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Sugar Act
1764 Act that put a three-cent tax on foreign refined sugar and increased taxes on coffee, indigo, and certain kinds of wine. It banned importation of rum and French wines. The taxes were raised without the consent of the colonists. This was one of the first instances in which colonists wanted a say in how much they were taxed. -
The Boston Massacre
Shooting of five American colonists by British troops on March 5, 1770. The British say rocks and other such weapons were hurled at them. But the British had guns, and they did open fire. The Boston Massacre deepened American distrust of the British military presence in the colonies. -
First Continental Congress
The First Continental Congress was a group of 56 delegates from 12 colonies. They came together as a response to the Intolerable Acts to discuss liberity. They did it in secret to prevent Great Britian knowing they were united. -
Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress met when the Revolutionary war had started; things were going badly and armed forces were disorganized. The Continental Congress created the Continental Army and named George Washington as commander-in-chief. -
Lexington and Concord
Lexington and Concord was where the first shots were fired between Americans and British troops. The Britist marched through Concord because the Americans had stockpiled weapons there. After British troops fired shots in Boston, a word was sent all over. By the time the British troops arrived in Concord, American's were waiting for them, and troops had to retreat. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
A two-day battle between British forces and American forces on Breed's Hill. The Americans occupied Breed's Hill in Charlestown to protect the shipyard nearby Boston. The British attacked the next day. They took the hill but with many losses. American's fired, using all ammunition and then retreating as quickly as possible. -
Declaration of Independence
A document declaring the 13 American Colonies there independence from Great Britian. It was written by Thomas Jefferson and declared in effect by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. -
Trenton
On the night of December 25, the whole army travelled across the Delaware River from Pennsylvania to the outskirts of Trenton, New Jersey. The Americans surprised a drunken Hessian force that celebrated the holiday a little too much. The battle lasted about 45 minutes and resulted in more than 900 Hessian prisoners -
Princeton
After Trenton, General Charles Cornwallis and 8000 troops surrounded Washington and his 1500 soldiers but they slipped away and surprised a British force at Princeton. The victory drove British troops out of New Jersey. -
Saratoga
Turning point of the Revolutionary War in that it convinced France to enter the war on the side of the Americans. British General John Burgoyne came up with a brilliant plan to take all of New York away from the Americans. His attack called for a meeting of three forces at Saratoga. His planned failed. he was stopped by American General Benedict Arnold at Saratoga. -
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Vally Forge
The American army occupied Vally Forge for the winter. The winter was particularly harsh, and the army was short on food, clothing, and supplies. But they hung on. In June 19, 1778, the army set out for New Jersey, where they fought the British. -
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Savannah
The British had seized Savannah; A joint American-French forced tried to take back the city on October 9, 1779. The casualties for the Americans and French are enormous. -
Charleston
Charleston was an important port and strategic center for the Southern Continental Army, nearly all of which surrendered at Charleston. Under the command of General Benjamin Lincoln, the Americans held out as long as they could, then surrendered to the British. -
Yorktown
American victory that ended the Revolutionary War on October 20, 1781. American forces under Greene and Commander-in-Chief George Washington pursued Cornwallis by land while French ships surrounded the bay of Yorktown. Faced with the prospect of no reinforcements, Cornwallis stood and fought. But the Americans won the battle and the war. -
Treaty of Paris
Treaty that officially ended the Revolutionary War on September 3, 1783. It was signed in Paris by Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and John Jay. Under the terms of the treaty, Britain recognized the independent nation of the United States of America. Britain agreed to remove all of its troops from the new nation.
