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1- Navigation Acts
To support their system of mercantilism, Parliament passed a series of Navigation Acts that limited colonial trade. Even though England claimed the Navigation Acts were good for the colonies, not all colonists agreed. As a result, some traders turned to illegal smuggling. These acts led to anger in the colonies and began to strain relations with Britain. -
3- French and Indian War
The French and Indian War was a conflict between Britain and the Native American. The French sided with the Indians in a battle over land. The document that officially ended the French and Indian War was the Treaty or Paris. -
30- Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin was an important colonial leader. In 1754, at a meeting of colonial representatives, Franklin proposed a plan for uniting the colonies under a national congress. His plan was rejected but it helped lay the foundation for the Articles of Confederation. He served in the Second Continental Congress and helped draft the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Benjamin Franklin also negotiated the 1783 Treaty of Paris -
20- Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre was led by Captain Thomas Preston and eight of his men. The soldiers were in charge of enforcing the Townshend Acts which made the colonists attack them verbally and physically. The Boston Massacre was one of these situations. However, the soldiers fought back with bullets. In total, three colonists were killed on sight and two later died because of wounds. -
5- Proclamation of 1763
After the French and Indian War ceased, there was finally peace in North America. The Proclamation of 1763 brought more conflict to the land. It stated that the Appalachian Mountains were the short term western boundary for the colonies. Since many people owned land over the colonies, they were angry because Britain was overlooking their rights. -
44- Committees of Correspondence
In May 1764, Samuel Adams and James Otus founded the Committees of Correspondence. Individual committees would communicate with other towns and colonies to share ideas and information about the New British laws and ways to challenge them. The committees took part in many boycotts such as refusing to buy British goods. -
13- Sons of Liberty
Originated in the cities of Boston and New York. The Sons of Liberty was organized to protest the passing of the Stamp Act in 1765. Their motto was: "No Taxation Without Representation" -
2- Quartering Act
The Quartering Acts were requested by Lieutenant General Thomas. It was requested due to soldiers not having a place to sleep. The Acts were that Great Britain would house soldiers in the homes of colonists. -
7- Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was another way for the British to raise money for their failing economy. Parliament passed a law that put a tax on almost everything that was printed in the colonies, such as newspapers, pamphlets, and playing cars. This Act angered the people the most since the Parliament was ignoring the colonies' self government. -
16- Daughters of Liberty
The Daughters of Liberty consisted of women who displayed their patriotism by participating in the boycott of British goods following Parliament's passing of Townshend Acts. -
8- Declaratory Act
The Declaratory Act stated Parliament could tax the colonists. Parliament was almost in complete control of all affairs in Britain and the colonies. They had equal power in both areas. -
4- Townshend Act
The Townshend Act imposed taxes on items imported to the colonists such as glass, lead, paper, paint, and tea. However, it was later repealed in 1770 in order to call a truce between Britain and the colonies. The only item left taxed was tea. -
10- Green Mountain Boys
The Green Mountain Boys were led by Ethan Allen. The group was created in southwestern Vermont. They served as a small militia and were most famous for capturing Fort Ticonderoga from the British in 1775. -
12- Ethan Allen
Ethan Allen was the leader of the Green Mountain Boys in 1770. He and Benedict Arnold led the militia to victory at Fort Ticonderoga in 1775. After the war ended, he petitioned to have Vermont become a state. -
21- Crispus Attucks
Crispus Attucks was born into slavery but escaped at age 27. Although little is known about his family, Attucks is known for being the first casualty of the American Revolution. He was killed in the Boston Massacre -
28- John Adams
John Adams was a leader of the American Revolution who was a delegate to the Continental Congress in the 1770s. Later in the 1780's, Adams served as a diplomat and helped negotiate the Treaty of Paris. He became America's first Vice President in1789, and then later became the second president in 1797. -
20- Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre was led by Captain Thomas Preston and eight of his men. His men were in charge of enforcing the Townshend Acts, which made the colonists verbally attack them and physically attack them with sticks and stones. However, the soldiers fought back with bullets. In total, three colonists were killed on sight and two others died later because of wounds. -
9- Tea Act
One of the main reasons for the Tea Act was that the French and Indian took a toll on the British Government because of the expensive demand, bringing them a debt. Since they had economic issues, the government drew their money from the colonists. The British Government also wanted to save the East India Company who contributed to the economy. They granted the company complete control over the importation and sale of tea in the colonies. -
18- Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was a protest against the Tea Act. The colonists were outraged at the new price and regulations with tea. Samuel Adams and the Sons of Liberty threw 342 crates of imported tea overboard a ship. In total, more than 100 colonists threw 45 tons of tea overboard. -
25- Samuel Adams
Samuel Adams was an organizer of Boston's Sons of Liberty. He also conceived the Boston Committee of Correspondence and led Boston to rebel against the Tea Act, eventually leading to the Boston Tea Party. He also represented Massachusetts from 1774-1781. -
11- Intolerable Acts
After the Boston Tea Party, the British wanted to punish the colonists for wasting their money and tea. King George III wanted to reign in the colonies so he and the Parliament should enforce several harsh acts such as the Coercive Act and the Quebec Act. The Coercive Acts punished the colonists by making them pay the damages of the ruined tea, until they were completely paid off, until then the Boston Harbor would be closed. -
6- Quebec Act
The Quebec Act was made to extend the boundaries of Quebec. It also granted religious freedom for the Catholic Canadians. The purpose of the religious freeform was to improve the loyalty of the king's Canadian subjects. This Act denied the right of an elected legislative assembly. -
46- First Continental Congress
All colonies except Georgia were sent as representatives of the First Continental Congress. The delegates of the Congress encouraged colonists to continue boycotting British goods, but told colonial militia to prepare for war. They also drafted the Declaration of Rights to present to King George III. They did not seek separation from Britain, however their goal was to state the colonists' concern and ask the king to correct the problems. The King refused the petition so they met again in 1775. -
22- Patrick Henry
When the Stamp Act was passed by the Parliament in 1765, many colonists were very angry. Patrick Henry was one of them, and he strongly opposed the Act and was mostly known for his "Give me liberty, or Give me death," speech. The speech was delivered in front of Virginia colonial leaders in 1775 who met to discuss an effort to mobilize a militia against a possible British attack. -
40- Paul Revere
In 1775, Dr. Joseph Warren needed to spread the news of Britain's soldiers marching into the countryside northwest of Boston. Paul Revere was recruited and ready to risk his life in order to spread the message of British Invasion. He rode through Massachusetts to Lexington and was successful in warning others. -
43- William Dawes
William Dawes rode with Paul Revere to warn colonists about the incoming British march toward Lexington and Concord. However, he is not as well known as Paul Revere. -
38- Lexington and Concord
The Battle of Lexington was where the first shots of the war were fired, It was the first physical violence exchange between Great Britain and the colonists. After fighting the colonists in Lexington, the British marched to Concord. At Concord, the British were forced to retreat to Boston. This made the matter of war to be taken more seriously by both sides. -
36- Continental Army
The Continental Army was established by the Second Continental Congress a few days before the Battle of Bunker Hill. George Washington was appointed Commander-in-Chief and devoted the entire war to building a competent fighting force. They were the army fighting for the Patriots. They fought and preserved through many problems, such as lack of supplies, for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. -
29- Battle of Bunker Hill
The British defeated the Americans at the Battle of Bunker Hill in Massachusetts early in the Revolutionary War. Even though the Patriots lost, they were still able to preserve through the fight and the battle provided them an important confidence boost. -
34- Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was a leading figure in America's early development. During the American Revolution, he served in the Virginia Legislature, the Continental Congress, and was governor of Virginia. He later served as U.S. minister to France and the U.S. secretary of state. Jefferson was elected America's third president in 1800 and served until 1809. -
32- George Washington
George Washington fought in the French and Indian War and later became commander in chief of the Continental Army in 1775 during the American Revolution. He led the colonial forces to victory over the British and became in national hero still recognized today. In 1787, he was elected president of the convention that wrote the U.S. Constitution and two years later, became America's first president. -
47- Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress met in 1775 due to the King refusing their petition. They were the first attempt at a republican government in the colonies. They sent word to colonial authorities asking or new state constitutions and authorized Massachusetts to become the Continental Army. On July 5, the delegates signed the Olive Branch Petition as a final attempt to restore peace, but King George III refused to read it. -
17- Olive Branch Petition
The Second Continental Congress passed the Olive Branch Petition in pursuit of peace. On July 5, the delegates signed the petition as a final attempt to restore peace, but King George III refused to read it. -
