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Period: to
Revolution
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Suger Act
Parliament passed the Sugar Act, as George Grenville's suggested. It put a three cent tax on molasses as an attempt to help Great Britain's economy. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was a 25-page document that Parliament passed. It was literally a stamp that colonists had to buy to put on all of their paper products. The colonists did not take kindly to this new act. -
Declaration of Rights & Grievances
This was a document created and passed by the Stamp Act congress. It basically said that putting taxes on colonists without their consent was unconstitutional. This spurred the slogan of "No Taxation Without Representation". It listed other rights that had been violated also. It was directly related to the Stamp Act. -
Townshend Acts
The Townshend Acts, named after Exchequer Charles Townshend, was a series of taxes the Parliement instigated. It put a tax on glass, lead, paints, paper, and tea. This act included writs of assistance that were used to search colonial ships and buildings for contraband items. -
Boston Massacre
This was an event that was caused by Parliaments acts and also the Boston tea party. British soldiers fire upon a rowdy mob of Bostonians who were provoking them. Sadly, five men were killed as a result. -
Tea Act
This was not an act to impose taxes upon the colonies, but rather to help The East India Company that was suffering financially. It actually made tea cheaper for the colonies. It was more so the principle of things. This act sparked the Boston Tea Party, -
Boston Tea Party
The colonists were mad over the act that made it manditory for them to buy tea from only one place. Around that time, a shipment from the East India Tea Company arrived. In response, colonists dressed up as Native Americans and dumped out the tea into the Boston Harbor. -
Intolerable Acts
The Intolerable Acts, also know as the coercive acts, were a series of laws passed in response to the Boston Tea Party. The acts included closing the Boston Harbor, revoking Massachusetts' charter, the quartering act, extending Quebec into the Ohio Country, and making it so trials of British officers are held in Great Britain. -
First Continental Congress
The First Continental Congress was a convention with the delegates of the 12/13 colonies. They planned this as a response to the Intolerable Acts. They went through option after option, thinking of boycotts and petitions. They petitioned to Parliament, but it had no effect. -
Second Continental Congress
At the First Continental Congress, the delegates decded to meet up again if they were not listened to. They started efforts to create independence, even if it meant war. The congress prepared a military incase of battle. -
Lexington & Concord
This battle was known as "the shot heard around the world," and it was also the first shots of the American Revolution. The Minutemen were greatly outnumbered by the British yet they still tried but failed. After the British continued onto Concord for supplies, the colonists joined up again to attack them as they marched back to Boston. This time, the colonists had the victory, -
Battle of Bunker Hill
The new generals that arrived made a plan to capture the hills surrounding the cities. The Americans quickly found out about the British preparations. They snuck in at night and occupied Bunker and Breed hill in order to stop the British. Seeing this, the British launched an attack. -
Common Sense
This was written by Thomas Paine. It was the first of its kind that challenged the authority of the British government. It aided the movement of declaring independence. -
Americans drive British out of Boston
This was during the seige of Boston. Washington took cannons that Knox brought from Fort Ticonderoga and set them up on Dochester Heights. Instead of having another Battle of Bunker Hill on their hands, Howe decided to leave the city. -
Declaration of Independence
This was the formal act of all the colonies that delcared themselves independent from British rule. It stated that they were a new, seperate country. It also said the ways that the King had done them wrong. -
Battle of New York
The British needed to stifle the colonies' efforts. They began trying to recapture New York. They attempted driving Washington out of Long Island but he was able to hold off the British after retreating to White Plains. Although then the British beat Washington, causing him to retreat to New Jersey. -
Battle of Trenton
The Battle of Trenton was a very important American victory. It is very famous as the battle where Washington snuck his soldiers across the Delaware River on Christmas day in 1776. They surprised the them and took 900 prisoners. -
Battle of Saratoga
It is considered the turning point of the American Revolution. The British wanted to control upstate New York and cut off New England from the other colonies. British general John Burgoyne led the soldiers in two battles, the Battle of Freemans Farm (Sept. 19) and the Battle of Bemis Heights(Oct 7), but ultimately was not successful. He surrendered after the defeat at Bemis Heights. -
Valley Forge
The continental army arrived at Valley Forge after a series of tough battles with the british. There was a shortage on supplies and food. As many as 2000 men came down with sickness and died. -
Treaty of Paris
This treaty ended the Revolutionary War between Great Britain and America. It was signed Septemeber 3, 1783. Four treaties were actually produced, the Peace of Paris, because of the other nations involved.
