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Treaty of Paris
Treaty that ends the French and Indian War (7 Years war) -
Sugar Act
The first attempt to finance the defence of the colonies by the British Government. In order to stop smuggling and to "encourage" the production of British rum, taxes on molasses were dropped, but taxes were added on foreign wine and colonial exports of iron, lumber and other goods had to pass first through Britain and British customs. The Act established a Court in Halifax to hear smuggling cases without jury and with the presumption of guilt. These measures led to a widespread of protest. -
Stamp Act
Britain passes the Stamp Act, imposing a tax on legal documents, newspapers, and even playing cards. This is the first direct tax on the American colonists and they did not accept it well. Which led to the colonist froming a Stamp Act Congress and 9 out of 13 colonies declared the Act of be unconstitutional. -
Quartering Act
Act that outlined the locations and conditions in which British soldiers are to find room and board in the American colonies. -
Declaratory Act
The British Parliament repelacs the Stamp Act but still claims to have the rights to tax the colonists -
Townshend Revenue Act
This act taxed the colonists on tea, glass, lead, paper and paint to help pay, 4o,ooo pounds per year, for the administration of the colonies. Later, John Dickinson publishes Letter from a Philadelphian Farmer in protest. Colonial assemblies forbids taxation without representation.
"For every hundredweight avoirdupois of crown, plate, flint, and white glass, four shillings and eight pence. For every hundred weight avoirdupois of red lead, two shillings." -
British Troops
The British troops come to America due to "political unrest" and to enforce taxes. -
Boston Massacre
A group of angered "patriots" by the presence of troops and Britain's colonial policy, they began harassing a group of soldiers guarding the customs house, throwing snoballs, rocks, and sticks; a soldier was knocked down by a snowball and shot his musket, and in the end 5 colonists died. -
Committees of Correspondence
The exact date is unknow but the committee was formed Spring of 1772
established throughout the colonies to form an American response to British colonial policy. "This represents an important move toward cooperation, mutual action, and the development of a national identity among Americans." -
Burining of Gaspee
An act of open civil defiance against the British authority when Rhode Islanders boarded and sank the ship Gaspee in Narragansett Bay. Lead by a merchant, John Brown, eight boatloads of armed citizens overpowered the crew of the Gaspee, disabled her commander, and set fire to the ship. Despite concerted British efforts to bring the colonists for punishment, they were never punished. -
Boston Tea Party
The colonists were not happy with being taxed by the Tea Act and as an act of rebellion the Colonists dressed up as Mohawk Indians and dumped 342 chests of tea into the Boston Harbor. The colonists were protesting taxation without representaion on tea and the monopoly of the British East India Company. An account from a participent "We then were ordered by our commander to open the hatches and take out all the chests of tea and throw them overboard.." -
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Intolerable Acts
Exact dates are unknown but it was over a span of March to June 1774
The British Parliament passes the Intolerable Acts. along with other actions, Britain closes the port of Boston and requires British troops to be housed in taverns and vacant buildings. The colonies protest by boycotting the grenal British goods. -
Battle of Lexington and Concord "Shot heard around the world."
The first battle of the Revolutionary war between the British troops and the Minutemen, American Colonists, the Colonists were warned by Paul Revere "The redcoats are coming, the British are coming". There was a lot of tension and stress, that caused the war the breakout. The British army Lieutenant John Barker “Ever since the 19th, we have been kept in constant alarm; all Officers order’d to lay at their barracks.” this shows just how much tension had been built between the two sides. -
Commander-in-chief
The continental Congress apointed George Washington as the Commander-in-chief of the Continental Army -
Battle of Bunker HIll
This was an early turning point of the battle,Though it was a costly war and the British won, it exemplifies how the Americans were going to fight til the end and gain what they wanted. A journalist from Virginia says, “I believe the regulars will hardly venture out, for they must lose a vast many men..." This shows how the British lost many men and though well respected they may be somewhat vonerable. There was a total of 1054 British casualties to the Americans' 367. -
Olive Branch Petition
The Colonists proposed a deal that gave the Colonists their American rights, ending the intolerable act in exchange of creasing fire, but king George III refused. If king George III would have taken this deal Britain could have avoided the war. -
Open Rebellion
King George III declared the Colonists to be in open rebellion. -
British form an alliance with patriots' slaves
Exact date is unknown but took place in November
The British governor of Virginia, Lord Dunmore, issues a proclamation offering freedom to any slaves of rebellious Americans who enter the British lines. Throughout the course of the war, tens of thousands of African Americans will seek their freedom by supporting the British. A smaller number will fight on the patriots. -
Battle of Quebec
