Events leading up to the American Revolution

French and Indian war

Period: 1754 to 1763

Part A- The war started because of land, british wanted to expand west, french and indians resisted.
Part b- British VS French and Indians. The british was ambushed by the french and indians.
Part c- French and indians won the war. Treaty of paris ended the war completely. The proclamation reserved land west of the appalachian mountains for the indians.

Proclamation of 1763

Oct 7, 1763

Part a- Reserved land west of the appalachian mountains for the indians.
Part b- England began increasing taxes on colonist to help pay off war debt.

Sugar act

Apr 5, 1764

Part a- Parliament passed a modified version of the sugar and molasses act.
Part b- England taxed people on sugar and molasses.
Part c- The tax on sugar was just a way for parliament to make money. Before, the taxes supported local british officials.
Part d- over 50 letters were sent to parliament. The sugar act was repealed in 1765 due to overwhelming anger of the colonist.

Stamp act

Mar 22, 1765

Part a- The stamp act was passed by british parliament.
Part b- Official government stamp required no document. It was the 1st direct tax on the colonist.
Part c- The colonist formed a group called Sons of liberty. Leader was Samuel adams. They protested and harassed british stamp agents. Delayed the start of stamp act politics.

Quartering act

Mar 24, 1765

Part a- Required colonist to provide food, drink, and a living space for british soldiers.

Stamp act congress

Period: Oct 7, 1765 to Oct 25, 1765

Part a- American colonist, ans representatives from some british colonies.
Part b- Delegates met in New York city to discuss stamp act.
Part c- Protested against the stamp act that was taxing the colonist for no other reason, but money.
Part d- Parliament couldn't tax the colonies because colonies didn't have representatives in parliament.

Declaratory act

Mar 18, 1766

Part a- Parliament repealed stamp act, and declared it had a right too rule and tax colonies.

Townshend act

Jun 15, 1767

Part a- Charles townshend, he named the laws after himself. He proposed the acts.
Part b- Taxed goods like lead, paper, glass, and tea. The "writs of assistance" customized officers to search any house for smuggled goods.
Part c- The purpose of the townshend acts was to raise revenue in the colonies to pay the salaries of the governors and judges so they would remain loyal to great britain.
Part d- Very unhappy that they were taxed on goods they didn't care about.

Boston massacre

Mar 5, 1770

Part a- 5 colonist die when british soldiers shot at a protesting crowd.
-The colonist were mad about the taxation on tea. The result? Boston tea party.
-The boston tea party was in 1773, colonists dressed as natives and dumped 92,000 pounds of tea into the boston harbor.

Boston tea party

Dec 16, 1773

Part a- Samuel Adams
Part b- The boston massacre led to this event. People were very upset that the british because they were taxing them on tea, the british got out in an angry crowd and killed 5 people.
Part c- Colonist dressed as natives and dumped 92,000 gallons of tea into the boston harbor.

Part d- British shut down the boston harbor until all the tea was paid for.

Intolerable acts

Mar 24, 1774

Part a- British government, parliament. They had to pay back all the money that they lost in tea.
Part b- Harsh laws passed by the British Parliament in 1774. They were meant to punish the American colonists for the Boston Tea Party and other protests.
Part c- The acts were passed as a punishment for the colonist, because of the boston tea party. The Boston Port Bill was closed until the british could pay back all the tea waisted.

Quebec act

Jun 22, 1774

Part a- This act was passed by the British Parliament to institute a permanent administration in Canada replacing the temporary government created at the time of the Proclamation of 1763. It gave the French Canadians religious freedom and restored the French form of civil law.
Part b- American colonists considered the Quebec Act just another Intolerable Act.

First continental congress

Period: Sep 5, 1774 to Oct 26, 1774

Part a- Fifty-six delegates from all the colonies except Georgia. Patrick Henry, George Washington, John Adams, and John Jay were among the delegates.
Part b- The first Continental Congress met in Philadelphia
Part c- In reaction to the Coercive Acts, a series of measures imposed by the British government on the colonies in response to their resistance to new taxes.
Part d- Boycott of British goods to take effect in December 1774.

Battle of Lexington and Concord

Apr 19, 1775

Part a- Revere's ride, 1st continental congress, boston tea party, boston massacre, and the townshend acts are all events leading up to Lexington and concord.
- British troops are sent to confiscate colonial weapons, they run into an untrained and angry militia.
-13 american colonies.
- Brandywine produced 1,500 American and 587 British and Hessian casualties.
Part b- Colonial army defeats 700 British soldiers and the surprise victory bolsters their confidence for the war ahead.

Second continental congress

Period: May 5, 1775 to Jul 4, 1776

Part a- Sam Adams, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock, Patrick Henry, and George Washington were some of the delegates.
Part b- Philadelphia
Part c- Commanded the continental army. Moved incrementally towards independence (adopting the United States Declaration of Independence). And sent the Olive branch petition to King George the 3rd.

Part d- Declaration of independence, and olive branch petition.

Battle of bunker hill

Jun 17, 1775

Part a- Charlestown peninsula
Part b- Redcoats stormed the hill towards the colonist 3 times, on the third time they got up, and won.
Part c- British won, but gave colonist an important confidence boost.
Part d- Battle of dorchester heights recaptured the city of boston, moral boost for colonist.

Common sense

Jan 10, 1776

Part a- Thomas Paine
Part b- Advocating independence from Great Britain to people in the Thirteen Colonies.
Part c- The main impact of this pamphlet was to help cause the American colonists to decide to fight for independence.

Declaration of independence

Jul 4, 1776

Part a- Thomas Jefferson
Part b- Declared on July 2, 1776, approved on July 4, 1776.
Part c- The Declaration of Independence stated certain ideals that the colonists believed were important for man to have, such as liberty and equality.
Part d- All men are created equal, all men have basic human rights given to them by God, and government must be by the consent of the governed.
Part e- American colonies severed their political connections to Great Britain.