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1. Navigation Acts
The Navigation Acts were a series of acts passed by the British Parliament to restrict colonial trade beginning in 1651. These acts were implemented in order to grow the wealth of the British Empire. They angered colonists and sparked the cry, "No taxation without representation". -
3. French and Indian War
The French and Indian War, also known as the Seven Years War, was fought between Britain and France from 1754 to 1763. The cost of the War resulted in excessive taxation of the colonists and dispute in the colonies. -
30. Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin began his career in the Political Scene with the Albany Plan of Union. Although the plan to unite the Colonies failed, Franklin continued to be known as a skilled diplomat and statesman. -
5. Proclamation of 1763
The Proclamation of 1763 was a Royal Proclamation that restricted areas where British Colonists could live. It stated that British colonists could not move any farther west than the Appalachian Mountains. This sparked anger amongst colonists because there had already been purchases on that land and Britian was just going to take it away. -
7. Stamp Act
The British Parliament passed the Stamp Act in order to tax colonists more to pay for British troops in the Colonies. The Stamp Act required colonists to pay a tax for every printed piece of paper. -
2. Quartering Act
The Quartering Act required colonists to provide and accommodate British soldiers in barracks built by the colonists. If the barracks became too full, then the Act required colonists to house the soldiers in other buildings n the colonies. Many colonists were outraged by this act that was tossing them out of their homes. -
13. Sons of Liberty
The Sons of Liberty protested the Stamp Act. The Sons of Liberty was a secret society founded in the 13 Colonies by men who wanted to protect the rights of the colonists. They played a major role throughout the American Revolution by organizing protests and riots against British Authority -
25. Samuel Adams
Samuel Adams was a prominent Revolutionary leader who was one of the founding members of the Sons of Liberty in 1765. Later that year in October, he attended the Massachusetts assembly opposing the Stamp Act. -
8. Declaratory Act
The Declaratory Act was issued by Parliament in order to support the actions of the Stamp Act even after its repeal. It affirmed that Parliament had the same amount of control in Britain as it did in the colonies and a right to tax colonists "in all cases whatsoever". -
16. Daughters of Liberty
The Daughters of Liberty were a secret organization similar to the Sons of Liberty but consisted of women. They were founded in 1767 and supported colonial revolution and independence by participating in and organizing boycotts. -
4. Townshend Acts
The Townshend Acts imposed more taxes on goods such as glass, lead, paints, paper, and tea in the colonies. The Writs of Assistance were used to enforce these Acts by allowing tax collectors to search ships or smuggled goods. The passing of these Acts lead to the boycott of more British goods in the colonies. -
20. Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre was the shooting of several colonists by British soldiers. The shootings resulted in the death of 3 men and the events were used as propaganda in favor of revolution. -
21. Crispus Attucks
Crispus Attucks was killed in the Boston Massacre and is referred to as the first American killed during the revolution. His death was used by many patriots as an example of a man willing to die for liberty in the colonies. -
44. Committees of Correspondence
The Committees of Correspondence were groups of Patriot leaders that met in each town and communicated with each other within the colonies to share their ideas on British laws and how to challenge them. -
9. Tea Act
The Tea Act was passed by the British Parliament in order to restrict the selling of tea to the Colonies to only the British East India Company. This made the price of British Tea cheaper than tea sold by colonists and Colonial tea merchants began fearing for their businesses. -
18.Boston Tea Party
In response to the initiation of the Tea Act in the colonies, the Boston Tea Party Took place. Organized by the Sons of Liberty, a group of colonists dressed up as Native Americans, boarded British tea ships and threw the tea overboard. -
11.Coercive Acts/Intolerable Acts
The Coercive Acts (a.k.a. Intolerable Acts) were passed by Parliament in order to punish the Colonists for the events that took place at the Boston Tea Party. The Acts closed down Boston Port, canceled Massachusetts's charter, initiated a new Quartering Act, elected a new governor in Massachusetts, and sent British officials awaiting trial in the colonies to Britain. These Acts were one of the last injustices experienced by the colonists before the Revolution. -
