-
Sugar Act
Indirect tax (out of sight = out of mind)
Duties on molasses and sugar -
Stamp Act
Tax on all paper products -
Declaratory Act
Parliament declares it has power to make laws for the colonies “in all cases whatsoever”
Parliament passes this to save face -
Townshend Acts
Taxes on glass, lead, paints, paper, and tea
Searched for smuggled goods -
Boston Massacre
Crowd gathers and hassles soldier, throwing snowballs and shouting insults.
More troops arrive, colonists get more and more angry
“Fire if you dare!” -
Tea Act
Lower Prices than colonist merchant prices
Tax Tea cheaper than smuggled tea
Less smuggling = more tax money -
Boston Tea party
Members of Sons of Liberty Dumped over 340 chests of tea into the Boston sea. -
Quartering Act
Quartering Act required colonists to house soldiers
“If a soldier comes knocking at the door….
you’re sleeping on the floor”
Large amount of land given to Quebec
General Thomas Gage became new governor of MA -
Intolerable Acts
Passed to punish Boston for Tea Party
Boston Harbor Closed until tea paid for
Massachusetts Charter cancelled
Royal officials had trial in Britain -
First continental congress
All colonies but Georgia have representatives
Voted to send a "statement of grievances"
Voted to Boycott all British Trade
Patrick Henry- VA rep. urged colonists to unite against Britain -
1,000's of Redcoat in Boston
General Gage brings thousands of British soldiers to Boston with more on the way -
Midnight ride of Paul Revere
Paul reveres rides to warn the Sons of Liberty in Lexington and Concord that the "British are coming... The British are coming.." -
Battles of Lexington and concord
Battle of Lexington-
1st battle of the American Revolutionary war
"shot heard around the world"- Ralph Waldo Emerson
-BRITISH Victory
BATTLE OF CONCORD
Americans stop the British and force them to retreat back to Boston
AMERICAN VICTORY -
Capture of fort Ticonderoga
Benedict Arnold and Ethan Allen capture the fort
Get all supplies in the fort including cannons
AMERICAN Victory -
Second Continental congress meet
print $$$$
set up post office
Created Continental Army led by George Washington
Sent Olive Branch asking king to protect their rights
-King hires 30,000 Hessians Soldiers in response -
Battle of Bunker Hill
Fought on Breed's Hill
"Don't Fire until you see the whites of their eyes" - William Prescott
BRITISH VICTORY (Americans ran out of ammunition) British learn defeating Americans would NOT be easy. -
Washington arrives on the outskirts of Boston with continental troops
Realizes men are disorganized and need discipline
Need weapons -
"Common Sense" published by Thomas Paine
Pamphlet inspires more colonists to become patriots
"Everything that is right or a reasonable pleads for separation. The blood of the slain, the weeping voice of nature cries, 'TIS TIME TO Part" - Thomas paine, Common sense. -
British surrender Boston
Washington believes his army is ready and weapons arrive
Washington put cannons on Dorchester Heights overlooking Boston
BRITISH retreat- AMERICAN Victory -
Second Continental Congress meet again
Debate on declaring independence
Thomas Jefferson is the primary author of the document -
Second continental congress votes for independence
All 13 colonies vote YES on declaring independence -
The declaration of independence is signed