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Molasses Act of 1733
The Sugar and Molasses Act of 1733 laid prohibitive duties of six pence per gallon for molasses, nine pence per gallon for rum, and five shillings for every one hundred weight on sugar imported from non-British colonies into Great Britain's American colonies. The act could have damaged the economy of New England, but it was not seriously enforced. It was removed by the Sugar Act of 1764, which made the colonists very mad by limiting the trade more severely. -
The French and Indian War
The French and Indian War was a war that lasted for 7 years between England and the American colonies against the French and some of the Indians in North America. It is also known as the 7-year war. The war took place in Fort Necessity.
The French lost the war, and the Treaty of Paris was signed.
After the war, the Colonists didn't need the protection of the British against the French and became more independent from Britain. -
Proclamation of 1763
At the end of the French and Indian War, the Proclamation of 1763 was issued. It was to stop settlement by British colonists beyond the Appalachian Mountains in the lands.This procamation was for avoiding any further wars with the Native Americans. The British colonists strongly disliked the the Proclamation of 1763 and the introduction of the concept of the Proclamation Line.
The American colonists joined with British land speculators to move the line west. It was adjusted in many treaties. -
Sugar Act
This act was a modified version of the Sugar and Molasses Act of 1733. During the Molasses Act, colonists were required to pay a tax of 6 pence per gallon for the importaion of foreign molasses. This act had the tax on molasses reduced to 3 pence per gallon. This act had made the colonist very upset. They worried that Britain would make them spend more money for their goods through taxes. Soon, many colonists started to boycott British goods. As a result, the colonists became more united. -
Stamp Act
In 1765, a tax was passed by Great Britain known as the Stamp Act. This act required all the colonists to pay a tax to Great Britain on all of the printed things they used, which even included playing cards. People had to place a stamp on the paper to show that the tax was already paid. The Colonists were outraged, so they boycotted British products. Many colonies sent representatives to a meeting in New York that they called the Stamp Act Congress. The act was removed in 1766. -
Townshend Acts
The Townshend Acts were named after Charles Townshend. It was passed on July 2, 1767 by the English Parliament. It was an act putting taxes on many goods such as tea, paper, lead, paint, and glass. This was to raise money to pay for the French and Indian War. The colonists protested against the taxes. They boycotted the English goods. The boycotting decreased the British trade, and though 4 of the acts were cancelled in 1770, the tax on the tea wasn't cancelled. This caused the Boston Tea Party. -
The Boston Massacre
This act was a street fight that happened betweeen a large group of "patriots" and a smaller group of British souldiers. Several colonists were killed, and this led to a campaign by speech writers to stir the anger of the citizenry. The British soldiers waid that the colonists had rocks, snowballs with rocks inside them, and other things like sticks. The British did have guns and they did fire. The Boston Massacre deepened the distrust of the British military presence in the colonies. -
The Boston Tea Party
Because of the Tea Act, the colonists got very mad. Some of them disguised themselves as Mohawk Indians, but the costumes didn't trick anyone. the colonists dumped 342 chests of tea in the water. The total amount of tea dumped was 90.000punds of it. It was to protest Britain's unfair taxes. The three ships that had the tea dumped were called the Dartmouth, the Eleanor, and the Beaver. It is not clear to historians if the protest was planned or not. This act ended on the day it started. -
Intolerable Acts
The Intolerable Acts started on June 1, 1774 which was the Quartering Act. There were four more, which were The Boston Port Bill, The Administeration of Juctice Act, Massachusetts Government Act, and The Quebec Act. These acts were actually punishments that King George III put on the colonies. The king did this because the colonists dumped tea into the harbor at the Boston Tea Party. If the colonists wanted the act to end, they had to submit to the English laws. -
First Continental Congress
The First Continental Congress took place at Carpenter's Hall in Philadelphia. Representatilves from all the colonies except Georgia met. They discussed the situation with Britain, also including the Intolerable Acts, and took 2 major actions. First, they sent a letter to King George III. The King ignored it, and the Americans began the boycotting. Second, they made a plan to meet again on May 1775 if the British didn't meet their demands. -
Second Continental Congress
In the Second Continental Congress, all 13 colnies joined. It was led by John Hancock. Some major accomplishments of the Secon Continental Congress are: establishing the Continental Army, sendidng the Olive Branch Petition to the King of Britain, issuing the Declaration of Independence, passing the Flag Resolution, and having the Articles of the Confederation signed. -
Lexington and Concord
General Gage sent out regiments of British soldiers that were staying in Bostonin this act. They were going to Lexington, to capture the 2 colonial leaders, then to Concord, where they would seize gunpowder. This plan didn't work out well, for spies and friends of the Americans told them about the plan, so mlitias prepared to confront the British. When the advance guards came, both were surprised. Suddenly, a bullet zipped through the air. It was known as "the shot heard around the world". -
Battle of Bunker Hill
The Battle of Bunker Hill took place on June 17, 1775. The British were trying to keep control of the city of Boston, since it was being surrounded by thousands of American Militaries. The British decided to take two hills named Bunker Hill and Breeds Hill. The Americans heard about the plan and went to defend the hills. Afteer the battle, about 226 British were killed and 800 wounded, while Americans did not have nearly as many casualties. The British won the battle and the hill. -
The Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence declared that the 13 English colonies in North America was no longer under control of Britain and its king. It gave us the right to go to war against England to obtain our freedom, but it also gave a list of what the colonists thought was wrong for England to do.
It is because of the Declaration of Independence that all people are treated equally. -
Crossing the Delaware
The Continental Army crossed the Delaware River in a surprise attack on the British with George Washington. The British were not expecting the Americans to attack in the weather, where it was snowing and the wind was blowing. When George Washington and the Continental Army arrived in Trenton, the town the British were staying in, the British soon surrendered. THey had 22 deaths and 83 injuries while Americans had only 2 deaths and 5 injuries.
