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The Mayflower lands at Plymouth Rock
Mayflower landed on the cold, bleak shore of Cape Cod, in present day, Massachusetts. The passengers had planned to settle farther south along the Hudson River, but the difficult sea voyage exhausted them. The colonists decided to travel no farther. They called their new settlement Plymouth because the Mayflower had sailed from the port of Plymouth, England. -
Pennsylvania Becomes a Colony
William Penn founded the colony of Pennsylvania in 1681. Charles II issued a royal charter naming Penn proprietor of a large tract of land in North America. The king named the new colony Pennsylvania and during his time as a proprietor, Penn took steps that aided the development of self-government in Pennsylvania. -
The French and Indian War
The French and Indian War was a part of a larger war called the Seven Years’ War that involved conflicts not just in North America but also in Europe and Asia. In North America, the Ohio Valley was at the center of the dispute. The opening shots of the war were fired by soldiers led by George Washington. -
The Sugar Act
It replaced an earlier tax, which was so high that the merchants who paid it would have been driven out of business. So, most of the colonial merchants avoided the tax by smuggling molasses into the colonies. The Sugar Act lowered the tax and the law made it easier for British officials to bring colonial smugglers to trial. -
The Currency Act
When the Parliament passed it, the Currency Act stopped the colonists from printing their own paper money. It banned the printing of new money and the issuance of existing currencies. It was a good thing for the people in the mother country, but not good for the colonies because it resulted in more money leaving than the money coming in. -
The Stamp Act
England wanted to pay their troops in the colonies, so they passed the Stamp Act. It put a tax on papers, documents, and other stuff. If the colonists didn’t pay, they were punished unfairly without a jury. The colonists hated this act. For them, it was an example of “taxation without representation.” -
The Quartering Act
The Quartering Act required the colonists to provide food and shelter to the soldiers stationed in the colonies. The colonists did not want to house the soldiers and many of them did not think the soldiers should be stationed in the colonies. -
The Townshend Revenue Act
Parliament reopened the debate over taxing the colonies and the Parliament passed the Townshend Act which taxed goods such as glass, paper, paint, lead, and tea. The taxes were low. It resulted with big protests in the colonies and the merchants in Boston. -
The Boston Massacre
Colonists shouted insults at the “lobsterbacks”, as they called the red-coated British who guarded the building. Then the Boston crowd began to throw snowballs. Oyster shells, and chunks of ice at the soldiers. The crowd got larger and larger and suddenly, the soldiers fired into the crowd and the five people lay dead or dying. -
The Boston Tea Party
The act gave the British East India Company a rebate on tea taxes. Although colonists would still have to pay the tea tax, they would not have to pay the higher price charged by colonial tea merchants. As a result, the tea cost less than before. However, the colonists protested. Many colonists were opposed to British mercantilist policies that were supposed to generate wealth for England by taxing the colonies. -
The First Continental Congress
Colonial leaders called a meeting in Philadelphia. Delegates from 12 colonies (Georgia didn’t join) gathered in what became known as the First Continental Congress. They had a meeting because they had to talk about the resistance of the colonies towards the Parliament’s Coercive Acts. -
Patrick Henry’s “Give me Liberty or give me Death” speech
At the Second Virginia Convention, Patrick Henry said “Give me liberty or give me death” and he urged that a volunteer militia must be organized and armed in every county of Virginia to prepare to defend themselves from Great Britain. -
The Ride of Paul Revere
Dr. Joseph Warren asked Paul Revere to ride to Lexington, Massachusetts. Paul carried the news that the troops were about to march into Boston. These troops were going to arrest Samuel Adams and John Hancock. The total distance of this ride was 12.5 miles. William Dawes and Paul Revere rode together. -
The Second Continental Congress
Colonial delegates met at the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia. The delegates represented the 13 British colonies from New Hampshire to Georgia. Most of the delegates still hoped to avoid a final break with Britain. However, while they were meeting, the fighting spread. -
George Washington named Commander in Chief
The people thought that George Washington would be a good chief because he had military experiences like being in the French and Indian War at a young age. George Washington took command and led the poorly trained Continental Army.