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End of French and Indian War/ Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris ended the French and Indian War. Britain was the victor of the war. Due to this, France lost all of its colonies in North America. This led to the American Revolution because Britain was in debt after the war and raised taxes on the American colonies. The colonists believed that the tax laws violated the Magna Carta because they weren't given a chance to vote on the laws. . -
Writs of Assistance
This was a general search warrent inforced by Parliament to prevent smuggling. The writs of assistance were useful at first when cracking down on smuggling. Then they became permanent and transferable, and any place could be searched. The searchers were not responsible for any damage they caused. The writs were challenged in court by James Otis. He said that Parliamnet passing the writs of assistence was clashing with British Common Law. -
Sugar Act
The Sugar Act was created by the new prime minister, George Grenville in Britain, who proposed raising money by collecting duties that were already in affect. After being put into affect, the act actually decreased the rate of tax on molasses, but also assigned customs officers and produced courts to collect the duties and prosecute smugglers. The Sugar Act also listed other foreign goods that were going to be taxed. -
Stamp Act
Parliament passed the Stamp Act in hopes of raising money from the colonies. This bill made colonists pay a tax on almost all printed materials. That includes newspapers, books, court documnets, contracts, and land deeds. This aided in the start of the American Revolution because this bill made many colonist angry, they felt it threatened their prosperity and liberty. Parliament ignoreged their complaints, but the colonist didn't stop there. -
Townshend Acts
The Townshend Acts were developed by the Crown's chief financial officer, Mr, Charles Townshend in 1767. The British government was in need of money in order to pay off its debt and send support to the soldiers in the colonies. The Stamp Act of 1765 showed that the colonists would not accept a direct tax, however, Charles thought they would accept indirect taxes on commerce. Thus, he created the Townshend Acts. These acts levied new import duties on necessary itmes such as glass, paint, and tea. -
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre occurred one night in March of 1770. Here, a mob of angry anti-tax colonists threw rocks and snowballs at some British soldiers who had been out gaurding the Customs House. The soldiers began to fire back at the crowd, taking the lives of five colonists. The soldiers were tried, but found "not guilty." Under the leadership of Samuel Adams, Patriota named this the Boston Massacre. -
Tea Act
Parliament passed a law allowing the British East India Company to sell tea directly to the colonists during their time of stuggle. This would make their tea cheaper than the smuggled Dutch tea, even with the tax on it. This event is a cause of the American Revolution because the colonists protested that the Birtish were trying to trick them into paying the tax instead of buying the cheaper tea. They take matters into their own hands on December 16, 1773, during the Boston Tea Party. -
Boston Tea Party
Colonists protested against the tea taxation and so members of the "Sons of Liberty," an anti-tax group started by John Hancock and Samuel Adams, decided to dumped a large load of British tea into the Boston Harbor. The men had been disguised as Mohawk Indians as they boarded the ships. The king declared the colonies to be in a state of rebellion and sent more troops to enforce the law. This historical event occurred in Massachusetts. -
Intolerable Acts
Also known as the Coercive Acts, this was the colonist name for the punitive laws passed by Parliament. These acts closed the ports untill the damaged tea, including the tax, was paid for. The Qubec Act was also apart of these acts. They extended Canada's southern border, which cut off land owned by colonies. These acts were the breaking point for colonists. They led to the First Continental Congress in Philadelphia. Here, the delegates announced a boycott of all Britich imports. -
Battle of Lexington and Concord
The Battle of Lexington and Concord is also known as the First Battle of The American Revolution. This is when the British troops left Boston in search of weapons being stored by the Sons of Liberty. The British also wanted to arrest John Hancock and Samuel Adams, who had been warned of their planned arrival by Paul Revere. Nearly 4,000 colonists attacked the British soldiers as they marched from Boston to Concord and back to Boston. The British suffered 273 casualties; the American had only 90.
