-
French and Indian War concludes
The Treaty of Paris ended the French and Indian War, leaving Great Britain with depleted monetary reserves. To refill these, the British imposed new and wildly unpopular taxes on their North American colonies. -
Parliament passes the Stamp Act
Along with the Sugar Act, the Stamp Act was intended to cover at least half the costs of Britain’s wartime defenses. Colonists’ anger and total refusal to cooperate with these new taxes surprised the monarchy. -
The Townshend Acts are passed
The Townshend Acts were a series of four acts intended to force the colonists to comply with British demands. Instead, they stoked further outrage, eating away at the tenets of self-government colonists prized. -
Boston Massacre
British regiments were dispatched to quell the ire the Townshend Acts had caused. A crowd of colonists threw snow and oyster shells at the gathered soldiers. One soldier accidentally discharged his gun, and the others followed. Five colonists died. -
Parliament passes the Tea Act
The Tea Act was intended to give the British East India Company a lucrative place to directly market their wares: American colonists. It also preserved the unpalatable tax on tea from the earlier Townshend Acts. -
Boston Tea Party
Samuel Adams and the Sons of Liberty organized a political protest in Boston Harbor. The colonists were fed up with the tea tax and with British rule in general. Dumping 342 chests of tea overboard was one of the first steps toward revolution. -
Boston Port Bill
Part of the British crown’s retaliation for the Boston Tea Party involved closing the city’s profitable harbor until the city made restitution for the destroyed tea. -
Quartering Act
The new Quartering Act required the colonies to house British soldiers in any available and uninhabited spaces. It was met with widespread disapproval by colonists. It is considered the last of the Intolerable Acts. -
First Continental Congress
The closing of Boston Harbor and the passage of the Intolerable Acts were the justification for convening this congress. All the colonies except Georgia were represented. The delegates rejected taxation without representation and the British army’s presence without colonial consent. -
“Give me liberty or give me death!”
Patrick Henry’s impassioned speech about the rights of colonies, delivered before a Virginia assembly, became the rallying cry of the revolution. -
Paul Revere's famous ride
Paul Revere rode from Charlestown to Lexington to warn Revolutionary leaders that the British were marching toward Concord. He arranged his famous signal lanterns in Boston’s Old North Church steeple: “One if by land, and two if by sea.” -
Battles of Lexington and Concord
These first skirmishes marked the official beginning of the American Revolution. It is still unknown which side fired the first shots. -
Second Continental Congress
This date was selected by the First Continental Congress the previous year, intended to be the moment delegates would consider further steps or other necessary actions, but armed conflict had already begun. -
Capture of Fort Ticonderoga
Benedict Arnold and Ethan Allen’s Green Mountain Boys captured Fort Ticonderoga, providing both a morale and an artillery boost in the early days of the war. -
Washington takes control of the army
George Washington was appointed commander in chief of the American army. It would later come to be called the Continental Army. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
The first major engagement of the Revolution, the Battle of Bunker Hill, was fought in what is now part of Boston. The British eventually claimed victory but at a heavy casualty cost. -
Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms
Another formal declaration to Britain, this resolution attempted to explain why the colonists had been compelled to resort to war. Authors included Thomas Jefferson and John Dickinson. -
Publication of Common Sense
Thomas Paine’s pamphlet did much to turn the tide in favor of independence for the colonies. It also established Paine as one of the greatest political writers in the world. -
Declaration of Independence issued
Congress adopted the final text of the Declaration of Independence. It was eventually signed by delegates from all 13 original colonies. With this formal adoption, the delegates severed their ties to Britain. -
Washington crosses the Delaware
During a bleak winter with extreme weather and little food, Washington crossed the Delaware River with a force of 2,400 troops and surprised the Hessians at Trenton. This unexpected strike proved effective and earned the Continental Army the first major military victory of the war. -
Battles of Trenton and Princeton
The Battles of Trenton and Princeton proved to be successful engagements for Washington and the Continental Army. Standout officers at each battle included Lieut. James Monroe, future president, and artillery Capt. Alexander Hamilton, future secretary of the treasury. -
Burgoyne surrenders
The Battles of Saratoga represented the turning point in the war. British Gen. John Burgoyne eventually surrendered under the Convention of Saratoga. -
France becomes first ally
Inspired by the Continental Army’s successes at the Battles of Saratoga, the French formally aligned with the insurgent colonists against Britain and signed two treaties agreeing to furnish military assistance and to recognize the new country. -
Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation are finally ratified, after being adopted as the first Constitution of the United States in 1777. -
Siege of Yorktown
Engagement between the French and Americans on one side and the British on the other resulted in a British defeat. This basically ended actual fighting in the war, with American victory apparent. -
The war is over
The signing of treaties in the Peace of Paris formally ended the American Revolution. -
Washington resigns
Washington resigned his commission to the Continental Congress, an act that established the precedent of civilian control over the military.