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Navigation Acts
British laws that controlled colonial trade, forcing colonists to only buy and sell goods with Britain. This helped England but frustrated many colonists. -
Proclamation of 1763
Britain declared that colonists couldn’t move west past the Appalachian Mountains to avoid fights with Native Americans, but many settlers ignored this rule. -
End of Salutary Neglect
For years, Britain loosely enforced its trade laws, but after the costly French and Indian War, it started strictly taxing and controlling the colonies. -
Sugar Act
A British tax on sugar and molasses, which hurt colonial merchants and increased anger over Britain’s growing interference in colonial business. -
Stamp Act
A law requiring colonists to buy special stamped paper for things like newspapers, legal documents, and playing cards. Colonists saw it as unfair taxation. -
Sons of Liberty
A secret group formed by colonists to resist British taxes and policies, often organizing protests, boycotts, and even violent demonstrations. -
Townshend Acts
New taxes placed on imported goods like glass, paper, and tea, leading to strong opposition and widespread boycotts of British products. -
Boston Massacre
A deadly clash where British soldiers shot and killed five colonists during a tense protest. This event fueled anti-British feelings throughout the colonies. -
Committees of Correspondence
A system set up by colonists to quickly share news and organize opposition against British actions across the different colonies. -
Boston Tea Party
As a protest against British taxation, colonists disguised as Native Americans dumped a shipment of British tea into Boston Harbor. -
Intolerable Acts
Harsh laws passed to punish Boston for the Tea Party, including shutting down the harbor and limiting local government meetings. -
First Continental Congress
Colonial representatives met to discuss their grievances with Britain, agreeing to stop trade with England and prepare for possible conflict. -
Second Continental Congress
Colonial leaders gathered to organize a full-scale resistance, forming the Continental Army and preparing for independence. -
Patrick Henry’s “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death” Speech
A famous speech urging Americans to fight for their freedom rather than live under British rule. -
Lexington and Concord
The first battles of the American Revolution, where British troops tried to seize weapons, but colonial militia fought back. -
Olive Branch Petition
A last effort by colonists to make peace with King George III, but he rejected it, making war inevitable. -
Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense”
A widely-read pamphlet that made the case for independence in simple, persuasive language, inspiring many colonists. -
Declaration of Independence
A formal statement written by Thomas Jefferson declaring the colonies' freedom from British rule.