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French & Indian War Began
Britain and their colonies fought against France and their colonies over control of the Ohio River Valley. Both had Indian allies. -
Albany Plan of Union
The Albany Plan of Union was a plan, suggested by Benjamin Franklin, to unify the thirteen colonies -
Treaty of Paris
Ended the French & Indian War between Britain and France. France gave up all of their territories in mainland North America, which ended any threat towards the British colonies. -
French & Indian War Ends
The French & Indian War ended with the Treaty of Paris. Britain gained all of the French colonies, but because the colonists had to pay for the war expenses the colonists were upset. -
Proclamation of 1763
Issued by King George the Third following Great Britain's gain of French territory. Said that all land west of the Appalachian Divide off-limits to colonists due to Indian revolts. -
Sugar Act
Law that attempted to stop the smuggling of sugar and molasses in the colonies by lowering the previous tax rate. -
Stamp Act
Issued by the Parliament of Great Britain to replenish their finances after the French & Indian and maintain regiments of British troops. The Stamp Act had any printed material be produced on stamped paper from London. -
Quartering Act
This act outlined where and how British soldiers would find a place to stay in the Americas. The colonies were required to house the soldiers in barracks that they would provide. -
Stamp Act Congress
The colonists wanted to put action behind their words. They decided that no one colony could face the King and Parliament on their own, so James Otis suggested an international conference to determine their actions unanimously. Their famous quote was, "No taxation without representation!" -
Stamp Act Repeal
The colonists protested the Stamp Act with outrage and violence. Most Americans called for British goods and some attacked the homes of British tax collectors. After months of protest, Parliament voted to have it repealed. -
Declaratory Act
Stated that British Parliament's taxing authority would be the same in America as in Britain. The Declaratory Act was a reaction to Parliament's failed Stamp Act. -
Townshend Act
A series of laws passed by the government on American colonies. Used specifically to pay for officials placed in colonies. The British wanted the colonist to pay for themselves. -
Boston Massacre
A deadly riot that occured on King Street in Boston. It started as a street brawl between American colonists and a lone British soldier when the colonists physically and verbally attacked the soldier. The street brawl escalated to where the soldier called for reinforcements who threatened to shoot the colonists if they continued to be violent. No one knows who, but one of the British soldiers shouted "Fire!" This cause massive loss on the colonists side and further hatred towards the British. -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was a political protest about the "taxation without representation" in Boston, Massachusetts. A group of colonists disguised themselves as indians and snuck onto British ships transporting tea and dumped 342 boxes of tea into the harbor. This act was the first major act of defiance against Britain. It showed that the colonists wouldn't leave Britain to tax them and it also rallied American patriots across all 13 colonies to fight for independence. -
Intolerable Acts
Parliament was fine with angry letters and boycotts from the colonists, but when 342 crates of tea were thrown into the Boston Harbor, Parliament was not happy. The Intolerable Acts, formerly called the Coercive Acts, stated that Boston Harbor would be closed until the owners of the tea were compensated, only food and firewood were allowed in the port, town meetings were banned, and the authority of the royal governor was increased. -
Quebec Act
After the Coercive Act, Parliament passed the Quebec Act which recognized the Roman Catholic Church as the main church of Quebec and the boundary of Quebec was extended to Ohio Valley. This angered the Protestants and the British also gave France some of the land in Quebec that was clearly desired by the American colonists. -
First Continental Congress
Made of 12 of the 13 colony delegates, discussed the Intolerable Acts. This congress had many influential members such as, John Hancock, George Washington, and Thomas Jefferson. -
Battles of Lexington & Concord
These battles started of the American Revolution when hundreds of British troops marched to Concord in order to take control of a weapon storage unit. Paul Revere and other midnight riders told minutemen of the incoming attack. Both sides confronted each other at Lexington, where the British had to retreat under intense fire. -
Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress discussed that they would treat military threat from Britain with a Continental Army, the Congress commissioned George Washington to be commander and authorized the building of an army through conscription. Later in July, the Declaration of Independence was issued and the Congress established itself as the central governing authority under the Articles of Confederation.
