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Proclamation of 1763
King George III issued a royal proclamation after the French and Indian War which forbid the colonists to settle past the Appalachian Mountains. -
Sugar Act
The Sugar Act was passed to raise money for Britain from the colonists. This act set duties on molasses and sugar imported by colonists. This was the first act passed specifically to raise money in the colonies. -
Stamp Act
This act required colonists to pay for a stamp or seal when buying paper items. It was imposed on newspapers, legal documents, even playing cards. If they refused to buy stamps they could be fined or jailed. -
Boston Massacre
Tension between the colonists and the British soldiers erupted when a single British soldier got into an argument with colonists. The group of colonists grew and soon more troops arrived and opened fire into the crowd. Multiple people died and the colonists called it the Boston Massacre, using it as propaganda against the British. -
Tea Act
British Parliament allowed the British East India Company to sell tea directly to the colonists. Many colonial mechants worried that this company would put them out of business. This is the event that led to the Boston Tea Party. -
Boston Tea Party
Due to tge worry among the colonists from the Tea Act, they ordered three ships loaded with tea to leave the harbor. When the governor demanded they pay the duty, the ships just waited. Colonists got onto the ships and dumped over 340 chests of tea into the Boston Harbor. This is known as the Boston Tea Party. -
First Continental Congress
This meeting was a gathering of colonial leaders who were concerned about tge relationship between Great Britain and colonies in America. Its goal was to get problems corrected by the King, but not to separate the colonies from Great Britain. A list of ten resolutions was written called tge Declaration of Rights. -
Lexington and Concord
British troops entered Lexington and fired shots, killing eight minutemen and wounding others. They proceeded to Concord where minutemen fired and the skilled marksmen were very accurate at shooting the British "Redcoats" due to the color of their jackets. The British had to retreat to Boston. -
Declaration of Independence
This formally broke the colonies from Great Britain. The founding principles of the document were rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The United States of America was formed.
