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French and Indian War
The French and Indian war occurred between 1754-1763. The British won and that earned them lots of land but also lots of debt. The British looked to the colonists to pay the debt and this increased tension between the two. -
Stamp act
Britain passes new laws one of which being the stamp act. The law required colonists to pay tax in the form of stamps It was the first direct tax on legal documents and newspapers etc. As a result, the colonists refused to use the stamps, burned them, and started riots.They also formed a Stamp Act Congress asking parliament to repeal the law and it was but Britain said they still had the power to tax the colonies. -
Townshend Acts
Townshend Acts was another law passed by Britain. It set up strict measures for collecting taxes from the colonies placing tax on lead, paint, paper, glass, and tea imported from Britain. It also included the writ of assistance which meant the British had the right to search colonial homes for smuggled goods without a search warrant which eventually led to more protests that colonists considered "taxation without representation". the law was repealed in march of 1770. -
Boston Massacre
Colonists threw snowballs at British Troops quartered in Boston. Someone yelled "fire" shots were then let off and 5 colonists ended up dead. Boston colonists demanded the removal of British troops. -
Tea Act
The only tax remaining was the Tea Act where tea was 3 cents per pound. Britain restructured the tax on tea to benefit them, a British east India company and under the Tea Act colonial merchants would lose business. Women started to boycott tea and drink coffee. -
Boston Tea Party & Intolerable Acts
In response to the Tea Act, colonists dumped shiploads of British tea into Boston Harbor which we now know as the Boston Tea Party. The British punished the colonies, especially Massachusetts by taking away their power of self-government. -
Battles of Lexington and Concord
700 British troops heading to concord for colonists weapons and military supplies. Captain John Parker and his militia fight at Lexington and later Concord, 8 colonists are killed. This is the beginning of the Revolutionary War. -
Declaration of Independence
The events of 1775 pushed colonists toward independence. Thomas Jefferson was given the responsibility of writing the first draft of the Declaration. First draft was too harsh and the passage on slavery was taken out. Patriots were fighting for freedom and their own government. While the room was filled with suspense the members of the Continental Congress passed the Declaration unanimously because they felt 13 stood a greater chance than 1. -
Treaty of Paris
This ended the American revolution. Britain recognized the US as an independent nation and the western border of the US and Britain was the Mississippi river. The revolution changes America, men gained more voting rights, Abigail Adams hoped women would be recognized and given voting and property rights, African Americans were hoping for freedom, which they did get in the north, and more colonies separated government from religion.
