The American Revolution

Navigation Acts

1651

1651/1660
The navigation acts prevents goods from being shipped anywhere without stopping in England. This created work for people in England and let them regulate and tax the good being shipped.

French and Indian War Ends

1763

The French and Indian War (Seven Years War) ended with the Treaty of Paris. This Treaty forced France to give up all of their land in mainland North America.

Stamp Act

Mar 22, 1765

The Stamp Act was tax put on all papers and official documents in the American colonies by King George III. The money from these taxes was meant to help pay for the Seven Years War.

Boston Massacre

Mar 5, 1770

The Boston Massacre was a fight between British Soldiers and a mob of colonists in which 5 colonists died. Most of the soldiers who shot into the crowd of colonists were acquitted or convicted of manslaughter.

Tea Act

May 10, 1773

The Tea Act lowered the cost of the East India Company’s tea in the American colonies. This upset colonists because they thought it was just a strategy to gain colonial support for the taxes being enforced.

Boston Tea Party

Dec 16, 1773

The Boston Tea Party was a political protest in which American colonists threw tea into the Boston Harbor. The colonists did this because they were angry about being taxed without representation in Congress.

Coercive/Intolerable Acts

Mar 31, 1774

The Coercive Acts were passed by parliament to punish colonists for the outbursts in Boston. These acts prevented goods from being shipped into Boston ports. The Colonists referred to them at the intolerable acts.

First Continental Congress

Nov 5, 1774

The first continental congress met when the King got mad about the Boston Tea Party and tried to punish the colonies. The main achievement was an agreement yo boycott British goods.

Second Continental Congress

1775

The second continental congress met when Britain refused to repeal the Coercive acts. The congress ended up approving the Declaration of Independence and prepared the Articles of Confederation.

Lexington and Concord

Apr 19, 1775

Lexington and Concord was the first battle fought in the Revolutionary War. This persuaded many colonist to join the fight against Britain.

Declaration of Independence Adopted

Jul 4, 1776

The Declaration of Independence was adopted by the second continental congress on July 4, 1776. This gave the colonies freedom from Britain and their unfair taxes.

Battle of Saratoga

Sep 19, 1777

The Battle of Saratoga was a main turning point in the Revolutionary War. The defeat of the British army lifted the moral of the colonists and their fight for independence.

Winter at Valley Forge

Dec 19, 1777

1777-1778
During the winter at valley forge the soldiers faced harsh conditions and couldn’t get many of the supplies they needed.

Battle of Yorktown

Sep 28, 1781

With the help of France, the Battle of Yorktown was the last battle in the Revolutionary war. This meant finally being free from Britain and taxation for the colonists.

U.S. Constitution Written

1787

The constitution was written in 1787 and ratified in 1788. James Madison drafted the constitution in September of 1787 and is known as the father of the constitution.

U.S. Constitution Adopted

Dec 7, 1787

The U.S. constitution was ratified in 1788 and put in operation in 1789. It gave the colonists a new, stable government for their new country.