The American Colonists have been winning battles up the Champlain river into Canada, but this was another turining point for the northen portion, but once the reached Quebec they were defeated. If the Americans saw victory at Quebec the Northern Armies would have shifted their focus to Canada and off the coloines. -
Thomas Paine's Common Sense
Thomas Paine anonymously published the Common Sense in Philidelphia. Similar to Patrick Henry's speech Common Sence was a powerful novel used to sway loyalists and other colonists to join the cause of rebellion against the British. He stated “Common sense will tell us, that the power which hath endeavoured to subdue us, is of all others, the most improper to defend us.” Explaining that the British will not protect them anymore and that the British can't and will not help the colonies any longer. -
France Provides Covet Aid for America
The Continental Congress established the Secret Committee of Correspondence to publicize the American cause in Europe. Committee member Benjamin Franklin wrote to contacts in France with encouraging accounts of colonial resistance. After suffereing from defeat from the British during the Seven Years’ War and had lost North American territory under the 1763 Treaty of Paris. As the French and the British continued to fight for power, French saw this as an oppertunity due to the British troubles. -
Declaration of Independence
Thomas Jefferson along with other members of the continental congress, such as Benjamin Franklin and John Addams, drafted the Declaration of Independence. It states that "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness," This sends a clear message of how Britain is no longer their mother nation and they will not look to them. -
Fire of New York
In the battle of Long Island and White Plains British forces come to New York to stop the rebellion and occupy NY aftter the American loss. No one knows who started the fire but it destroyed most of New York and many of the colonist retreated into the wilderness. The British gained ground by capturing New York. -
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Battle of Trenton and Princeton NJ
Exact dates are unknown but happened in the span of December and January
This is a turining point in the battle reviving hope for Americans. In a bold move, Washington moves his troops into New Jersey on Christmas night. The patriots surprised German troops fighting for Britain at Trenton on December 26. There is a similar victory over British troops at Princeton on January 3, reviving hopes that the war just might be winnable. The army then encamps for the winter at Morristown, New Jersey. -
Battle of Brandywine
It was a critical time for George Washington, he had just beend defeated in New York and it was a very low point. His writings to the Continental Congress tell us so. There was not much to be gained through a victory in a territorial sense, but it was one of the many crucial moments that could've been a turning point in the Revolution. This victory was essential to give the soldiers a hope and raise their spirits that they would win the battle. In the end they were out numbered and retreated. -
Battle of Germantown
The Battle of Germantown didn't begin very well for the Colonists, He decided to attack the British garrison in Germantown as the last effort of the year before the onset of winter. Washington's plan was to attack the British at night with four troops from different directions. Washington hoped to surprise the British and Hessian armies in much the same way he had surprised the Hessians at the Battle of Trenton. It turned out to be a loss and the spirits of the Continental Army was very low. -
Battle of Saratoga (Bemis Heights)
British surrender of 5,700 troops at Saratoga. Lacking supplies, 5,700 British, German and loyalist forces under Major General John Burgoyne surrendered to Major General Horatio Gates in a turning point in the Revolutionary War. The long rifle was invented at this time which helped American shooters acuratly aim and attack the British much easier. This win also showed the French that the Americans' were capable of winning this war. -
Alliance with France
France signed a treaty of alliance with the United States and recognizes the US independence. In December 1776 the Continental Congress ends Benjamin Franklin to France to urge the French to ally with the American. Without the efforts of Benjamin Franklin French might have not allied with the Americans. -
Inventions
Bayonets are spears placed on the end of rifles. They were used after the battle of Valley Forge. American spies used invisible ink in order to hide plans from the British and pass it onto the American soldier who intercepted the mail. -
Battle of Cowpens
It became known as the turning point of the war in the South, part of a chain of events leading to Patriot victory at Yorktown. The Cowpens victory was won over a British regular army and brought together strong armies and leaders who made their mark on history. -
Flat boats
The Creation of flat boats allowed the American colonists to transport supplies across the river to the soldiers much easier. -
Mum Bett case
Elizabeth Freeman also known as Mum Bett was an African American slave and sued for her freedom in Massachusetts. Her victory prohibits slavery in that state. She was the first slave to successfully sue for her freedom. This will later impact and question slavery in other colonies. -
Battle of Yorktown
A miraculous convergence of American and French forces traps Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown, Virginia. He surrenders his British army. This was the last battle fought during the American Revolution. -
Treaty of Paris
Treaty of Paris was signed between Britain and the US bringing a formal and peaceful end to the Revolutionary War. The US finally gains independence.
