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Sugar Act
A tax was placed on sugar and other items. This is important because this event made colonists believe that their rights as citizens were violated. -
Stamp Act
The stamp act placed a tax on all paper items. This made the Americans/colonists mad and it lead to them boycotting. -
Townshend Acts
Parliament wanted to raise money and so they taxed imports. The colonists were upset that they were taxed against their permission. -
British Troops In Boston
In 1768 British troops came and occupied Boston. The colonists didn't like them being there. -
Boston Massacre
A fight broke out between the soldiers and some colonists. Five people were shot and killed. This event is important because people died and the colonists were mad about it. -
Tea Act
The British East India Company faced financial ruin and passing the Tea Act gave them a Monopoly on selling tea. This lead to the Boston Tea Party. -
Boston Tea Party
Sons of liberty disguised themselves as Native Americans and dumped around 342 chests of tea into Boston Harbor. This is important because this made the king and Parliament want to punish the colonists. -
Coercive/Intolerable Acts
Coercive acts were to exert control over the colonies. This is important because it had the opposite effect. -
Battle of Lexington and Concord
Both sides were ordered to not fire unless the other side fired first. No one knew who fired first but it became “The Shot Heard Round The World”. This battle marked the start of the war. -
Olive Branch Petition
The Second Continental Congress sent the king the Olive Branch Petition because they still wanted to be part of England and have their rights so they wanted to negotiate. This was the last try at peace. -
Christmas 1776
During a storm Washington and his troops were secretly crossing the Delaware river. While they were doing that the Hessian's were celebrating Christmas. The next day while the Hessian's were still sleeping the army attacked and won. -
Common Sense
Pamphlet written by Thomas Paine. In the pamphlet Thomas Paine said that the colonies had a right to independence. -
Battle of Long Island
British Troops attacked the American troops that were in Long Island. The British wanted to take control of the New England colonies. -
Declaration of Independence
The document that records the proclamation of the Second Continental Congress. The declaration made the colonies independent of Great Britain. -
Winter at Valley Forge
They army suffered through one of the worst winters, they had almost no food, clothes or supplies. Those who survived spent the winter training, so the army might have been small but they were skilled. -
Battle of Saratoga
Britain's plan was to take over the city of Albany but their plan didn't work out and they had to surrender. This battle was a turning point for the colonies. -
French Help
Although they were secretly providing help, the victory of Saratoga had helped convince the French to officially become an ally of the U.S. This meant that the U.S had help to battle England from the sea. -
Spain joins
Spain joined to fight against England in hopes of regaining land. This benefited the U.S. -
Battle of Yorktown
General Cornwallis and his troops were trapped between the Americans in the land and the French in the sea. He eventually surrendered and this was the last major battle of the war. -
The Treaty of Paris
It took 2 years but the treaty recognized the Americans Independence. This treaty ended the revolutionary war.