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end of the French & Indian War
The bloody battle was between the French and English. When the war ended there was a clash between England and the Native Americans. Salutary Neglect- After this war the British parliament barely acknowledged the colonies. The colonies were basically self-goverened because of how far they were from Britain. http://tinatango.hubpages.com/hub/February-10th-Today-In-History-End-of-the-French-and-Indian-War -
Sugar Act
The British Parliament increased tax on refine sugar, coffee, indigo, and wine. The ban of rum an French wines began. All these taxes were given without the consent of the colonist. Virtual Representation-The Sugar Act was one of the first examples of when the colonist felt they should have had a say in how much to tax. http://www.manhattanrarebooks-history.com/sugar_act.htm -
Stamp Act
This was the first time a majority of the colonist joined together to go against British rules. It was actually nine out of the thirteen colonists that gathered representatives.The representatives made a declaration to go against the new British actions. It was then sent to King George III, but the British Parliament repealed the Stamp Act. After the British Parliament repealed the Stamp Act they passed the Declaratory Act of 1766 that ruled the “right to tax and make decisions for the colonies. -
Townshend Acts
The British Parliament made a set of laws called the Townshend Acts. The parliament taxed the American colony of imported goods such as tea. This eventually led to the Boston Tea party. Also one of the Townshend Act allowed officers to obtain a search warrant for any place to look for evidence of smuggling. http://www.dipity.com/C0409783/Important-Events-in-American-History/ -
Boston Massacre
The colonists were outraged by laws such as the Townshend Acts that they began to fight with British officers. The worst fighting happened in Boston, known as the Boston Massacre. British soldiers shot into a crowd and killed five people. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Boston_Massacre_high-res.jpg -
Tea Act
The Tea Act allowed the British East India Company to ship their tea with little taxation. This made the companies tea cheaper, “giving the British company advantage over colonial merchants”. This is an example of mercantilism because the British took control of the import of trade. Virtual Representation- The colonist were being taxed and they did not have a part in what was made. http://www.dipity.com/BGunter/Important-history-1651-1776/ -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was a protest that the American Colonist did against the British government. The colonist found it unfair for them to not be represented in the British Parliament and were not able to have a say on how taxes were going to be done. So for that they refused to pay the high taxes on tea and told the ships to return the tea back to England. When the tea was not returned, the colonist decided to protest by disguising as Native Americans and threw all the tea into the ocean. -
First Continental Congress
When the Enforcement Acts was in placed the colonial government came together to fight against the Act. The first meeting known as the First Continental Congress consisted of twelve delegates in Philadelphia. The delegates sent a document to King George III explaining how they wanted their rights restored and to also “extend the boycott of British goods”. King George did not agree and went into battle. http://www.bostonteapartyship.com/continental-congress -
Coercive Acts (aka the “Intolerable Acts”)
Based on the protest named the Boston Tea Party, the British Parliament made laws that restricted civil rights for the colonist, also “the right to trial by jury”. http://www.cr-cath.pvt.k12.ia.us/lasalle/Resources/8th Websites 2012/Makeala Amy Kim Rev War/Rev War Amy Olberding/Intolerable_Acts.html?sm_au=iVVHVtQJQZJvnMRk -
Lexington & Concord
There was two battles that happened in April 1775 between the British and colonial soldiers. These were the first battles of the Revolutionary War. This started to give colonist thoughts about independence and freedom from the British control. http://www.britishbattles.com/concord-lexington.htm?_sm_au_=iVVHVtQJQZJvnMRk -
Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia to debate about if they should become independent or not. Eventually thirteen colonies made the Olive Branch Petition to create peace with England, but it was rejected by King George III. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Second_Continental_Congress_voting_independence_-_NARA_-_532839.jpg
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Battle of Bunker Hill
This battle took place near Boston, Massachusetts. The battle was between the American colonist and British. The colonist retreated after the third attack because they ran out of ammunition. Even though the British won, “they lost more than 40% of their force”. This battle gave encouragement to rebel against the British rules. After the Battle of Bunker Hill, King George III declared that the colonists were rebellion. http://www.britishbattles.com/bunker-hill.htm -
Common Sense
Thomas Paine made a pamphlet titled “Common Sense”. In the pamphlet, Paine wrote that it would be “common sense” to stop following King George III and become completely independent. Picture- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Paine -
Declaration of Independence
After Paine wrote Common Sense, majority of the delegates in the Second Continental Congress agreed that they should become completely independent and not ruled by the British no longer. Now the congress, becoming more of a government for the colonies, they decided to write an official document that stated their independence. It was also written mainly by Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson’s ideas were influenced by John Locke’s social contract and natural rights. Social contract is between the people.