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Navigation Acts
Parliament passed to regulate colonial trade and manufacturing. -
French and Indian War ended
The War ended with the Treaty of Paris, and Britain gained all of French Canada, as well as rich islands in the Caribbean. -
Stamp Act
Taxed items such as newspapers and pamphlets. Colonists resented them as an attack on their rights. -
Boston Massacre
British soldiers in Boston opened fire on a crowd that was pelting them with stones and snowballs, resulting in the death of five protesters. -
Tea Act
Granted the British East India Company Tea a monopoly on tea sales in the American colonies. -
Boston Tea Party
A handful of colonists hurled a cargo of recently arrived British tea into the harbor to protest a tax on tea. -
Coercive/Intolerable Acts
The four acts were the Boston Port Act, the Massachusetts Government Act, the Administration of Justice Act, and the Quartering Act. Because of these acts it effectively closed Boston's port to commercial traffic. Additionally, it forbade any exports to foreign ports or provinces. -
First Continental Congress
Representatives from 12 colonies gathered in Philadelphia to discuss how to respond to Britain's harsh move against Massachusetts. -
Lexington and Concord
In Massachusetts, colonists clashed with British troops. This would become the opening shots of the American Revolution. -
Second Continental Congress
Set up a Continental Army with George Washington in command. -
Declaration of Independence adopted
The document announced that people have "certain inalienable rights, that among them are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." Jefferson further stated that people had the right "to alter or to abolish" unjust governments. American leaders signed the Declaration, pledging "our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor" to the cause of the United States of America. -
Battle of Saratoga
The first turning point of the war, when the Americans triumphed over the British. This persuaded France to join the Americans against its old rival, Britain. -
Winter at Valley Forge
Continental troops at Valley Forge suffered from cold, hunger, and disease. -
U.S. Constitution Written
Written by George Washington, James Madison, and Benjamin Franklin. Framework for a strong, flexible government has remained in place for more than 200 years. -
U.S. Constitution adopted
When adopted, the United States stood out as a beacon of to Europeans who took up the cry for liberty and freedom.