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Proclamation of 1763
The Proclamation of 1763 is a document passed by the King of Britain to prevent settlement beyond the Appalachian Mountains. -
Sugar Act
The Sugar act was passed by the Parliament to lower taxes on goods like molasses. George Grenville, the British prime minister, hoped that by lowering the taxes, colonists will pay up and not smuggle. -
Resolution by the Virginia House of Burgesses
Patrick Henry, a member of the Birginia House of Burgesses, convinced the house to pass a resolution due to the stamp act. They believed only the colonial assemblies had the right to tax them, and they would not agree to pay the taxes if they don't have a say so. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp act was passed on March 22, 1765. The British wanted to tax the colonies on goods they can't boycott, so they put a tax on all official paperwork. This angered the Colonists because now they have to pay for stamps to make their documents official. -
Sons and Daughters of Liberty
Sons of Liberty was an organization led by Sam Adams to boycott on taxes. They sometimes used violence when nessasary, but their ultimate goal was to make the Parliament repeal taxes. The believed in "NO TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION!"
The Daughters of Liberty also helped boycott British goods. For example, Mercy Otis Warren, women did things such as make goods by themselves instead of buying Britain taxed goods.
Note: Date was not exact. -
Declaractory Act
This repealed the Stamp act and lessened the Sugar act. Basically, Britain gave in from all the protest and took away the taxes. This act also stated Britain has the right to tax the colonies, but they are not doing it. -
The Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre happened when an everyday fight between the colonists and the soldiers went bad. The colonists were enraging the British soldiers by throwing sticks and stones at them, but when one of the soldiers fell, the British soldiers fired. 5 colonists ended up dying. -
Revival of the Committee of Correspondence
After the word of the Boston Massacre spread, Samual Adams decided to revive the Committee of Correspondence. The group circulated calls for action against Britain. It spread throught the colonies and brought together protesters.
Note: Exact date unknown. -
Boston Tea Party
To save the British East India Company, Britain passed the Tea act, it placed taxes on tea, which angered many colonists becuase EVERYONE LOVES TEA! Yet due to the taxes, the colonies boycotted once again. Then at Decumber 16, Sons of Liberty dressed up as Native Americans and dumped 342 chest of tea overboard. -
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The Intolerable Acts
After the Boston Tea Party, the British were angered by the colonists, so a series of acts and laws were passed. Listed below are the brief explanations of the main acts.
Boston Port act: Closed the ports of Boston.
Massachusetts Government act: Put regulations of the government in Massachusetts.
Administration of Justice act: Made it easier to prosecute people who did't follow the laws passed by Britain.
Quebec act: Extended the boundaries of Quebec to further control the colonists. -
The First Continental Congress
A political body representing the colonists and challenging British control. Leaders from 12 of the 13 colonies attended. The delegates discussed complaints against the British, they voted and called for repeal of 13 acts of Parliament. -
British Moving Towards Concord, the Midnight Ride of Paul Revere
When colonial protest leader Dr. Joseph Warren saw British troops marching out of the city, he alerted Paul Revere and William Dawes to ride to Lexington to spread the word. They warned the colonists and the Minutemen that the British troops are coming. The next morning, the colonial militia was well prepared, waiting for the British. -
British vs. Minutemen led by John Parker
The British, not knowing their attack had been found out, continued their march. When they approached Lexington, they ran into about 70 minutemen, led by Captain John Parker. After both sides let loose and exchange of cullets, 8 minutemen lay dead. -
Capture of Fort Ticonderoga
Benedict Arnold raised a force of 400 to seize Fort Ticonderoga near Lake Champlain in New York, it was a key location and had lots of military supplies, he joined forces with Ethan Allen and formed the Green Mountain Boys. Together, they captured the fort and took the British by surprise. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
Colonial William Prescott set up post at Bunker Hill, which is located across the Boston harbor. Because the colonists were low on ammunition, the battle ended up being a British victory. Yet more than 1000 men were dead and wounded, it made the British realize that defeating the Americans on the battlefield would take some work. -
Declaration of Independence
Drafted by Thomas Jefferson, it's one of the most important documents in American history, it declared the 13 colonies seperate from Great Britain.
