-
Sugar Act
Law passed by the British Parliament setting a tax on sugar and molasses imported into the colonies impacting the manufacture of rum in New England. -
Period: to
Key Events to American Revolution
-
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act 1765, passed by the British Parliament in 1765 was the first direct tax imposed on the British colonies in North America. The goal of the tax on printed material including newspapers, magazines, legal documents, insurance policies and many other types of paper material was to help finance for the British troops in the colonies. But the British also sought to reduce their debt which increased dramatically after the French and Indian Wars (1754-1763). -
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre was an incident between the British soldiers and a crowd of colonists in Boston, Massachusetts. It took place on March 5, 1770, when a group of nine British soldiers opened fire on the crowd, killing five and wounding six men. The commander of the watch and his eight soldiers were arrested by the next morning which partly relieved the tensions in the city. -
Boston Tea Party
On December 16, 1773, a group of about 70 men boarded on three British ships in the Boston harbor and threw their tea cargo in the sea. The destruction of the tea cargo was a protest against the Tea Act which was passed by the British Parliament earlier that year and gave the British East India Company monopoly on tea sale in the colonies. The incident, known as the Boston Tea Party triggered a chain of events that directly led to the American War of Independence. -
Intolerable Acts
In response to the Boston Tea Party, the British Parliament passed a series of laws that came to be known as Intolerable Acts or Coercive Acts. These closed the Boston harbor for all shipping until the city would pay for the destroyed tea cargo, limited political authority of the colonists, made legal persecution of British officials more difficult and extended the boundaries of the Quebec province to the lands claimed by the American colonists. This made colonists defend their rights even more. -
Convocation of the First Continental Congress
On September 5, 1774, delegates from 12 colonies met at the First Continental Congress to discuss how to react to the Intolerable Acts. They decided to boycott British goods and ban the export of American goods to Britain if the Intolerable Acts would not be repealed. In order to effectively carry out the boycott, the delegates also established the Continental Association and called for the Second Continental Congress that was to be held if their protest would not achieve the desired effect. -
Battle of Lexington and Concord
On the evening of April 18, 1775, the British governor of Massachusetts sent several hundred British troops to seize the colonists’ military stores at Concord. The British intentions were soon discovered by the Patriot colonists who decided to prevent the British from carrying out their plan. Local militiamen gathered at Lexington to intercept the British troops. These managed to repulse the outnumbered militiamen in early morning of April 19 and then proceeded towards Concord. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
The first great battle of the Revolutionary War; it was fought near Boston in June 1775. The British drove the Americans from their fort at Breed's Hill to Bunker Hill, but only after the Americans had run out of gunpowder. -
Battle of Quebec
Washington and the Continental Congress had decided they wanted to seize Quebec in order to gain forces from the French-Canadians there. However, the city was being protected by British defenders. The plan was to split the Continental Army in two and attack from different points. One army, under General Richard Montgomery, would attack from New York. The other would begin in Massachusetts and go all the way to Canada. However, the British were ready and it ended in hasty american retreat. -
Adoption of Decalration of Independence
Shortly after the British flee from Boston, the Continental Congress created a committee to write a declaration of independence. Thomas Jefferson, the youngest of the committee, was put in charge of drafting the document. Jefferson’s simple explanation argued that everyone was born equal in the eyes of god, and therefore had the same rights. He also argued that King George III was “unfit to be the ruler of a free people” because he had committed so many acts of tyranny. -
Battle of Sasratoga
The Battles of Saratoga that were fought on the same grounds on September 19 and October 7, 1777, marked the turning point of the American Revolution and encouraged France to openly support the Americans against Britain. In the First Battle of Saratoga (also known as the Battle of Freeman’s Farm), the American troops prevented the British to break through their lines and join with their troops at Albany. -
France Joins Forces
France became an ally of the United States in May 1778. Their government sent money, weapons, troops, and warships to the Continental army. In addition, Spain began a fight against the British as well. Things were turning around for the Americans. -
Battle of Chesapeake Bay
As Cornwallis moved his army to Yorktown, Washington set a trap for him. He stationed all his American and French troops around the city, and along the Chesapeake Bay to seal it off. This prevented the British from any rescue by sea. Eventually the two armies opened fire. -
Surrender of Yorktown
After successful land and sea campaign of joint American and French armies in Virginia in 1781, the British found themselves trapped on the Yorktown peninsula. The British commander Lieutenant General Lord Cornwallis realized that he did not have a slightest chance against the Franco-American army and tried to escape. But his attempt failed. On October 19, 1781, Lord Cornwallis accepted the terms of surrender. -
Signature of Treaty of Paris
The American War of Independence and with it, the American Revolution formally ended with the Treaty of Paris which was signed on September 3, 1783. The British Empire accepted defeat against its former colonies and recognized independence of the United States of America. The Treaty of Paris also set the boundaries of the United States.
