Pre Revolutionary War

By AmericanPatriot33

  • Proclamation Line of 1763

    • Restricted colonies to east of the Appalachian Mountains
    • Took away Ohio River Valley from colonists, gave it back to natives
    • More troops stationed in the colonies to enforce this Proclamation Line
    • Colonists realize Britain is taking rights and land from them

  • Sugar Act

    • Lowers the taxes from Molasses Act
    • Institute Writs of Assistance so that British can search for smuggled goods without a warrant
    • Put tax on all sugar: strictly enforced and forced colonists to pay
    • Indirect tax so all prices increased

  • Stamp Act

    • Taxed all printed goods
    • Instituted after boycotts of sugar
    • Direct tax: colonists could see how much tax was
    • Everyday items were taxed i.e. newspapers, books, cards, etc.
    • Congress votes to boycott this act as well; call for non-importation of printed goods

  • Quartering Act

    • Required all colonists in Boston to house soldiers
      • One soldier per person in the house
      • Must feed soldiers and house them; can not resist

  • Townshend Acts

    • Repeals Stamp Act
    • Puts more taxes on other products
    • Taxes used to pay for troops in Boston and building of ships
    • Repealed in 1770 due to inefficiency

  • Boston Massacre

    • Soldiers stationed in Boston fire on rioters
    • Kill six colonists, colonists react and depict soldiers as murderers
    • John Adams represents British: find them not guilty
    • Tensions rise between soldiers and colonists, this was one small spark

  • Tea Act/Boston Tea Party

    • British repeal all taxes besides tax on tea
      • British East India Company bankrupt: need money from tea to pay
      • Sons of Liberty react in Boston Tea Party
      • Dump all tea into Boston Harbor - damages from $1-3 Million
      • King George takes this as a threat from colonists: makes more restrictions

  • Intolerable Acts

    • Boston Port Bill closed the port of Boston so that economy suffered; colonists had to pay for damages
    • Justice Act gave British right to be tried in Britain and not in colonies; free reign to do what they wanted in colonies
    • Quebec Act cut off colonies of Connecticut and Virginia
    • Isolate Boston as a whole as example to other colonies

  • Appointment of General Gage as Governor/ Continental Congress

    • In Massachusetts Government Act governor had control over town meetings
      • Annulled the charter of the colonies
      • Took away self-government rights and colonists had no say
      • General Gage enforced Intolerable Acts and taxes on colony
      • Inter-colonial meeting to discuss rights and what to do about British
      • Delegates decide to defend rights from British and protect republic
      • Institute boycotts and non-importation agreements
      • Blacklist colonies into boycotts; committees of correspondence

  • Lexington and Concord

    • Militias in Massachusetts take on British
    • King of Britain orders leaders of Revolution killed and munitions taken
    • Spy network alerts colonists, guns and ammunition hidden
    • Plan of British is no longer secret
    • Almost three times the casualties of British than colonists; morale booster
    • First shots of the Revolutionary War; "shot heard 'round the world"