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The Proclamation Line
King George issued the Proclamation Line to stop the colonists from moving West, to avoid any further conflicts with the native Americans that lived there. Colonists who already lived on the West side of the line were evicted and forced to move to the East side. -
The Stamp Act
The British Parliament passed taxes on the colonies to pay for the recent French and Indian War.The colonists protested taxation without representation in Parliament. The stamp Act was taxes on paper goods, such as stamps, parchment, and even newspapers. Eventually, all taxes were repealed, except for the one on stamps. -
The Boston Massacre
Unarmed colonists who taunted armed British Redcoats were shot in the streets of Boston. After the redcoats fired, the colonists threw stones and snowballs, turning the event into a riot. Several people were killed, including a printer's apprentice, Crispus Attucks. Paul Revere created a picture of the event that made it one of the most well-known events of Colonial resistance before the Revolutionary War. -
The Boston Tea Party
In the middle of the night, colonists dressed as Native Americans boarded British ships in the Boston harbor and poured gallons of tea that had been unfairly taxed over the sides, into the harbor. When the King found out, he was furious. He closed down the harbor, one of the busiest in the 13 colonies. He refused to reopen it until the colonists payed for the tea they had ruined, which they refused to do. -
The First Continental Congress
Delegates from twelve of the thirteen colonies [excuding Georgia] met in Philedelphia to decide the reststance against Great Britan. It was the first meeting of representatives from the majority of the thirteen colonies. -
Patrick Henry's Speech
Patrick Henry, an outspoken member of the Virginia House of Burgesses, Gave his famous "Give me liberty or give me death" speech on March 23rd, 1775. His quote became a well-known Patriotic slogan throughout the country. -
Battle of Lexington and Concord
Lexington and Concord was the first armed conflict of the Revolution. It is unsure which side fired first. The local Minutemen and militia arrived to counter the British on the warning of Paul Revere. At first, the Minutemen were defeated and fell back to Concord, where they found more support. Eventually, they drove the British back across the river to Boston. It was the first American victory of the Revolution. -
Approval of the Declaration of Independence
On July 4, at the second meeting of the Continenetal Congress, delegates voted to aprove the Declaration of Independence that had been written by Thomas Jefferson. By doings so, the delegates knew that they were endangering their own lives. John Adams thought that the event should be a national holiday, called Independence Day. We still celebrate this holiday today. -
The Battle of Saratoga
The battle at Saratoga was the first major victory for the American Patriots. It was veiwed as a turning point in the war. The American victory convinced France to join the patriot's side. With the French at their side, America forced the British to fight on two fronts, on land as well as the sea. The French provided the Patriots with ships, troops, weapons, and supplies, greatly helping the war effort. -
Surrender of the British at Yorktown
On this date, General Lord Cornwallis, head of the British troops in the U.S., had his final stand at Yorktown. Surrounded by the Patriots on land and the British by sea, Cornwallis was forced to surrender to save his remaining troops. -
Signing of the Treaty of Paris
The treaty of Paris officially ended the American Revolution. It decreed that America was it's own country, and that Great Britan must consider the war over and not send over more troops. America had officially won.
