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Treaty of Paris
After the French and Indian War, King George III signed the Treaty of Paris, which was a document about which lands went to which countries. This happened because Britain won the French and Indian War. The colonists were happy that the war was over, but this was followed by Parliament attempting to raise money to pay for the war debt and they were not happy with that. -
Proclamation of 1763
The Proclamation of 1763 was a law that was meant to prevent the settlers from moving west of the Appalachian Mountains. It was created because after the French and Indian War, Britain wanted to avoid discord between colonists and Indians. The colonists believed they had the right to live anywhere they wished to, and that Parliament could not tell them where to settle. The Proclamation was ignored because the British could not force the colonists to obey it. -
Stamp Act
This was an act that put a tax on many things, such as paper, and almost every kind of document. This tax was created because Britain needed money from the colonies, especially after the debt created by the French and Indian War. The colonists were furious and protested angrily, with the most violent riots in Boston. The Stamp Act was repealed on March 18, 1776. -
Quartering Act
This Act required the colonists to provide lodging, food, and supplies for the British soldiers in North America. This was created because it was a burden for Britain to pay for all this besides the weapons and ammunition of the soldiers. The colonists felt this was a rude invasion of their privacy, but the act was not repealed. -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was organized by the Sons of Liberty and went the farthest out of the protests against the Tea Act of 1773. One hundred fifty men dressed up as Indians and threw 90,000 expensive pounds of tea overboard in opposition to the Tea Act. Parliament severely punished Boston, and the rest of the colonies realized that the protests against Britain had escalated to a higher level of rebellion. -
First Continental Congress gathers
The First Continental Congress was in a meeting in Philadelphia of leaders from all the colonies except Georgia. Their intention was to organize a response of all the colonies to the British taxes and general treatment of the colonies. Congress demanded a repeal of the Intolerable Acts and requested that the colonies begin training militiamen. As a result of the meeting organized boycotts take place in the colonies. -
Fighting at Lexington and Concord-"Shot Heard Round The World"
The Battles of Lexington and Concord were the first acts battles of the war. The British were going to Lexington from Boston to capture Samuel Adams and John Hancock, then on to Concord to take weaponry stored there. Paul Revere and William Dawes alerted both towns before the British arrived. There was a confrontation on the town green of Lexington, eight Patriots were killed, and the British continued to Concord. From there, the British were forced to make a graceless retreat back to Boston -
Fort Ticonderoga captured
The Green Mountain Boys, led by Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold, captured Fort Ticonderoga in a surprise attack. This was the first aggressive American act in the Revolution. The colonists were pleased to gain weapons from the fort, but more importantly, cannons. These cannons were a valuable advantage in battles that followed. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
1,600 Americans, commanded by Col. William Prescott, caused serious damage to 2,200 British troops led by Gen. Sir William Howe. From Breed’s Hill they fired down on the British, who were beaten back in several attempts to charge the Americans. The British had 1,054 total casualties. The Americans were forced to retreat only because they were running out of ammunition. This proved that the Americans could stand up to the British in battle and the near-victory cheered the American soldiers. -
Common Sense by Thomas Paine published
Common Sense was a fifty-page pamphlet written by Thomas Paine to try and persuade colonists to join those who wished for freedom. It inspired the colonies to the cause of liberty and was highly influential, bringing many formerly undecided colonists over to the side of those who wanted independence. After it was published, it sold more than 120,000 copies in the first three months. -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence is a document that declares independence from Britain. It was written because the colonists believed that they were required to explain to Britain why they wanted to become independent. The ideas of liberty stated in the Declaration spread to other nations. The colonists began to see the declaration as a symbol of unity of the colonies and the new country. -
Battle of Trenton- Washington's Surprise Attack
On Christmas night, Washington led his troops in a surprise attack on the Hessian troops in Trenton. They had to cross the frozen Delaware River. They achieved complete victory killing or capturing all of the mercenary soldiers. This is a heartening victory for the troops, who would have left at the end of their term. The soldiers’ reaction to this is to stay and fight rather than go home. Washington was pursued by the British, but managed to fight them off later. -
Nathanael Greene's victory at the Battle of Cowpens
General Daniel Morgan, under the direction of Gen. Nathanael Greene, defeated Col. Tarleton at the Battle of Cowpens. The victory was gained when the Americans failed to understand an order and began to retreat, causing the British to pursue them in disorder. The Americans then fired at the British and trapped his troops in a partial pincer movement, by making their way around Tarleton’s army’s side. The British suffered heavy losses and the Americans won a great and encouraging victory, cont -
Patriots Win the Siege of Yorktown
British general Lord Charles Cornwallis had to withdraw to Virginia, where the French navy separated him from the British navy and an army led by George Washington and a French general trapped him on the peninsula and laid siege to him. Cornwallis, running out of food and supplies, was forced to surrender on October 19, 1781. This was the last major battle of the war. The colonists were thrilled with this victory, which led to the end of the war. -
Treaty of Paris (the second one)
The Treaty of Paris ended the Revolutionary War. It was negotiated in Paris and was created to confirm what each country involved in the war was to receive. The United States received almost all of its requests. The colonists were happy to be out of the war, although it was followed by the challenges of building a new nation, with the additional problem of being in debt from the war.
