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Sugar act
- Indirect tax ( out of sight = out of mind)
- Duties on molasses and sugar
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Stamp act
- Tax on all paper products
- official stamp/seal on all paper items ( proof tax was paid )
- ( in your face tax )
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Declaratory act
- Parliament declares it has power to make laws for the colonies .
- Parliament passes this to save face .
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Townshed act
- Taxes on glass, lead, paints, paper and tea
- searched for smuggled goods .
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Tea act
- Allowed British east India Company to sell tea directly to the colonies .
- Tax tea cheaper than smuggled tea .
- less smuggling = more tax money .
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Boston Tea Party
- Members of Sons of Liberty dump over 340 chests of tea into Boston Harbor .
- Caused problems for loyalists/ tories
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Intolerable acts
-Passed to punish Britain for tea party
- Boston Harbor closed until tea paid for
- Massachusetts Charter cancelled -
Quatering act
- required colonists to house soldiers
- " if a soldier comes knocking on your door... your sleeping on the floor ."
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First Continetal Congress
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 unite against Britain . -
British Surrender Boston
- Washington believes his army is ready & weapons arrive .
- Washington puts cannons on Dorchester heights overlooking Boston .
- British retreat- American Victory
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1,000's of Redcoats in Boston
General Gage brings thousands of British soldiers to Boston with more on the way -
Midnight ride of Paul Revere
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
Battle of Lexington -
- 1st battle of the American Revolutionary War .
- " shot heard round the world" - Ralph Waldo Emerson
- British victory
- Battle of Concord-
- Americans stop British and force them to retreat back to Boston
- American Victory -
Capture of Fort Ticonderoga
- Benedict Arnold & Ethan Allen capture the fort
- Get all supplies in the fort Including cannons
- American Victory
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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 hessian Soldiers in response .
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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 .
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" Common Sense" published by Thomas Paine
- Pamphlet inspires colonists to become patriots .
- " Every thing that is right or reasonable pleads for separation. The blood of the slain , the weeping voice of nature cries, ' TIS TIME TO PART" - Thomas Paine, common sense .
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Second Continental Congress meet again
- Debate on declaring independence
- Thomas Jefferson is the primary author of the document .
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Second Continental Congress votes for independence
- All 13 colonies vote YES on declaring independence .
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The Declaration of Independence is signed !