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Sugar Act
In 1764, Parliament passed the Sugar Act. This act set duties on molasses and sugar imported by colonists. This effected run distilleries in New England. -
The Stamp Act
In 1765, the Stamp Act was passed by British Parliament required colonists to pay for an official stamp, or seal, when they bought paper items such as legal documents, licenses, newspapers, pamphlets, and playing cards. The act was repealed in 1766. -
The Townshend Acts
The Townshend were a series of Acts passed in 1767. They placed duties on glass, lead, paint, paper, and tea. Parliament allowed tax collectors to search for new good through writs of assistance following the passing of these acts. -
The Boston Massacre
After the Boston Tea Party, Great Britain's King George III stationed British troops within the colonies. Many of the colonists considered this both a burden and interference with their lives. Tension quickly built between the colonists and British soldiers. On the night of March 5, 1770, antagonized soldiers became confused. They were no longer aware of whom was calling fire, and shot upon colonial citizens. Five colonists were killed in the shooting, and the soliders faced trials. -
The Tea Act
The Tea Act was passed in 1773 by Parliament and allowed only the British East India Company to sell tea directly to the colonists. Great Britain established a 3 cent per pound tax on the tea. Though the tea was cheaper, even with the tax, colonists were still upset with this restriction. -
Boston Tea Party
In respone to the Tea Act, the Boston Tea Party took place in 1773. Colonists disguised as Indians snuck onto three ships filled with tea and dumped over 340 chests of tea in the Boston Habor. The king was furious when he learned of the event, and passed the Intolerable Acts in response to punish the colonists. -
First Continental Congress
At the First Continental Congress, delegates from the colonies came to meet. They were troubled about the relationship between Great Britain and their colonies. Some believed that violence was unavoidable while others wanted peace. This is where the colonists had drafted the Declaration of Rights to be presented to King George III. -
Lexington and Concord
The Battles at Lexington and Concord were the first battles of the Revolutionary War. The Battle at Lexington only lasted minutes with eight of the minutemen dead and ten wounded. The British only had one soldier injured. The redcoats then proceeded to Concord. When they arrived, they had found that most of the weapons were hidden. In response, they set fire to buildings. The minutemen then fired the first shot. These two battles showed that both sides were ready to fight. -
Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress met on May 10th, 1775 after King George II had refused to acknowledge the issues in the Declaration of Rights. During this meeting, the delegates from twelve colonies began to organize and prepare for war. They appointed George Washington commander-in-chief and they authorized for the creation of a Navy and Marine Corps. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
The Battle of Bunker Hill was one of the first battles of the American Revolution. It took place on June 17, 1775 and ended in a British victory. Though the British won, they suffered heavy losses with 800 wounded and 226 killed. The Battle of Bunker Hill actually took place on Breed's Hill, -
Olive Branch Petition
The Olive Branch Petition was the colonists' attempt to make peace with Britain before things got out of hand. The petition affirmed the colonies loyalty to Great Britain and entreated the king to prevent further conflict. It was rejected in August and the colonies were declared in rebellion. -
Common Sense
Common Sense was a 47-page anonymously published (Thomas Paine is later revealed to be the author) pamphlet that had been distributed throughout Philadelphia in January 1776. In the pamphlet, Paine reached out to the citizens, saying that they should be the ones making the laws, not the kings and queens. Common Sense changed the way people thoughts about their king. -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was written by a committee of men commissioned by the Contienetal Congress. Thomas Jefferson served as the document's main author. The declaration was a document that formally announced the American colonies' disassociation with Great Britian follow a number of what the colonists considered unlawful injustices. The Declaration of Independence was ratified on July 4, 1776 and signed by 56 delegates. -
Battle of Trenton
The Battle of Trenton took place following George Washington's crossing of the Deleware River. It ended in an American victory. Washington's troops attacked the garrison being controlled by Hessians working for the British. This battle boosted the morale of the American troops and greatly helped the near-defeated army. -
Battle of Brandywine Creek
The Battle of Brandywine Creek took place in September of 1777 and ended in a British victory. Following a stiff fight, British General William Howe broke through American lines and defeated the colonial army. This left the city of Philadelphia vulnerable, and it was captured shortly after. -
Battle of Saratoga
The Battle of Saratoga is considered to be the turning point in the Revolutionary War. On October 17th, Burgoyne was forced to surrender his army to Gates. It was the greatest victory for the Patriots and caused morale to soar. -
Valley Forge
In December 1777, Washington and his men settled at Valley Forge. There, they suffered shortages of food and clothing. During the winter, they only had shelters that offered little protection. During this time, nearly 2,000 men died, causing Washinton's troops to decrease in size. -
John Paul Jones captures the Serapis
John Paul Jones was considered a naval hero. Soon after joining the navy, he established himself as a brave and clever sailor. Before the capture of the Serapis, the British had managed to knock out the heaviest artillery. The battle then began and lasted for more than two hours. Americans wore down the British who surrendered. The impact of this was that the British had lost more than 200 ships to the American naval forces. -
Battle of Yorktown
The Battle of Yorktown took place on September 28th, 1781 and lasted up until October 19th, 1781. This battle was the last major battle of the American Revolution. The British had surrendered to the Patriots. -
Treaty of Paris (1783)
After the Battle of Yorktown, Great Britain entered into eace talks with America. It took a long time - more than two years - to come to an agreement. In the Treat of Paris, Great Britain recognized the United States. This treaty had ended the Revolutionary War.
