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End of the Seven Years War
On February 10th, 1763 the fighting between the British and French had finally come to an end. The end of this war is significant because it boosted the colonists pride in military tactics. Britain was now the dominant power in North America. -
Proclamation of 1763
This proclamation prohibited colonists from settling westward of the Appalachian Mountains. Britain passed this proclamation because they didn't want the colonists to face another fatal Indian attack. However, the colonists had a different point of view of the situation. They felt Britain was restraining them from their rights. The Proclamation of 1763 set the stage for the Revolutionary War. -
Sugar Act
The Sugar Act was passed by British Parliament to get colonists to pay Britain for the expenses of the French and Indian War. This tax was also meant to eliminate the illegal trade that was going on in the colonies. A significant factor of the Sugar Act was that it only effected the merchants in the colonies. This first tax caused some tension between the colonies and Britain. -
Stamp Act
This Stamp Act put a tax on every piece of printed paper. The Stamp Act was used to support Britain's new military force. The Stamp Act has a more powerful effect than the Sugar Act did. While the Sugar Act only effected the merchants the Stamp Act effected everyone in the colonies. This was a major factor in causing the colonists' dislike for Britain. -
England passes the Quartering Act
The Quartering Act required certain colonies to provide food and shelter for British troops. The colonists were opposed to this new act. They didn't want to give up their homes for British troops, especially since the British troops treated the colonists poorly. This act essentially renewed the anger the colonists had for Britain. Therefore, again, tension increased between the colonists and Great Britain. -
Stamp Act Congress
This assembly consisted of twenty-seven delegates from nine colonies. They drew up a statement of the rights and grievances and beseeched the king and Parliament to repeal the Stamp Act. However, King George III ignored the pleads of the colonists. The significance of this event caused the colonies to become outraged, and they finally started to unite with each other for a common goal. -
Declaratory Act
Parliament repealed the Stamp Act, and passed the Declaratory Act. The Declaratory Act reaffirmed Parliament’s right “to bind” the colonies “in all cases whatsoever.” Essentially, the Declaratory Act was a reminder to the colonies that they were still under the rule of the English Government. Tension was once increased between the colonies and Great Britain. -
Townshend Acts
Parliament passed the Townshend Acts which implemented a tax on glass, white lead, paper, paint, and tea. However, the colonists were still angered because they had no representation in Parliament. Therefore, they couldn't voice the opinions they had about these acts and proclamations. The colonists' anger still burned for the British. -
Boston Massacre
After colonists taunted and threw snowballs at a group of British troops, the British troops retailated and opened fire on the colonists. 11 colonists were killed or injuredin this conflict. This event marked increased anger towards the presence of the British troops, and caused even more logic for the Revolutionary War to begin. -
First Committee of Correspondence
On this day Samuel Adams formed the first committee fo correspondence, an organization with the chief function of spreading the spirit of resistance by exchanging letters. Intercolonial committees of correspondence were formed in 1773. These organizations were the early stage of the first American congress. -
Boston Tea Party
Nearly 100 Bostonians, disguised as Native Americans, ravaged docked ships. In this event known as the Boston Tea Party, colonists destroyed 342 chests of tea and dumped the contents into the Atlantic Ocean. The colonists were beginning to fight back, aggressively, against the British. This was one of the incidents where the colonists fought the British rule, and realized together they had real power. -
Intolerable Acts
This was another law that was passed in order to punish the colonists for their behavior of the Boston Tea Party. This act closed the Port of Boston, expanded Quartering Act, and revoked a number of rights in the Massachusetts colonial charter. -
First Continental Congress
This was a convention of delegates from 12 of the 13 colonies. These delegates came together to decide what they were going to do about the Intolerable Acts. These delegates created The Association which was a boycott of all British goods. This showed the colonies uniting together even more. -
Boston Port Act
In response to the Boston Tea Party, Parliament passed the Boston Port Act. This legislation shut down Boston’s harbor until damages were paid for the tea that was dumped into the ocean. This legislation angered the Bostonians and provoked them to fight back even more. -
Lexington and Concord
These were the first battles of the Revolutionary War that took place outside of Boston. The colonists successfully defended themselves, and actually caused the British troops to retreat. This is significant because it showed the colonists that they are as powerful or even more powerful than the British. -
Second Continental Congress
Representative body of delegates from all 13 colonies. These 13 delegates wrote the first draft of the Delcaration of Independence. This made it a lot easier for the colonists to declare independence after the war ended. This congress also took care of the colonial war effort. -
Bunker Hill
This battle was fought on the outskirts of Boston, on Breed's Hill. The colonists didn't win the hill in this battle but they gave the British a good fight. This battle left the British at a quandary. They army was slowly dwindling and eventually they would have no army left. -
Olive Branch Petition
On July 1, the Continental Congress adopted this principle. This petition was an attempt to end the hostility between the British and the Americans. The colonists agreed to be loyal to the British. However, King George III rejected the petition and the hostilities continued. This was significant because it showed the colonies that the hostility was worth their independence. They shouldn't be tied down by the British. -
Delcaration of Independence is Signed
On this day the Declaration of Independence had been signed, and made official to all the colonies. The colonists were now free from British rule. They could make their own decisions, and declare themselves as the United States of America.
