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French and Indian War
Started July 3rd, 1754 and was finally ended 7 years later on February 10th, 1763. It was one of the bloodiest wars in the 18th century. It even took more lives than the American Revolution. It was a clash between the French and English over colonial territory and wealth. Or, it could even be seen as the rivalry between British and French colonists. -
Treaty of Paris
This treaty, of the series of the treaty’s yet to come, ended the French and Indian War. The treaty was made possible by the British victory over France and Spain. It was often referred to as the Treaty of Peace and was signed on February 10th, 1763 by Great Britain, France and Spain with Portugal in agreement. -
Proclamation of 1763
The Proclamation of 1763 was issued on October 7th, 1763, By King George III following Great Britain's acquisition of French territory in North America after the French and Indian War. It forbidded settlers from settling past a boundry line of the Appalachian Mountains. The purpose was to stop conflict with the Natives who believed the Colonists were taking their land. -
Sugar Act
The Sugar Act was passed on April 5th, 1764, by Parliament in which was a modified version of the one passed in 1733 which was about to expire. Its also known as the Revenue Act, and it was a revenue-raising act. The earlier Molasses Act of 1733. which had imposed a tax of six pence per gallon of molasses, had never been effectively collected. By reducing the rate by half and increasing measure to enforce the tax, the British hoped that the tax would actually be collected. These acts increased t -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act of 1765 was a direct tax imposed by the British Parliament specifically on the British Colonies. The act stated that many printed items in the colonies be produced on stamped paper made in London, carrying an embossed revenue stamp. The purpose of the tax was to help pay for troops stationed in North Aneruca after the British victory in the French and Indian War. -
The Quartering Act
There were two Quartering Acts. They both ordered the local governments of the American Colonies to provide the housing and provisions for British soldiers. Originally intended as a response to problems that arose during the French and Indian War, they later became a source of tension between the Thirteen Colonies and London. -
Townshend Acts
The Townshend Acts were a series of acts passed beginning in 1767 by the Parliament of Great Britain relating to the British colonies. The purpose of the Townshend Acts was to raise revenue in the colonies to pay the salaries of governors and judges so that they would be independent of colonial rule. The acts were met with resistance in the colonies, prompting the occupation of Boston by British troops in 1768, which eventually resulted in the Boson Massacre of 1770. -
Writs of Assistance
The Writs of Assisstance were court orders that authorized soldiers to do general, yet non-specific, searches of premises for contraband. It soon became apparent to colonists that their private homes were no longer private. In 1761, James Otis represented Boston merchants in their challenge to renew the writs. He failed to convince the court but gained public respect in arguing that the writes violated the colonists' natural rights. He even wrote a speech and spoke before the Superior Court of M -
The Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre, also called the Incident on King Street by the British, occured on March 5th, 1770, in which the British Army soldiers killed five civillian men and injured six others. Because of the tense relations between the population and the soldiers, a mob formed around a British sentry, who was subjected to verbal abuse and harrassment. The soldier was soon supported by 8 other soldiers who were also subjected to verbal threats along with thrown objects. They fired into the crowd, in -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was a protest by the Sons of Liberty in Boston against the tax policy of the British government and the East India Company that controlled all the tea imported into the colonies. On December 16th,1773, after officials in Boston refused to return 3 shiploads of taxed tea to Britain, the group of people from the Sons of Liberty boarded the ships and destroyed the tea by throwing it into the Boston Harbor. -
Intolerable Acts
The Intolerable Acts was a name used to describe a series of laws passed by British Parliament in 1774 relating to Britains colonies in North America. The Acts triggered outrage and resistance in the 13 colonies that later became the United States. Four of the Acts were in direct response to the Boston Tea Party of December 1773. -
1st Continental Congress Meeting
The First Continental Congress was a convention of delegates from twelve British colonies that met on September 5th, 1774, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, early in the Revolution. It was called in response to the Intolerable Acts by the British Parliament which were made to punish Boston for the Boston Tea Party. They met to consider options, including an economic boycott of British trade; rights and grievances; and petitioning King George III for redress of those grievances. -
"Give Me Liberty" Speech
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Battle of Lexington and Concord
Battle of Lexington
Fought on April 19th, 1775, It was one of the first military engagements of the American Revolution. Lexington was the first Battle that started the Revoltution and is greatly referred to as where the "shot heard around the world" was fired.
Battle of Concord
The Battle of Concord was fought on April 19th, 1775, when 700 Brisish Army soldiers were given secret orders to capture and destroy military supplies that were reportedly stored by the Massachusetts militia at Concord. -
2nd Continental Congress
The second Continental Congress meeting was called upon on May 10th, 1775, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, soon after warfare in the American Revolution had begun. The Congress managed the colonial war effort, and moved incrementally towards independance, adopting the United States Declaration of Independance on July 4th, 1776. -
Battle of Ft. Ticonderoga
The Capture of the Fort occured during the American Revolution on May 10th, 1775, when a small force led by Ethan Allen and Colonel Benedict Arnold overcame a small British garrison at the fort. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
The Battle of Bunker Hill took place on June 17th, 1775, early in the American Revolution. While the result was a victory for the British, they suffered heavy losses; over 800 wounded and 226 killed, including a notably large number of officers. The battle demonstated that the inexperienced colonial forces were willing and able to stand up to regular army troops in a pitched battle. -
Common Sense is Published
It was published on January 10th, 1776, and was written by Thomas Paine. It was written at the Beginning of the Revolution to convince the colonists that they didnt need Britain. -
Declaration of Independance
The document was an idea adopted by the 2nd Continental Congress on July 4th, 1776. It regarded the states as independant and no longer apart of the British Empire. Thomas Jefferson was the man elected to carry out the job of creating the draft of the document. Independance Day is celebrated on July 4th, the day Congress approved the wording of the Declaration. -
Battle of New York
The British wanted to capture New York city, the center of the Colonial Economy. The British won and they occupied New York for the rest of the war. -
Battle of Trenton
The Battle of Trenton took place on December 26th, 1776, during the American Revolution after Washington crossed over the Delaware River north of Tenton, New Jersey. After a brief battle, nearly the entire Hessian force was captured, with neglible losses to the Americans. The battle significantly boosted the Continental Army's flagging moral and inspired reenlistments. -
Battle of Princeton
The Battle of Princeton was a battle fought on January 3rd, 1777, in which Washingtons forces defeated forces near Princeton, New Jersey. They captured another 300 that night. -
The Battle of Saratoga
The Battle of Saratoga pretty much decided the date of the British Army in the Revolution and is generally regarded as a turning point in the war. France and Spain were now Allies in the war thanks to Benjamin Franklin, and the Treaty of Alliance, and they were on their way to winning the war. -
Winter at Valley Forge
No battle was fought at Valley Forge but it may have been one of the hardest times. The winter was very harsh and diseases spreaded like wildfire through the soldiers, killing many. The food shortage only made it worse and the soldiers were running out of many supplies like warm clothing. -
Battle of Yorktown
The Battle at Yorktown, or also reffered to as the Seige of Yorktown or Surrender of Yorktown, took place on October 17th, 1781. Washington lead a 3-week attack on the British until Lord Cornwallis surrendered. -
Treaty of Paris 1783
The Treaty was signed on September 3rd, 1783 and ended the American Revolution between Great Britain and the U.S and its Allies. The agreement was that Great Britain would recognize the U.S as an independant nation. The US also gained all the land East of the Mississippi River. The US also agreed to giving back all the land stolen from the Loyalists.