6. Quebec Act
The Quebec Act was a part of the Intolerable/Coercive Acts that granted more land and religious freedom to colonists in Canada. Patriotic Colonists saw this as a threat to the expansion and liberty of the colonies. -
46. First Continental Congress
The First Continental Congress met in order to discuss the rights that were violated by the British government. The Continental Congress was made up of delegates from nearly every state. -
41. Wentworth Cheswell
Wentworth Cheswell rode with Paul Revere on a less famous ride to Portsmouth, New Hampshire to warn colonists of British troops arriving to seize the arms and ammunition of the colonists. He was also one of the first town leaders of color in Massachusetts -
35. John Paul Jones
After the Battle of Lexington and Concord, John Paul Jones volunteered to be part of the new Continental Navy. He later went on to become one of the first American naval commanders. -
22. Patrick Henry
Patrick Henry was a Virginian delegate elected to the First Continental Congress. He was one of the first to support the Patriot cause and he voiced this through his "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death" speech in March of 1775. -
40. Paul Revere
Paul Revere was one of the several people to ride into Lexington to warn the militia about oncoming British troops. He is the most famed because of the poem "Paul Revere's Ride". -
43. William Dawes
William Dawes was one of the midnight riders who warmed colonists of the oncoming British troops in Lexington. After this, Dawes continued to take part in the American Revolution and the struggle for independence by fighting in several battles and continuing to challenge British authority. -
37.Francis Marion
Francis Marion was a Patriot soldier who was known amongst the British as the "Swamp Fox". He specialized in guerrilla warfare style attacks and became known for his cunning and resourceful fighting style. In 1775 he was commissioned to take command of his own regiment of men. -
38. Lexington and Concord
The Battle of Lexington and Concord was the first official battle of the American Revolution. It began in the early morning hours of April 19 and began with the "Shot Heard 'Round the World", which is still debated about which side it came from. -
12.Ethan Allan
Ethan Allan was a general in the Continental Army and is now remembered as a Revolutionary War hero. After the Battle of Lexington and Concord, Allan was commissioned captain of a military group he would later call the Green Mountain Boys who fought in many battles of the Revolutionary War. -
47. Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress met after the battle of Lexington and Concord to discuss what actions should be taken by the Colonies while they were engaged in war. They established the Continental Army to protect the Colonies and met constantly throughout the War to make decisions for the Colonies. -
10. Green Mountain Boys
The Green Mountain Boys were a military group founded by Ethan Allan after the battle of Lexington and Concord. On May 10, 1775, they attacked Fort Ticonderoga at 2 in the morning. This battle was the first win for the Continental Army. -
36.The Continental Army
The Continental Army was established by the Second Continental Congress to defend the Colonies during the Revolutionary War. It was made up of men from each colony who were underpaid, undertrained, and underfed. The Continental Army also had difficulty keeping men in the military so General Washington made it so free slaves could join the army. Throughout the War, the Continental Army fought for Colonial independence in spite of unimaginable difficulties. -
32. George Washington
George Washington was the general who led the Continental Army to victory and Colonial independence. On June 15, 1775, just months after the battles of Lexington and Concord, he was commissioned general of the Continental Army by the Continental Congress. -
29. Battle of Bunker Hill
The Battle of Bunker Hill was the first major battle of the Revolution and was fought on Breed's Hill in Charleston. Although the battle was a British victory, it encouraged patriots in the Colonies because the British had lost a lot to win the battle. -
17.Olive Branch Petition
The Olive Branch Petition was drafted by John Dickinson, a member of the Continental Congress. It addressed the rights of the colonists and made one final attempt to make peace between Britan and the Colonies. It was adopted by the Congress then submitted to King George III who refused to read it because he viewed it as an illegal document created by an illegal government. -
23. Common Sense
