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The French and Indian War
What started as a land dispute between the colonists and Indians over the land west of the Appalachian Mountains escalated to a full war between the French and the Indians and the colonists and British. The colonists and British eventually won the war, signified by the signing of the Treaty of Paris. -
Proclamation of 1763
The proclamation of 1763 prohibited English settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains. This was done to prevent future wars with the natives; the English did not want to spend any more money fighting wars in North America. The colonists were outraged by the taxes and how high they were. -
The Stamp Act
An act that said the colonists had to buy a stamp for every paper good they bought. This was Britain's way of trying to pay for the war debt they inccured from helping the colonists win the French and Indian War. -
Quartering Act
An act that forced colonists to provide housing, food and clothing for British troops. -
Townshend Act
An act created by Charles Townshend that placed a tax on tea, glass, paper, paint and lead. -
Boston Massacre
The British government sent soldiers to Boston, Massachusetts. On March 5th, 1770, British soldiers fired shots into a crowd. Several of Americans were killed. -
The Boston Tea Party
In protest to the Tea Act, 50 colonists dressed up at Mohawk Indians, boarded British tea ships and threw 90,000 pounds of tea over board and into the Boston Harbor. -
Intolerable Acts
Britain's response to the Boston Tea Party. It shut down Boston Harbor until the colonists paid for the dumped tea, cancelled Massachusetts' charter, sent the British troops tried for the Boston Massacre back to Britain for a new trial, forced colonists to quarter British troops and named General Thomas Gage the governor of Massachusetts. -
First Continental Congress
Called by the Committees of Correspondence in response to the Intolerable Acts, the First Continental Congress convened in Philadelphia. Fifty-six delegates represented all the colonies except Georgia. -
Battles at Lexington and Concord
General Gage found out that the colonists were hiding weapons and gunpowder in Concord and organized a surprise attack to get the weapons back. However, the plan was leaked and Paul Revere and Williams Dawes spread the word to the colonists. Militias came together at Lexington and Concord and once both battles were done, the British knew the colonists were ready to fight for their rights.