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The Proclamation of 1763
Passed by British Parliament in an attempt to make a western border of the Appalachian Mountains for the 13 colonies in America. It made it illegal for colonists to settle west of the Appalachians and move into Ohio, Tennessee, or Florida. -
The Quartering Act of 1764
The quartering act allowed British soldiers to enter into any house belonging to an American Colonist. The law stated that a colonist must let British soldiers enter their house and they were required to feed to soldiers. The American Colonists were often treated very badly and they couldn't do anything about it. -
The Stamp Act
The Stamp Act forced colonists to buy and put stamps on paper goods like: newspapers, diplomas, contracts, prayer books, marriage licenses, and other legal documents. Almost everyone had to pay this tax. It was very unpopular with colonists. They believed that they were being taxed unfairly because they had no voice in government - no taxation without representation! -
The Boston Massacre
Fights often broke out between the British soldiers and the colonists. A group of sailors threw snowballs and sticks at a group of British soldiers. People got riled up and a club was thrown. The British felt threatened and fired into the crown. When it was over, five men were dead. -
The Boston Tea Party
Since tea was the favorite drink of the colonists, British Parliament passed the Tea Act. This law gave one British company the right to control all trade of tea with the colonies. The worst part was that the colonists had to still pay the tax on tea too. A group of colonists in Boston dressed as Native Americans and boarded three tea ships anchored in Boston harbor. They dumped over 300 chests of tea into the salty water. -
The Intolerable Acts
In response to the Boston Tea Party, Parliament passed a group of new harsh laws to punish the Massachusetts colony. These laws were so harsh the colonists called them the Intolerable Acts.
Boston Port Act (March 31, 1774)
Administration of Justice Act (May 20, 1774)
Massachusetts Government Act (May 20, 1774)
Quartering Act of 1774 (June 2, 1774)
Quebec Act (June 22, 1774) -
The First Continental Congress
The First Continental Congress met from September 5 to October 26, 1774. Representatives from all colonies except Georgia met in Philadelphia. They voted to stop all trade with Britain until the Intolerable Acts were repealed. -
The Battles of Lexington and Concord- "The shot heard 'round the world"
The British heard that colonists were stockpiling weapons, they had to stop them. They went to Lexington, and were met by 70 colonials. A shot rang out, no one knows which side fired. Within minutes, 8 colonial men were dead. They went to Concord, 200 Minutemen met them. The Minutemen saw smoke and thought the British were burning their homes. A shot was fired and the British retreated. The colonist ended up killing 200 British during their retreat. These were the first battles of the war. -
The Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia and elected George Washington the commanding general of the Continental Army. George Washington proved to be a great military man and eventually became the first president of the United States of America. -
The Battle of Bunker Hill
The battle of Bunker Hill was a bittersweet victory for the British. They had lost over 1,000 soldiers which was one third of the British soldiers in Boston, but they had gained Boston and Bunker Hill. -
The Declaration of Independence **VIDEO http://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/declaration-of-independence)
Thomas Jefferson was given the job of writing the Declaration of Independence by the Second Continental Congress. It was adopted on July 4, 1776. In the Declaration, it was explained that when a government does not protect the rights of its citizens it loses its right to govern. The Declaration also listed the reasons for breaking away from Britain and then declared the colonies to be independent states. This Declaration was sent to King George telling him of the colonist intent. -
The battle of Long Island
The battle of Long Island was the first major battle after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The American troops were outnumbered two to one which forced General George Washington to evacuate his troops giving control of New York to the British. -
Siege of Fort Ticonderoga
The British forces had successfully captured Fort Ticonderoga. Two American generals were suspected of treason because the U.S Congress believed that the taking of the fort could not have been done without inside help. -
The Battle of Saratoga
Two battles were fought in Saratoga in September and October. After the second battle in October, the colonists forced the surrender of 6,000 British troops. This was a huge win for the colonists and a huge loss for the British. The colonists victory at the Battle of Saratoga turned the tide of the war effort. It was the first major victory for the Continental army. The French joined in the war effort on the side of the colonists after hearing about this battle. This was a turning point. -
The Battle and Siege of Yorktown
Yorktown was a huge victory for the Continental army and was the last major battle of the American Revolution. U.S. and French forces united and surrounded the British. George Cornwallis surrendered. The U.S. captured 7,000 British troops. This ultimately ended the war because Cornwallis' were the last major British soldiers on American soil. -
The Treaty of Paris **VIDEO http://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/american-revolution-history/videos/american-revolution
The Treaty of Paris was ratified on September 3, 1783.
For America, The Treaty of Paris gave them: the official end of the Revolutionary War, a new government free from Britain's interference, the land between the Atlantic to the Mississippi River and from Canada to Florida, the removal of the British military, and the ability to trade freely.
