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Treaty of Paris (French and Indian War)
To end the 7-year long war between Great Britain and France, they signed a treaty. The treaty made France give up all of its territories in North America. It ended any threats to the British colonies.
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Proclamation Line of 1763
The Proclamation Line of 1763 forbade any settlement West of the line along the Appalachian mountains. This was due to the fact that American Indians fought settlers because they were on their land.
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Sugar Act
This act taxed sugar and molasses because Great Britain needed to raise income from the American colonies. Colonists complained about this because it was taxation without representation. This means the King made the tax without anybody else having a say.
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Stamp Act
American colonists had to pay tax on every piece of printed paper they used. The money collected from this act would be used to pay for troops near the Appalachian mountains. This angered the colonists because they were taxing them without any reason.
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Townshend Act
This act taxed glass, paint, oil, lead, paper, and tea. The money raised from this act would be used to pay the salaries of governors and judges so they would stay loyal to Great Britain. Again, this angered the colonists because they taxed them for no real reason.
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Boston Massacre
Outside the Custom House in Boston, a British soldier was getting snowballs, sticks, and stones thrown at him. A squad of British soldiers appeared at his side for help. Their orders were to not shoot but one soldier fired into the patriot mob making others do it as well. They shot and killed five colonists.
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Committees of Correspondence
The Committees of Correspondence was a shadow government created by Patriots. Shadow government meaning they were hidden from the public. They talked about the unfair laws and policies the British enforced. This is also where the 1st Continental Congress was being planned.
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Tea Act
Parliament taxed tea in the Tea Act. A company called East India had control of tea sales. Colonists could only buy tea from this company. This angered the colonists so some of them refused to buy tea.
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Boston Tea Party
Due to the Tea Act, the Sons of Liberty decided to dress as Mohawks (a Native American tribe) and board British ships filled with tea. Then, they dumped them into the Boston Harbor. They protested because they were taxing them unfairly.
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Coercive/Intolerable Acts
Parliament passed a series of harsh laws aimed at the people in Boston to punish them for the Boston Tea Party. Great Britain called these laws the Coercive Acts, but Patriots call them the Intolerable Acts. Intolerable means unbearable.
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Quartering Act
This act stated that British soldiers could house in colonial homes if there was no room in the barracks. The people who lived in those houses would have to feed and take care of them. Colonists disliked this law British Parliament made so they boycotted.
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First Continental Congress
Delegates from 12 of the 13 colonies met in in Philadelphia to talk about the economic punishments placed on the colonists. The delegates wanted Great Britain to destroy the Coercive Acts.
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Battle of Lexington and Concord
While British soldiers were going to take colonial weapons they ran into a ragtag army. The ragtag army knew the Redcoats were coming because colonist, Paul Revere, warned them. The army was able to defeat the Redcoats.
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Second Continental Congress
Delegates from the 13 colonies met in Philadelphia because they wanted to construct an army to protect them from the British's military threat. This is where they decided to create the Continental Army. This meeting took place when the American Revolutionary War had just started.
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Battle of Bunker Hill
Boston was being surrounded by American Militia until the British started attacking. The colonists ran out of ammunition which cost them the battle. But that gave the Militia a boost of confidence. This battle may be called the Battle of Bunker Hill but really most of it took place on Breed's Hill.
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Thomas Paine's Common Sense
Thomas Paine's pamphlet is important because the arguments stated in the pamphlet were straightforward and challenged the royal monarchy and government of the British. This pamphlet was asking for two things: independence and the creation of a democratic republic.
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Declaration of Independence
Written by Thomas Jefferson this document was to declare the freedom of the 13 colonies. This document was signed by the Continental Congress and contained the goals of our nation and the complaints about King George. This also made all men equal and are called to life, liberty, and happiness.
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Washington's Crossing of the Delaware River (Battle of Trenton/Princeton)
During the American Revolution, this would be the first move in a surprise attack against Hessian forces in Trenton, New Jersey. There was supposed to be three separate river crossings but only one made it across.During the Battle of Trenton, the Hessians surrendered which meant the American Forces won.
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Battle of Saratoga
During the Battle of Saratoga, the British and Hessian troops surrendered to the American forces. This is known as the turning point in the American Revolution. This also showed France that the Americans had a chance of winning the war.
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Battle of Yorktown
During the Battle of Yorktown British General Cornwallis surrendered to George Washington. The British lost against a mixed force of American Continental Army soldiers. This was also the last battle of the American Revolution.
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Treaty of Paris (American Revolution)
The Treaty of Paris ended the American Revolutionary War. Great Britain also recognized American Independence and granted the U.S important western territory. And Great Britain's colonial empire in North America would be abolished.
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