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The French and Indian War 1754-1763
Britain needed money to finance war with France.Britain imposed taxes on the colonists to pay for the war. -
Proclamation of 1763
Britain wanted to avoid conflict with Native Americans and told colonists they couldn’t be protected, so Colonists were forbidden to cross Appalachian Mountains.Colonists were angered because of British presence and being told what to do -
Sugar Act 1764
Tax on sugar and molasses. Did not affect many, but the idea of taxes a growing issue -
Stamp Act 1765
Tax on legal documents, newspapers, wills, and basically every piece of paper used.Stamp Act Congress formed to organize boycott
Eventually repealed -
Writs of assistance 1767
Customs officers could search ships at will. Few colonists affected, but merchants felt this was an invasion of privacy. -
Townshend Acts 1767
Tax on various household items such as paper, glass, lead, silk, and tea. Colonists boycott through the non-importation agreement
Eventually repealed. -
Quartering Acts 1770
olonists had to provide food, housing, blankets, candles, etc. for the British soldiers. This was hated, but little could be done -
Boston Massacre 1770
A rioting mob confronted British soldiers at the Boston Customs House
Tensions rose and shots were fired into the crowd, killing five colonists
Sam Adams used the opportunity to whip up anti-British feeling by calling the event a “massacre”
Two soldiers were found guilty of manslaughter, six were found not guilty -
Boston tea party 1773
On December 16, 1773, the Sons of Liberty dumped 90,000 pounds of tea into Boston Harbor. Intolerable Acts. -
1st Continental Congress
The first Continental Congress met in Carpenter's Hall in Philadelphia.All of the colonies except Georgia sent delegates. These were elected by the people, by the colonial legislatures, or by the committees of correspondence of the respective colonies. The colonies presented there were united in a determination to show a combined authority to Great Britain -
Intolerable Acts 1774
Colonists could not hold town meetings
Port of Boston closed
Customs officials tried in Brita First Continental Congress meets
Individual colonies began to unify. -
Battles of Laxington and Concord 1775
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The Battles of Lexington and Concord
kicked off the American Revolutionary War (1775-83). Tensions had been building for many years between residents of the 13 American colonies and the British authorities, particularly in Massachusetts. On the night of April 18, 1775, hundreds of British troops marched from Boston to nearby Concord in order to seize an arms cache. Paul Revere and other riders sounded the alarm, and colonial militiamen began mobilizing to intercept the Redcoat column. A confrontation on the Lexington town green sta -
2nd Continental Congress
When the Redcoats fired into the Boston crowd in 1775, the benefit of the doubt was granted. Now the professional imperial army was attempting to arrest patriot leaders, and minutemen had been killed in their defense. In May 1775, with Redcoats once again storming Boston, the Second Continental Congress convened in Philadelphia. in May of 1775 the majority of delegates were not seeking independence from Britain. Only radicals like John Adams were of this mindset. -
Ft. Ticonderoga
It was built in the year 1775 by the French to protect themselves against the British and to protect the fur trading routes. This was the first French fort to be built in North America.In the early morning hours of May 10, 1775, in the first offensive action of the war, the 175 Green Mountain Boys of Vermont led by Benedict Arnold and Ethan Allen walked through the open gate at Fort Ticonderoga. -
"Give me liberty" speech 1775
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Bunker Hill
Common Sense challenged the authority of the British Maintaining “the cause of America is in a great measure the cause of all mankind,” Paine passionately argued for independence from Great Britain and the ability of the young country to prosper unfettered by the oppressive and economically draining English. -
Declaration of Independence
Drafted by Thomas Jefferson between June 11 and June 28, 1776, the Declaration of Independence is at once the nation's most cherished symbol of liberty and Jefferson's most enduring monument. Here, in exalted and unforgettable phrases, Jefferson expressed the convictions in the minds and hearts of the American people. -
Battle of Trenton
Having been defeated in the battles for New York City, General George Washington and the remnants of the Continental Army retreated across New Jersey in the late fall of 1776. Vigorously pursued by the British forces under Major General Lord Charles Cornwallis, the American commander sought to gain the protection of the Delaware River. As they retreated, Washington faced a crisis as his battered army began to disintegrate through desertions and expiring enlistments. Crossing the Delaware River i -
Battle of Princeton
7,000 Americans against 8,000 British and Hessians although only 1,200 British troops were principally engaged.Howe sent troops south to take on Washington in Trenton. The American troops sidestepped the British forces in Trenton, instead battling them in Princeton. The Battle of Princeton fought on Jan 3, 1777 was won by the Americans at the last moment, forcing the British to withdraw to New Brunswick. -
Battle of Saratoga
In the spring of 1777, Major General John Burgoyne proposed a plan for defeating the Americans. Believing that New England was the seat of the rebellion, he proposed cutting the region off from the other colonies by moving down the Hudson River corridor while a second force, led by Colonel Barry St. Leger, advanced east from Lake Ontario. Meeting at Albany, they would press down the Hudson, while General William Howe's army advanced north from New York. Though approved by London, Howe's role in -
winter at Valley Forge
The Continental Army arrived at Valley Forge on December 19, 1777, after a tough campaign of battles with the British. Since early fall, the General had problems with getting supplies to his troops. As winter approached, the problems became worse. Soldiers received irregular supplies of meat and bread. Shortages forced the men to forage for food in the forests and farm fields that they passed. Conditions were so severe at times that General Washington wrote, "that unless some great and capital -
Battle of yorktown
In August 1781, General George Washington learned that Lieutenant General Lord Charles Cornwallis' army was encamped near Yorktown, VA. After discussing options with his French ally, Lieutenant General Jean-Baptiste Ponton de Rochambeau, Washington decided to quietly move his army away from New York City with the goal of crushing Cornwallis' isolated force. Departing on August 21, the Franco-American army began marching south. As any success would be dependent upon the French navy's ability to p -
Treaty of Paris
The terms of the Treaty of Paris were harsh to losing France. All French territory on the mainland of North America was lost. The British received Quebec and the Ohio Valley. The port of New Orleans and the Louisiana Territory west of the Mississippi were ceded to Spain for their efforts as a British ally. It should have been a time to revel in the spoils of war. Instead, the very victory that temporarily brought American colonists close to their British cousins would help tear them apart. The -
Battle of New York
In 1776, the British set forth to subdue the colonies. They began the effort by recapturing New York. First, they drove Washington off Long Island; then, from lower Harlem. After this initiative, Washington retreated to White Plains, where for the first time, he was able to hold off the British forces. The British, then again, outmanuevered Washington. Washington was forced to retreat to New Jersey.
