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French and Indian War (The Treaty of Paris)
In the beginning, the colonies were proud to be British. But when the French and Indian War took place (1754 – 1763), King George III lost a great deal of money due to buying expensive supplies for his army and the colonies. In order to pay off his debt, he imposed taxes on the colonies without their consent. This outraged the colonists. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was an act of Parliament that imposed a tax on printed goods bought in the 13 colonies, including newspapers, legal documents, and playing cards -
Townshend Acts
Charles Townshend's proposal to further tax the colonies was ratified in 1767. The Townshend Acts were imposed on the 13 colonies to tax imported goods entering the colonies. -
The Boston Massacre
A confrontation between a mob of colonists and British soldiers turns deadly when the soldiers fired at the colonists, killing five, including Crispus Attucks, the first African-American casualty of the revolution. -
Tea Act
The Tea Act was imposed on the 13 colonies to tax tea from the Dutch East India Company. This would anger the colonies and lead to the Boston Tea Party later in the year. -
The Boston Tea Party
In 1773, a group of colonists dressed as American Indians boarded a ship full of tea from Britain, and dumped them all into the harbor. -
The Intolerable Acts
In response to the Boston Tea Party, the king imposed the "Intolerable Acts." These acts would be one of the pushing factors in starting the American Revolution. They include: • The Boston Port Act which closed the port of Boston.
• The Massachusetts Government Act put MA in British control.
• The Administration of Justice Act allowed royal officials to be tried in Britain.
• The Quartering Act allowed British soldiers to shelter in colonists' houses.
• The Quebec Act allowed Catholicism. -
First Continental Congress
Out of the Intolerable Acts the First Continental Congress was born. In this congress 55 delegates representing 12 of the 13 colonies—Georgia withheld—argued back and forth as to whether or not they should separate from Britain for killing their people, firing cannons on their cities, closing down Boston's sea port, and, primarily, imposing the intolerable acts. The congress was in session for two solid months in September and October of 1774. -
Battle of Lexington
It came soon enough. Paul Revere's ride on April 19, 1775 was to announce the approach of British soldiers to stamp out colonist resistance in the towns of Lexington and Concord. Lexington was first. The British met only 77 minutemen, and at first were pleased to allow them to leave. However, from some unknown place a shot was fired, and the British opened up on the Americans. Eight were killed, ten wounded, and the British suffered but one minor casualty. -
Battle of Concord
It was made up for at Concord. They were prepared. 400 minutemen sent the British troops scurrying back to Lexington, completely unprepared to be fired on from the woods during their retreat. Apparently, guerilla tactics were considered ungentleman-like in that day and age. Ungentlemanly or not, they were effective, and the Americans routed the British all the way back to Boston. There were nearly 300 British casualties, including 73 dead and 23 missing. The Americans suffered less than 100. -
Second Continental Congress
It was time to do something. The Continental Congress gathered again in May of 1775, where they would become and remain the government of the colonies until the end of the Revolutionary War. They quickly made an attempt at peace, sending the Olive Branch Petition to King George declaring their loyalty. When it reached the King he pushed it aside and didn't even read it, and in response he sent a proclamation to the Congress saying that they would all hang for their defiance to the crown. -
The Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence is widely regarded by Americans as an inspired writing. It masterfully puts into words the anger and betrayal the Colonists felt towards the king of England, and it was the first formal, unanimous document that declared that the colonies no longer considered themselves under Britain's rule. It listed the grievances against their mother country and justified their breaking off from them.