Thomas Paine's Common Sense pamphlet was published in the colonies and was the first popular document to challenge British authority. Paine argued that the monarchy was not ideal for the Colonies and proposed independence from Britan. -
34.Thomas Jefferson
The Continental Congress appointed a "Committee of Five" to draft a Declaration of Independence. The committee consisted of several delegates including Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin. Thomas Jefferson later was appointed to pen the Declaration, making a name for himself amongst Colonial Leaders. -
28. John Adams
Throughout the Pre-Revolution era, John Adams was one of the radicals who urged the Continental Congress toward revolution. On July 2, Adams was one of the delegates who voted in favor of adopting Jefferson's Declaration of Independence. -
42. Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was a formal document that officially established the Colonial desire for independence. It was drafted by the Continental Congress's Thomas Jefferson. The Declaration was officially adopted by the Congress July 2, 1776, and is celebrated July 4. -
19. Nathan Hale
Nathan Hale was a Patriot spy and soldier who gave his life to the Patriot cause. He volunteered to fight in the Continental Army in 1776 and was appointed a spy shortly after. On a mission in New York City, Hale was caught by British officers and sentenced to hang without a free trial. Hale was executed on September 22, 1776. -
45. Thomas Paine
Thomas Paine was the author of Common Sense, one of the main documents that sparked the Revolution. Several months later, Paine publishes the first in a series of essays title the American Crisis. Like Common Sense, the American Crisis continued to support the Patriot cause. Thomas Paine continued to be relevant until the end of the Revolution, but towards the end of his life, Paine found himself unpopular and died a drunk in New York City -
24.Battle of Saratoga
The Battle of Saratoga was a major turning point in the Revolution because of the surrender of British General John Burgoyne. It was a collection of small battles between the British and Patriots that lasted nearly two months and ended October 7, 1777. As a result of this battle, the Patriots' morale was boosted. -
33. Valley Forge
The Continental Army under the command of General Washington camped out at Valley Forge from December 12, 1777 to June 19, 1778. The encampment was a test of the soldiers' dedication to the patriot cause. -
14.Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold was a Patriot General who fought in several battles of the Revolution. Throughout his military career, he felt underappreciated by the Patriots and formed a plan to turn over West Point in return for a high-ranking position in the British Army. The plan was unsuccessful but Arnold made it safely past British lines and Benedict Arnold became known as the greatest traitor in U.S history. -
15.James Armistead
James Armistead was an American soldier and spy who began as an enslaved African American. He joined in 1781 and served under the French General Lafayette who sent him to gather information from British camps. Armistead posed as a runaway slave and assumed the post of a British spy. Armistead's information played a vital plan in Patriot battle strategies over the course of the Revolution. -
26. Haym Solomon
Haym Solomon was a Jewish immigrant to the colonies from Poland. He began his career in Philadelphia as a broker in 1781. When the Continental Congress went bankrupt, the Office of Finance was established and Solomon became one of the most effective brokers of bills of exchange to meet federal government expenses. -
Bernardo Galvez
Colonel Bernardo Galvez was the commander of the Spanish troops provided to America by Spain. His men aided Patriot troops at the siege of Pensacola. Prior to this, Galvez had tried to assist the Colonies by providing supplies. The Siege of Pensacola lasted until May 8, 1781. -
27.Battle of Yorktown
The Battle of Yorktown (a.k.a Siege of Yorktown) was the final major battle of the Revolution which resulted in Patriot victory with assistance from the French. The Battle ended on October 19,1781. -
31. John Jay
John Jay was one of the diplomats who represented the Colonies during the signing of the Treaty of Paris. After his involvement in the ending of the revolution, Jay went on to be a prominent politician and statesman. -
39.Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris was the peace treaty between the Colonies and Britan that ended the Revolutionary War. It was negotiated in Paris, France by John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and John Jay. The Treaty of Paris established the Colonies' independence and geographical boundaries. It was signed on September 9, 1783, but wasn't completely ratified until April 9, 1784.
