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charter to Sir Walter Raleigh
Colony known as "Roanoke" established on the land of Virginia, an island which was protected within the borders of North Carolina. -
Mayflower sets sail
Mayflower sets off to deliver all 102 passengers to the New World. Among them are 41 Christian seperatists known as the Leiden Group. -
Period: to
French And India war fought
french and indian war, which ultimately paved the way for the causes of the revolution, is fought. as a result of this war, it was decided that the colonies would have to pay for thier own defense, which they did not approve of. -
Proclamation of 1763
george III prohibits settling west of the appalachian mountains without security guarantees of security. this angers the colonies, who view it as an infringement on their right to self govern, -
Sugar act passed
a modified version of the Sugar And Molasses Act of 1733, which was about to expire, the molasses act required all colonial merchants had been required to pay a tax of six pence per gallon of foriegn molasses imported. the sugar act imposed taxes on more items, but reduced the molasses tax by half. -
sons of liberty emerge
sons of liberty are founded as a group of middle-class colonists. their most famous action was the boston tea party. -
boycott of british goods
in response to the various taxes, the colonies boycotted british imports. -
stamp act passed
the stamp act, which required the payment of a fee for every piece of paper that the american colonists used, is passed. the reaction is outrage, as the colonists had grown fond of the financial neglect of britain, and the act would open the door for more troubling taxation. -
quartering act
colonial assemblies are required to pay for british garisons. new york assembly refuses to comply. -
virgianian resolution
virginia refuses to comply with the quartering act. -
stamp act struck down
the stamp act is declared unconstitutional, as it was enforced with the consent of the colonies. -
Townshend Revenue Act passed
Townshend acts passed, which imposed taxes on even more types of goods imported. the reaction was revolutionary. mobs of people assaulted customs officers in response to them impounding a sloop for violating the acts. the officers retreated, and moved in with troops. the bostonians did not resist, instead passing non-importation agreements, which spread throughout the colonies quickly. -
troops stationed in boston
heavy security measures are put in place in boston in response to the political unrest. -
boston massacre
the british open fire on a group of protesters, killing five of them. this was the first blood. -
townshend acts repealed
the repeal of the townshend acts is finalized. however, as you likely know, this did not do very much to help the situation. -
Gaspee burned
the schooner Gaspee runs aground on rhode island. the locals burn it as a protest. -
committees of correspondence emerge
the committees of correspondence emerge as shadow governments, possesing power beyond the local governments. they urged people to lead a more simple life, and promoted patriotism. in the war, these committees helped coordinate the actions of the colonies. -
Tea act passed
the tea act granted a virtual monopoly on tea to the east india company. the boston tea party followed, and the rest is history. -
Thomas Hutchinson letters published
hutchinson, the massachusetts governer, writes some very interesting letters that convince many that the british are coming. and they are very angry. -
boston tea party
the boston tea party, one of the most famous actions of the patriots, is carried out by the sons of liberty. dressed like mohawk indians, the sons axed and dumped a massive amount of tea into the water. the british response was to pass the intolerable acts, which led to the revolution. -
intolerable acts passed
The intolerable acts are passed, removing Massachusetts's right to self-govern and historics rights. these acts were, quite unsurprisingly, what triggered the revolution. the acts specifically closed the port of boston until satisfactory order had been restored and the price of the tea paid off, allowed soldiers to be quartered in unoccupied buildings, allowed people to be tried in britain instead of the colonies, and gave more land to canada. -
first continental congress formed
first congress, composed of 55 delegates from the thirteen colonies, is formed. -
battles of lexington and concord
the first battles of the revolutionary war began. -
General George Washington appointed as head of military
George Washinton is made leader of all patriot forces. issued 2 million dollars to fund the army. -
General Washinton crosses the Delaware
After months of decisive losses, General George Washington performs an important, yet unconventional, manuver and attacks the Hessian force on Christmas day. Being groggy from last night's festivities, the good General captures nearly 1000 men at the cost of four. A stratigically unimportant victory, it instead provided a large morale boost to the Patriot forces.