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1.) Treaty of Paris 1763
The Treaty of Paris of 1763 put an end to the Seven Years' War between Great Britain and France. Due to this treaty, France had to give up all of its territories in North America, thus putting an end to any foreign military threat to the British colonies. -
2.) Proclamation Act
The Royal Proclamation of 1763 was issued by King George |||, and forbid any colonist to settle west of the Appalachian Mountains. He did this in hopes to appease the Native Americans who sided against him. -
3.) The Sugar Act
The Sugar Act was designed to raise revenue by lowering the tax on molasses and better enforcing smuggling laws. This urged importers to buy molasses from British colonies rather than smuggling it from the French or Spanish. -
4.) The Stamp Act
This act mandated that all colonists buy a British stamp for every document and piece of printed paper they used. It was put into place in order to raise money in the colonies, and was seen as unconstitutional since there was no approval from the colonial legislatures. This caused an uproar, and colonists protested with the now popular slogan, "no taxation without representation." -
5.) The Quartering Act
The Quartering Act forced colonial governments to provide housing for British soldiers. Most Americans were infuriated by this act, and found it incredibly unfair. -
6.) Declaration of Rights and Grievances
This document was written by the Stamp Act Congress, and declared that paying taxes without formal consent was unconstitutional. -
7.) Stamp Act Congress
Due to frustration with the British, the colonists yearned to convey a message to the Parliament and the king. The Stamp Act Congress brought together representatives from the nine colonies. The delegates of this congress created the "Declaration of Rights and Grievances." -
8.) Declaratory Act
This act declared that the Parliament's authority was the same in America as it was in Great Britain. -
9.) Stamp Act Repealed
Due to the Stamp Act Congress protests for this act, it was repealed by the British Parliament. The Declaratory Act was passed on this same day, however. -
10.) Townshend Act
The Townshend Acts were a series of taxes and laws on various goods that were imposed on the colonists. -
11.) Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre occurred when British soldiers in Boston shot a group of American colonists. There were five casualties as a result of this massacre. -
12.) Committee of Correspondence
The Committee of Correspondence unified the thirteen colonies to rally against British policy. -
13.) Tea Act
The Tea Act was passed in the hopes to revive the East India Company, a vital part in Great Britain's economy. This company was allowed to monopolize the importation and sale of tea in the colonies. -
14.) Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was a political protest to the Tea Act. Colonists dressed up as Native Americans, boarded a British ship, and dumped the entire load of tea into the Boston Harbor. -
15.) Intolerable Acts
The Intolerable Acts were passed under British Parliament, and were intended to punish the colonists for the Boston Tea Party. -
16.) 1st Continental Congress
The 1st Continental Congress was a meeting of delegates from all colonies except Georgia to organize colonial resistance against the British Parliament. -
17.) Lexington & Concord
The Battles of Lexington and Concord marked the beginning of armed conflict against Britain and kicked off the Revolutionary War. -
18.) Bunker Hill
The Battle of Bunker Hill was fought in the early stages of the Revolutionary War. The colonist's poor strategy costed them the win. However, the British paid dearly for the win; nearly 2,200 Redcoats were either injured or killed within just two hours of fighting. -
19.) Appeal to Reason Rejected (Olive Branch Petition)
The Olive Branch Petition was an attempt by the moderate party to avoid a war of independence against Great Britain. The petition declared that the colonists were loyal to King George ||| and only wanted peace. The king refused to read this petition, and the Revolutionary War ensued. -
20.) Common Sense
The Common Sense was a highly influential pamphlet written by Thomas Paine that was the first pamphlet to advocate American Independence. -
21.) Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence announced to Great Britain that the Americans were no longer under British rule. The thirteen colonies then proceeded to form a new country.