26- Haym Saloman
Haym Saloman was an important financer for the American Republic. He was arrested by the British in 1776 for being part of a rebel cause. Later in 1778, he was arrested again on a more serious charge for being a Son of Liberty. He also founded Philadelphia's first synagogue. -
41- Wentworth Cheswell
He was first elected town constable of New Hampshire. Eight years later, in 1776, he signed a document pledging the risk of his life and wealth to fight for the British. In 1777, Cheswell enlisted under Colonel John Langdon's company. The company helped the Continental Army at the Battle of Saratoga. -
48- Bernardo Galvez
Bernardo Galvez was a Spanish military leader and colonial administrator. Galvez helped the colonies to succeed by sending them supplies and later capturing 550 enemy soldiers and two naval vessels without suffering a single defeat. He served as a colonial governor of Spanish Louisiana and Cuba, and later as Viceroy of New Spain -
23- Common Sense
Common Sense was a pamphlet written by Thomas Paine but published anonymously. It mostly argued that colonists should have independence from Britain and create a democratic republic. He also used biblical evidence to explain how the British Monarchy was corrupt. -
45- Thomas Paine
Thomas Paine wrote and published the Common Sense anonymously. He mainly argued that the colonists should have independence from Britain, and encouraged colonists to fight for their freedom. -
42- Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Second Continental Congress meeting at the Pennsylvania on July 4th, 1776. It formally announced the colonies separation from Britain. With the Declaration of Independence, the war was at full scale. -
19- Nathan Hale
Nathan Hale joined the Connecticut regimen when the war began. He was made captain in 1776, later the same year he was sent on a secret mission ordered by General George Washington. His job was to gather information about the British troops' location, however he was captured by them and was hung in New York City -
31- John Jay
John Jay was one of the Founding Fathers was the U.S. Republic. In 1777, Jay drafted New York's first state constitution and the following year he was elected president of the Continental Congress. Later, he became U.S. minister to Spain in order to help negotiate the Treaty of Paris. He was appointed to the Supreme Court of Justice in 1789. -
24- Battle of Saratoga
The Battle of Saratoga helped turn the tide of war in favor of the Patriots. They switched tactics by fighting an offensive war rather than offensive. The Battle of Saratoga was the greatest of victories from the Patriots yet. -
35- John Paul Jones
John Paul Jones was a famous naval officer who was commissioned as the first lieutenant on the Alfred in the continental Army. At the beginning of the American Revolution, the Congress sent him to France as Captain of the Ranger with orders to attack enemy commerce in British waters. His greatest success on the Ranger occurred on April 1778, when he captured a British ship. He became famous because of that action and because when asked to surrender, he said, "I have not yet begun to fight." -
37- Francis Marion
Francis Marion was commissioned as the Commander of the South Carolina Second State Regiment in 1778. In 1779, he fought under Benjamin Lincoln at the Second Battle of Savannah. However, a broken ankle kept him out of war and allowed him to escape capture at the fall of Charleston in May. In August of 1780, he successfully led nighttime raids against the British. -
33- Valley Forge
Valley Forge served as a camp for the Continental Army. It was located 22 miles away from Philadelphia. The winter in 1777-1788 was a difficult trial for the American army, but the suffering troops were held together by the loyalty to the Patriot Cause and George Washington. When the troops marched out of Valley Forge June 19, 1778, the men were better disciplined and stronger in spirit than they were before. -
14- Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold was an American hero during early times of the revolution, and helped capture Fort Ticonderoga. However, he negotiated with the British, agreeing to turn over U.S. post at Westpoint. In return, he would receive a large sum of money and have control over the British Army. Before the trade could occur, the plot was discovered and Benedict could retreat to the British lines. He became known as a traitor to the Patriots. -
27- Battle of Yorktown
George Washington and French General Comte de Rochambeau led the Patriots to lay siege on the British army at Yorktown. They captures two British defensives, leading to the surrender of the British General Lord Cornwallis and nearly 9,000 troops. Yorktown was the last battle of the American Revolution and led to peace negotiations shortly after. -
39- Treaty of Paris
France and Britain were both interested in ending the French and Indian War. With the war already ending, they needed a formal document and treaty to make if official. They treaty marked the end of France as a power in North America. The continent was now divided between Spain and Great Britain with the Mississippi River being the boundary line. -
15- James Armistead
He volunteered to fight for the Revolutionary War, as a slave. His master granted him permission to join the cause and was soon stationed under Lafayette who was commander of the France forces. Lafayette employed Armistead as a spy hired by the British to get information on the Americans.
