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French and Indian War
a war fought between France and Britain over land in North America. This left Britain in debt, which caused them to tax their people with unfair prices and caused the people to revolt. France also lost all of their land in America, causing their relationship to become worse. -
Sugar Act
a law that taxed all imported sugars from colonists to help pay off Britain’s debt from the French and Indian War. This frustrated many colonists, and caused them to revolt. -
Stamp Act
Britain taxed all paper products imported to America. This included newspapers, letters, cards, documents, and basically anything made of paper. Colonists were angered that they started to tax things they use every day. -
The Boston Massacre
British soldiers fired upon a hostile group of protesters. This news swept across the land and angered many colonists. -
Tea Act
Britain taxed all tea to colonists to pay off their debts from the French and Indian War. This unsettled many other colonists. -
The Boston Tea Party
this was an act of rebellion against Britain from the Thirteen Colonies by throwing all of their tea into the water. This was the first act against Britain. -
The Boston Port Act
as a punishment for dumping all of the tea in the water, Britain shut down all of Boston’s ports. This shut down Boston’s main income, and gave hard times to the colonists. -
The Quartering Act of 1774
this was an act that gave all British soldiers the right to sleep and live in your house for as long as they want. The colonists had to feed them, shelter them, and give up their homes for them. Colonists were furious that their own free will was being dominated by British soldiers. -
Patrick Henry's "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death" Speech
Patrick Henry gave a speech that rebelled against Britain. This was one of the first public acts of rebellion against Britain. Many colonists were fired up by this speech and started to stand up to Britain -
Battles of Lexington and Concord
hundreds of British troops marched to take a weapons cache from the colonists. Paul Revere sounded the alarm, and a group of colonists jumped the troops. This fight broke the tension between the British and the Thirteen Colonies, and encouraged colonists everywhere to stand up to the Red Coats. -
Battle of Ticonderoga
Fort Ticonderoga was a major point of access to Canada and the Hudson River Valley for the British. Benedict Arnold and Ethan Allen attacked with the Green Mountain Boys to take Ticonderoga. This was the first victory for the patriots and supplied them with heavy artillery. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
a group of colonists fought off red coats at Bunker Hill. Although they lost due to their inexperience, and lack of weapons, the colonists did a great amount of damage to the red coats and encouraged and inspired many other colonists to stand up to the red coats. -
George Washington is Named Commander in Cheif
George Washington takes the role of Commander in Chief, and leads the Thirteen Colonies to freedom from Britain. They picked a responsible, sophisticated leader that would soon be a hero throughout the generations. -
Thomas Paine Writes Common Sense
Thomas Paine writes a pamphlet that fights to break the thirteen colonies away from Britain. This raises support against Britain. -
Declaration of Independence is Written and Signed by Delegates in the Continental Congress
After the string of fights between the colonists and Britain, the Revolution became a big and nasty war. The Continental Congress wrote The Declaration of Independence and sent it to Britain, hoping for a rebellious stand against Britain. This would later be known as a day celebrated by American's throughout the generations. -
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Battle of Saratoga
These were two battles fought 18 days apart. The first battle, British General John Burgoyne won a very costly victory against Benedict Arnold and Horatio Gates. The second battle, Burgoyne attacked again and was forced to retreat, due to his weakened forces. This was a major turning point in the Revolution for the colonists. -
An Alliance is made Between the Rebels and the French
France, an enemy to Britain, made an alliance with the rebels to help them defend against the Red Coats. This provided a major offensive and defensive stand against Britain, and inspired many other colonists to fight back. -
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Battle of Yorktown
George Washington and French General Comte de Rochambeau led an American and French siege on Yorktown. British General Lord Cornwallis and his near 9,000 troops surrendered. This was the final battle of the Revolution, followed by British peace treaties. -
General Cornwallis Surrenders to Washington at Yorktown
after the humiliating defeat at Yorktown; General Cornwallis surrenders him and his near 8,000 Red Coats to the Rebels. This officially ended the Revolution for Britain, and secured the colonists a major victory. -
Peace Treaty is Signed ending the American Revolution Recognizing US Independence
After the defeat at Yorktown, and the loss of a huge amount of Red Coats, Britain decided to sign the treaty that ended the Revolutionary War. This granted the colonists absolute independence from Britain, and shaping the world as we know it today.
