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The Proclamation of 1763
King George told the Colonists that they couldn’t move west of the Appalachian Mountains because he didn’t want to keep protecting them from the Indian attacks. The Colonists were mad at the King because he would not protect his people. The Colonists ignored him and moved west anyway making King George mad. -
The End of the French and Indian War
The war which began in 1757 over the Ohio River Valley ended in 1763. It was between the British and the French Soldiers. The Citizens of the 13 Colonies were angry because Britain was put into debt after the war causing them to tax. -
Sugar Act
The Parliament passed new laws to require the colonial merchants to collect tax on the sale of sugar and molasses. The Colonists protested against the taxes because they didn’t think they were properly represented. The Colonists reacted by boycotting and smuggling which helped lead to the Revolution war. -
Stamp Act
Britain started to require tax on stamps, legal documents, newspapers, dice, and cards. The Colonists thought it was unfair for parliament to tax colonists since they didn’t have a representative in parliament. In reaction to this the Colonists sent petitions to the King to try and change his mind. They boycotted and smuggled goods and the violence level went up. -
Quartering Act
In this Act the law forced Colonists to house British soldiers stationed in the colonies. The Colonists were outraged because they thought it was a violation of their rights. They refused to house the soldiers, and showed violence towards them. -
Townshend Act
There was tax on imports like glass, paper, and tea, which allowed special officers to use Writs of Assistance to search colonial ships for smuggled goods. The Colonists thought it was unfair because they didn’t have a representative in parliament and because they thought the writs violated their rights. The Colonists responded to this by signing the Non-Importation Agreement. -
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre started when a British Soldier assaulted a British Colonist over a wig. After the Massacre there was an increase in tension among the Colonists. The Colonists found ways to keep in contact with the other Colonies which helped them create a united front against Britain. -
Tea Act
The Tea Act actually lowered the price of tea by allowing the East India Company to ship tea directly to the colonies. Some Colonists were happy because the price was lower others were angry because the West India Company had a Monopoly on selling British tea in the Colonies. The monopoly hurt the Colonial Merchants, and many of them sold Dutch tea that was smuggled into the Colonies which led to the Boston Tea Party. -
The Boston Tea Party
In the Tea Act there was still taxation on the tea which led to the Boston Tea Party. On December 16th the Sons of Liberty dressed as Mohawk Indians, and snuck onto British East India Company ships and dumped the tea into the Boston Harbor. In reaction to this, Britain passed the Intolerable Acts as punishment to the Sons of Liberty. -
Intolerable Acts
In punishment to the Boston Tea Party the British banned town meetings and closed the Boston Harbor until the tea was paid for which started the new quartering act. The Colonists were outraged because they thought these punishments were too harsh. The Colonists reaction was that they supported Massachusetts and together they held their first Continental Congress. -
The First Continental Congress
The First Continental Congress was a meeting of representatives from 12- 13 colonies in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The colonists were there to discuss how to respond to the Intolerable Acts. When it was over they decided that they were going to demand repeal of the Intolerable Acts. -
The Lexington and Concord
The British General Thomas Gage sent 700 soldiers to destroy guns and ammunition the colonists had stored in the town of Concord. They also planned to arrest Samuel Adams and John Hancock, two of the key leaders of the patriot movement. Paul Revere and William Dawes warned the minutemen who were waiting when the British arrived. The Minutemen were told to go home by the British but they refused. A shot was fired which cause the British to open fire and started the American Revolution. -
Paul Revere’s Ride
Paul Revere and Billy Dawes began their ride in Boston, Massachusetts and went to Lexington, Massachusetts warning the colonists they the British were coming. The Colonists got their weapons out so that they would b ready to defend themselves when they arrived. This led to the Battle of Concord.
