affair
The Gaspee, a British customs ship that was very successfull at catching smugglers, ran aground of the shore of Rhode Island. Colonists disguised as Native Americans the set fire to the ship after ordering the British crew ashore. This demonstrated the frustrations the colonists felt with the rising regulations of the British. -
Boston Tea Party
The colonists refused to buy British tea due to the tax on it. Hoping to help the East India Company the British passeed an act that lowered the price of the company's tea. Americans still refused to buy the tea and a gropu of Bostonians dumped 342 chests of tea into the harbor. The reactions to this were mixed as some supported it and others didn't but it further planted the seads of revolution. -
Intolerable Acts
These Acts were put in place after the Boston Tea Party and they severly reduced the colonial power in Masachusetts while also closing of Boston Harbor. Anohter act was passed that organized the Canadian lands gained from France. It was resented by the 13 colonies. These acts would serve to anger the colonists and began to call for change. -
First Continental Congress
The colonists met in order to determine how the colonies could deal with the threat to their rights and liberty. There were seveal different factions in the meeting including radicals, moderates and consevatives. These delagates adopted a moderate proposal for the British Government that called for more colonial power in the colonies. This is significant because it began to show self government in the colonies. -
Second Continental Congress
The second congress met with two main groups, those who wanted independance and those who wanted to work things out with the British Government. The colonists took some military actions but mostly had peacful proposals. This meeting shows the expanded sense of self government in the colonies at the time. -
Olive Branch Petition
This petioned the king to secure peace and the protection of colonial rights for their loyalty. The King dismissed this plea and declared the colonies as rebeling. This shows how the colonies didn't want to go to war but knew that if this failed there would be war. -
Thomas Paine's Common Sense
This pamphlet uged that the people to consider independance. Paine said that common sensed\ dictated that the colonies break all ties with England. This is significant because this convinced many people that seperating from England truly was a good idea and would shape the course of American History. -
The Declaration of Independence
This document delared the colonie's independence from Great Britian. Although some were unwilling at first the document was ratified at the end. This was significant because the colonists now realized that a war was inevidible but went ahead with it. This once again shows the rising sense of self government in the colonies.