Road to Revolution

Sugar Act

Apr 5, 1764

Indirect tax (out of sight= out of mind)
Duties on molasses and sugar. Parliament’s taxes upset colonists
-parliament=law making group of Great Britain

Stamp Act

Mar 22, 1765

James Otis
** Colonists had no representatives in Parliament, BUT they had to follow their rules.***
Local leader in Boston
-they believed that parliament could not tax without the colonists permission
“NO TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION!”
Tax on all paper products
Official stamp/seal on all papers items(proof tax was paid)
Purchased only with valuable silver coins
If didn’t purchased=fined or jailed

Quartering Act

May 15, 1765

Quartering Act required colonists to house soldiers
“If a soldier comes knocking at the door you’re sleeping on the floor”
General Thomas Gage became the new governor of MA.

Declaratory Act

Mar 18, 1766

George the Third approved Parliament's repeal of the Stamp Act and it's passage of the Declaratory Act

Townshend Act

Jun 29, 1767

Shared ideas + info to intentionally spread to harm/help cause.
Due to tensions in colonies almost all of Townshend Acts are repealed.
High demand for tea in colonies despite boycotts.

Boston Massacre

Mar 5, 1770

a soldier strikes a colonists
More troops arrive
Colonists get angry
“FIRE IF YOU DARE”
This became known as the Boston Massacre.
Committees of Correspondence
Shared ideas + info to intentionally spread to harm/help cause.
Due to tensions in colonies almost all of Townshend Acts are repealed.
High demand for tea in colonies despite boycotts.
Tea Act (not a tax)
Passed in1773 and allowed the British East India Company. (BEIC) to sell tea directly to colonists
money.

Tea Act

May 10, 1773

Passed in 1773 and allowed British East India Company (BEIC) to sell tea directly to colonists
Lower prices than colonists merchants prices
Tax Tea cheaper than smuggled tea
Less smuggling=more tax money

Intolerable acts

Mar 31, 1774

Intolerable Acts
Passed to punish Boston for Tea Party
Boston Harbor Closed until tea paid for
Massachusetts Charter canceled
Quartering Act required colonists to house soldiers
“If a soldier comes knocking at the door you’re sleeping on the floor”

First Continetal Congress

Sep 5, 1774

The First Continental Congress was a meeting of delegates from 12 of the 13 British Colonies, that met to deal with the Intolerable Acts. Georgia was the only colony that did not send a representative to the Congress. They agreed to boycott British goods at first, if Parliment would not repeal the Intolerable Acts. Patrick Henry -VA rep. urged colonists to untie aginst Britain

1,000 of Redcoats in Boston

Apr 1, 1775

General Gage brings thousands of British soldiers to Boston with more on the way

Midnight ride of Paul Revere

Apr 18, 1775

Paul Revere rides to warn the Sons of Liberty in Lexington and Concord that the "British are coming... The British are coming."

Battles of Lexington & Concord

Apr 19, 1775

1st battle of American Revolutionary War
"shot heard around the world" -Ralph Waldo Emerson
BRITISH Victory

Capture of Fort Ticonderoga

May 10, 1775

Benedict Arnold & Ethan Allen capture the fort.
Gets all the supplies in the fort including cannons.
AMERICAN Victory

Second Continental Congress meet

May 10, 1775

it took 1 or 2 years to write the paper independence they created a primal army and printed money and set up a Post Office. and they were led by George Washington
and they sent an Olive branch asking King to protect their rights.
King hires 30,000 Hessian's Soldiers in response

Washington arrives on outskirts of Boston with Continental troops

Jun 15, 1775

Realizes men are disorganized & need discipline.
needs weapons.

Battle of Bunker Hill

Jun 16, 1775

fought on Breed's Hill
"Don't Fire until you see the whites of their eyes" -William Prescott.
BRITISH VICTORY (Americans ran out of ammo) The BRITISH learned it is not easy to defeat the Americans.

Boston Tea Party

Dec 16, 1775

Members of Sons of Liberty Dump over 340 chests of tea into Boston Harbor
Caused problems for loyalists/Tories
Loyalist/Tory=a person in the Colony who remains

"Common Sence" published by Thomas Paine

Jan 10, 1776

Pamphlet inspires more colonists to become patriots
"Everything that is right or resonal pleads for separation, The blood of the slain, the weeping voice of nature cries, 'TI"S TIME TO PART" -Thomas Paine, Common Sense.

British Surrender Boston

Mar 17, 1776

Washington believes his army is ready & weapons arrive
Washington puts cannons on Dorchester Heights overlooking Boston
BRITISH retreat- AMERICAN victory

Second Continental Congress meet again

Jun 15, 1776

Debate on decreeing independence
Thomas Jefferson is the primary author of the document

Second Continental Congress votes for Independence

Jul 2, 1776

All 13 colonies vote YES on declaring Independence

The Declarrtion of Indenpendce is signed!

Jul 4, 1776