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Albany Plan
This was a plan proposed by Ben Franklin to create a unified government for the 13 colonies. This was initially turned down, but eventually accepted. It's initial presentation foreshadowed the ideas of the D.O.I, in the way that it highlighted colonials need to have something government based that was separate from that of the Crown. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was a tax placed by Britain on all written documents for Colonials. This unfair taxation angered colonists because they had no say or consent in the forcing of this act, adding to the reasons why they would want to break away from Great Britain and have their own government where they could have a say in what went down, leading to the Declaration of Independence. -
Boston Massacre
When a crowd began to pester a group of 10 British soldiers on the night of March 5th, 1770, in a panic,the soldiers responded by opening fire, killing 5 of the crowd and wounding 6. In the press, colonials took this opportunity to exaggerate this event, to spread the word and get more people to be against the British government, by giving evidence of British brutality. This led to the Declaration of Independence because, as mentioned, it got others to want to boycott British rule. -
Boston Tea Party
On December 26th, 1773, colonials dressed as Native Americans and dumped tea imported from England into the Boston Harbor.This was a response from colonials to the Tea Act, which was a parliament enforced policy that colonials could only buy tea from the East India Company, giving them a monopoly on tea. This led to the D.O.I (Declaration of Independence), because it was another act of revenge against the British Government, creating more separation between colonists and Britain. -
Intolerable Acts
Britain passed a series of laws that closed the port in Boston and allowed British rule to have major control over Massachusetts. Britain placed these acts because they knew that colonists were getting fed up with British rule and thinking about independence. Colonists were angered by these acts because they knew that British rule were trying to tighten their reigns around them, only making them want to defy more, eventually leading to the D.O.I. -
1st Congress
12 delegates were sent to Philadelphia to discuss the Coercive Acts(The Intolerable Acts), and how to go about halting them. This included an embargo against British goods, called the Articles of Association. They planned to meet again in May of the following year if the British refused to revoke T.I.A, which they didn't, leading to the Battle of Lexington. Because this appeal to the Crown did not go through, colonists were angered, causing the 2nd Congress to be held, which led to the D.O.I. -
American Revolution
Starting with the Battle of Lexington and Concord, and ending with the Battle of Yorktown, the American Revolution was colonists fight against Great Britain to gain their independence. This only pushed Great Britain and the colonists away from each other, during which, the D.O.I was accepted by Congress, officially cutting their ties. -
Battle of Lexington and Concord
This sparked the American Revolution.British troops marched from Boston to Concord to seize the patriots for supplies of gunpowder and weapons they thought they were storing. Colonists got wind of this through Paul Revere, and were able to beat them. This showed the British that Americans were more than rebels, but an organized army worthy of respect. This, and many other wins during the American Revolution gave colonists hope of a split from the Crown, eventually brought on by the D.O.I. -
2nd Continental Congress
Many of the delegates from the 1st Congress met again to begin trying to make peace with Britain,by offering them the Olive Branch Petition, which was rejected by King George. After this, the Congress became the colonies unofficial, but supported by the public and necessity, government. They did normal government actions that any government would do in their situation, had legislative and executive powers, and were ultimately the adopters of the D.O.I. -
Declaration of Independence
This document was the key to colonists official separation from Great Britain as their own, independent union of 13 colonies. This was adopted and signed at the 2nd Continental Congress by Thomas Jefferson (its' writer),Ben Franklin, and many more.
