The American Revolution

Sugar Act

1764

The Sugar Act of 1764 was an act placed by the British which made a tax on sugar and other imported goods from non-British colonies. This was placed to help military costs.

Stamp Act

1765

In 1765, after the French and Indian war Britain was left with a lot of debt so they passed an act called the Stamp Act on to the American colonies. This required colonist to pay a tax, represented by a stamp, which was located on various forms of paper, legal and commercial documents and even playing cards.

Boston Tea Party

1773

The Boston Tea Party, which is the cause of the Intolerable Acts of 1774, took place in Boston, Massachusetts, 1773. American colonists were angry at the British for imposing “taxation without representation”. This was a popular slogan in the American Revolution which meant having to pay taxes to government authority without having any say in government policies. Anyway, this made American colonist dump 342 chests if tea into the harbor, imported by the British East Indian Company.

Coercive Acts

1774

In 1774, Britain placed multiple acts called the Coercive Acts also known as the Intolerable Acts, on the American colonies to punish the colonists after the Boston Tea Party.

Deceleration of Independence

1776

In 1776, the American colonies came together to write the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration of Independence was a forty-six paged pamphlet published by Philadelphia explaining why American colonists would like to separate themselves from Great Britain and become independent.

Siege of Yorktown

1781

In 1781, Charles Cornwallis, who was a general for the British army, marched his troops into Yorktown, Virginia because he was ordered to provide protection at the harbor for the British fleet. However, French and Continental army’s arrived first, quickly surrounding Cornwallis army. Thus causing around eight thousand British troops to surrender. This victory for the American colonies greatly impacted the outcome of the Revolutionary War, giving the British no chance at winning.

Treaty of Paris

1783

In 1783, the Treaty of Paris was signed by both U.S and British representatives resulting in the end of the Revolutionary War.

Constitution of the United States

1787

In 1787, many Americans were unhappy with the government under the Articles of Confederation. It was weak, and needed to be changed. The government needed to be completely reformed, which led to the creation of the Constitution of the United States. This document is the fundamental framework of the U.S government.