Events Leading up to the American Revolution

Sugar Act

1764

This marked the end of salutary neglect. This act was passed by Parliament or Great Britain and was meant to raise income from the American Colonists. Instead of just Molasses, more goods were taxed like sugar, coffee, wine and more.

Stamp Act

1765

This was the first direct tax on American colonists. This act forced colonists to pay tax on all printed material, to show they paid the tax a stamp must be placed on each item. This included newspapers, magazines and more. The colonists were so angry they boycotted all British goods, they attacked British officials who were enforcing the act, and they burned the stamps.

Townshend Duties

1767

This was a series of laws that taxed importing items (not direct tax on items). This included taxes on importing tea, glass, paint, lead and more. The colonists objected and all of the taxes was taken away except that of importing tea.

Boston Massacre

1770

There was still tension between American and British colonists from the taxation laws. The Boston Massacre was a riot, both the American and British colonists were fighting. Five American colonists died.

Gaspee Affair

1772

A British customs ship, the HMS, went around Rhode Island. A group preparing for action against British laws called Sons of Liberty attacked the HMS and set it on fire.

Tea Act

1773

The American colonists were told they could only purchase tea from the British company East India Co. But this meant the colonists would have to pay for the taxes they did not approve of.

Boston Tea Party

1773

The Boston Tea party was a protest against the British government. The colonists did not agree with the British taxing them on things they did not approve of. The Sons of Liberty threw 342 chests of tea into the water.

Coercive Acts

1774

In response to the Boston Tea party, the British punished the American colonists by setting laws. They closed the port of all the Boston ships until the colonists paid for all the tea they threw in the water. The British gave more power to the governor (the British chose the governor) of Massachusetts which took away power from colonists. The colonies had to provide barracks to the British soldiers.

First Continental Congress

1774

This was a meeting of the representatives from the colonies to demand to repeal the Coercive Acts.

Declaration of Independence

1776

The American colonists wanted to break away from the British rule, they wanted to officially declare their independence. The first draft of the Declaration of Independence was written by Thomas Jefferson.