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French and Indian War (1754-17763)
War fought between France and Britain for the control of the vast colonial territory of North America. It began due to the desire of the British to settle in the Ohio River Valley and their desire to trade with the Native Americans. In response the French built forts to protect the trade with the natives, which led the British to declare war on France. Most American Indians in the region were allies of the French (traded but did not settle on the land). -
Stamp Act
It was the first attempt of the British parliamentary of raise revenue through direct taxation of all colonial commercial and legal papers, newspapers, pamphlets, cards, almanacs and dice. Due to the economical loss during the French and Indian War, the British government expected to cover the expenses of the war through the Stamp Act. -
Townshend Act
The Townshend acts were a series of measurements that taxed goods imported to the American colonies. It was established by the British crown and the American colonies opposed it but the British send troops to enforce the laws. It was implemented to gain money because after the French and Indian war England was under multiple debts and they wanted the colonies to pay for it. -
Boston Tea Party
Incident in which 342 chests of tea belonging to BEIC were thrown from ships into Boston Harbor by American patriots (disguised as Mohawk). The patriots were protesting against the taxation of tea and the obvious monopoly of the BEIC regarding the trade of tea. -
Tea Act
Act passed by the parliament on May 10,1773, granted the British East India Company, the monopoly regarding the tea sales in the American Colonies. Prior to the act, the British East India Company was required to sell their auctions exclusively in London and pat a tax per pound of tea sold, This granted BEIC a license to export their tea to the American colonies,opening the market of lucrative trade in the colonies. -
Intolerable Act
The Intolerable Act were a series of laws passed by the British parliament against the American colonies. The name was given because american patriots felt they couldn't tolerate this laws.
Acts:
1.The Boston Port Act: closed all ports in Boston until the colonists payed for all the tea they dumped into the harbor.
2.The Massachusetts Government Act: gave the governor appointed by the British crown more power. -
Intolerable Act
3.Administration of Justice Act: allowed the governor to move capital trials against government officials to Great Britain. Also called the "murder act" because colonists said it allowed government officials to get away with murder.
4.The Quartering Act: said that the colonies had to provide barracks for British soldiers.
5.The Quebec Act and it expanded the British Canadian territory south into the Ohio valley and it made the Quebec province catholic. -
First Continental Congress
The congress took place from September 5 through October 26, 1774. Delegates from each colony, except Georgia, met and discussed the way Britain was treating them. They sent a letter to King George demanding that they stopped the intolerable acts or they would boycott the English goods. The delegates also agreed to meet in 1775 if England didn't accomplish with their petitions. English King ignored the requests. -
Second Continental Congress
The congress met on May 10, 1775 and continued to meet until March 1781. Delegates of all colonies participated. Its was held during the revolutionary wars. It was led by John Hancock and other members were Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin. The major accomplishments were the establishment of a Continental army, the declaration of independence which declared the United States independent from Britain, the creation of an official flag and the creation of a real government. -
American Declaration of Independence
It was a statement adopted by the Second Continental Congress meeting in Philadelphia, It announced that the 13 colonies that were at war with the Kingdom of Great Britain would regard themselves as 13 independent states. The colonies and Britain had been in war since 1775 and the relationships with the mother country had been deteriorating since 1763.
