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Stamp Act
An Act of the Parliament of Great Britain that imposed a direct tax on the 13 Colonies and required that many printed materials in the colonies be produced on stamped paper produced in London, carrying an embossed revenue stamp. -
Boston Massacre
The Incident on King Street by the British, was a confrontation in which British Army soldiers shot and killed five people while under harassment by locals. -
Creation of the first Continental Congress
A meeting of delegates from 12 of the 13 Colonies who met at Carpenters' Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, early in the American Revolution. -
Creation of the second Continental Congress
A convention of delegates from the 13 colonies that formed in Philadelphia, soon after the launch of the American Revolutionary War. -
Lexington and Concord
The first military engagements of the American Revolutionary War. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
The British defeated the Americans in Massachusetts. Despite their loss, the inexperienced colonial forces inflicted significant casualties against the enemy, and the battle provided them with an important confidence boost. -
Olive Branch Petition
A final attempt by the colonists to avoid going to war with Britain during the American Revolution. It was a document in which the colonists pledged their loyalty to the crown and asserted their rights as British citizens. -
Writing and distribution of Common Sense
A pamphlet written by Thomas Paine advocating independence from Great Britain to people in the Thirteen Colonies. -
Declaration of Independence
A Declaration that summarized the colonists' motivations for seeking independence. -
Tea Party
An American political movement within the Republican Party in which members of the movement have called for lower taxes, and for a reduction of the national debt of the US and federal budget deficit through decreased government spending.
