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French and Indian War
After the French and Indian war, salutary neglect wasn't economically advantageous anymore. The colonists had become an expensive drain. There was war debts to be paid. -
Stamp Act Congress
On October 1765, colonies decided to organize and send representatives to a meeting in New York City that became known as the Stamp Act Congress. They met to discuss the colonists' rights as British subjects, declaring that only their colonial legislatures had the power to tax them -
Stamp Act passed
The Parliament introduced the Stamp Act, a new tax that required a stamp for all printed items. Colonists were angry that tax was being imposed without the consent of their colonial legislatures. -
Stamp Act replealed
Under all the pressure from the colonies, Britain ultimately decided to repeal the Stamp Act in 1766. But in that very same year, the Parliament passed the Declaratory Act. -
Declaratory Act Passed
This act is stating that it had all the power to make laws that were strong enough to keep the people in colonies under Great Britain's control. The Act said, " in all cases whatsoever.". It also said that any laws the colonies made that denied or called the into question the right of Britain to control the colonies would be null and void. -
Townshend Act Passed
The Townshend Acts were enacted, taxing Britsh imports, products shipped from other countries such as glass, tea, lead, paint, and paper. These were things the colonists couldn't get or easily make for themselves. -
Boston Massacre
By March 5, 1770, tensions were high. British soldiers were guarding the Boston customs house, where taxes were collected when an angry mob began throwing rocks and snowballs at them. A shot rang out, killing five colonists, in the event known as the Boston Massacre -
Townshend Act repealed
The British parliament repealed the Townshend duties on all but tea. Pressure from British merchants was partially responsible for the change. -
Tea Acts Passed
In 1773, the British East India Company was losing money selling their tea. The Parliament passed the Tea Act allowing only the Britsh East India Company to sell tea in the Colonies. -
Boston Tea Party
On December 16, 1773, the Sons of Liberty dressed as Mohawk Indians, boarded the Britsh ships on Boston and dumped the cargo of tea in the harbor. The event began known as the Boston Tea Party. -
Coercive Acts Passed
When the Son of Liberty dumped the cargo of tea into the Boston Harbor this outraged the Parliament punished the Boston rebels in 1774 by passing the Coercive Acts (known in the colonies as the Intolberanle Act). Boston Harbor would be closed until the destroyed tea was paid for. -
First Continental Congress
Each colony, except for Georgia, sent delegates to meet in Philadelphia in 1774 for the First Continental Congress. Whispers of Independence were in the air. But most colonists still saw themselves as British subjects. -
Second Continental Congress
The colonists were in a year into the war with Great Britain when the Second Continental Congress met formally to adopt the Declaration of Independence in 1776. -
Revolutionary War begins
The 18th-century war between Great Britain and its Thirteen Colonies which declared independence in 1776 as the United States of America, and then formed a military alliance with France in 1778. After 1765, growing constitutional and political differences strained the relationship between Great Britain and its colonies. -
Declaration of Independence signed
This document officially stated that the 13 colonies were cutting ties with Great Britain and the King.
