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stamp act
The Stamp Act was a law passed by Parliament that said that they had to place a tax on materials such as legal documents,newspapers,and even playing cards.So when the colonist bought these items,they also had to buy a stamp to go with it.They had to put the stamp on the item to show that they had payed the tax.the colinist did not like this law they reacted with anger.They had a saying "No taxation without represintation!" -
Colonists Protest
Patrick Henry was the first one to say something aginst the Stamp Act. He inspired other colonsis to speak against the new tax, and in October 1765 colonsits leaders held a meeting in New York City called the Stamp Act Congress to unite against British taxes. -
Sons of Liberty
Samuel Adams, a Massachusetts leader, created the Sons of Leverty group that protested against the new tax. The group burned stamps and threatned stamp agents who were people collected stamp taxes. Adam's goal was to scare all the stamp agents away and it worked - the agents were too scared to sell stamps. -
The Boston Massacre
After the British solders arrived in Boston in 1768 bad feelings began. Fights broke out in the streets between soldiers and colonists. On March 5, 1770 there was a lot of anger in the city and solders began to panick and fired into the crowd of people - killing 5 people. This was known as the Boston Massacre. -
The Committess of Correspondence
Samuel Adams formed a Committe of Correspondence in Boston, 1772, to help news travel faster between the colonies. Members of the committees wrote to each other about local events and the letters were delivered by express riders on horses. Paul Revere was one of the riders. -
The Boston Tea Party
Parliament created a new law, the Tea Act, that said only one tea company could sell tea to the colonies, the East India Company. This law was created for two reasons: to help the East India Co and to get taxes from the colonists. The colonist refused to pay taxes and help the company. Sons of Liberty dressed like Mohawks on Dec 16, 1773, jumped on the British ships, used axes to open the boxes of tea, then dumped all the tea in the Boston Harbor - this was called The Boston Tea Party. -
The Intolerable Acts
To punish Boston for the Boston Tea Party, Britain created new laws, the Intolerable Acts. Thomas Gage, a British general, was sent to the Massachusetts colony, soldiers were also sent and colonists were forced to feed and house them. The port of Boston was closed and this really hurt them because it put many people out of work. -
The Continental Congress
Representatives from every colony except Georgia met at the First Continental Congress in Philadelphia. George Washington, a wealthy farmer, member of the Virginia House of Burgesses, was the representative from Virgina who was ready to fight against the British. At this meeting, they voted to stop alltrade with Britain until the Intolerable Acts were repealed. -
Paul Revere's Ride
Paul Revere was a silversmith and express rider. He rode to warn the militias in Lexington and Concrod that the British soldiers began to march from Boston to Concord. The British army wanted to seize and destroy the Patriot militia weapons and arrest Samuel Adams and John Hancock. -
The Shot Heard Round the World
British solders marched into Lexington and surrounded the minutemen and Captain Parker. British Major John Pitcarirn shouted at the minutemen to lay down their weapon. Someone fired but no one knows who. British attacked fire on the minutemen and killed 8 and wounded 9. Only one British soldier was wounded. British cheered victory at Lexington. -
The Battle of Bunker Hill
William Prescott, a Patriot colonel, led about 1200 men up the hills of Charlestown. They built a fort over night on Breed's Hill. When British soldiers saw the fort the next morning they prepared to attack. British won because the Patriots were tired and hungry from working all night and then they ran out of ammunition.
