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Navigation Acts
The British declared that only English ships were allowed to import and export to America. The acts taxed goods going to and coming from British colonies. The acts were one of the direct causes of the American Revolution. -
French and Indian War ends
England and the American colonies beat the French and their Native American allies. Britain gained a lot of American land in the Treaty of Paris(1763). Britain also wanted the colonies to pay the war's expenses, which led to displeasure in America. -
Stamp Act
Britain taxed printed materials for commercial and legal use. The act led to protest in the colonies because some items being taxed should not have been according to the act. -
Boston Massacre
Britain instated the Townshend Acts to keep order in the colonies but instead it caused a mob of colonists to attack a British loyalist, who then fired a gun at them. This caused fighting to break out between British troops and the American colonists. The massacre resulted in five colonist deaths. -
Tea Act
The act stated that the only tea able to be imported to America was to be from the East India company. The company no longer had to pay an additional cost to England which effectively lowered the cost of tea for the colonists. -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea party was a result of the Tea Act enforced by Britain. The colonists dumped 340 chests of tea into the Boston Harbor. As a result the British shut down the Boston Harbor until all of the tea was paid for to the British East India Company. -
Coercive/ Intolerable Acts
The acts were to punish the colonists by making them pay back the tea lost in the Boston Tea Party, taking power away from the colonists in the Massachusetts government, making capital trials take place in Britain rather than America, making it legal for soldiers to stay in colonists houses, and expanding territories into the Ohio Valley. As a result even more colonists turned against British rule. -
First Continental Congress
Delegates from all 13 colonies, except Georgia, met to organize a resistance against Parliament's Coercive/Intolerable Acts. As a result the colonies began a boycott of British goods until Parliament got rid of the Intolerable Acts. -
Lexington and Concord
This was the first battle of the Revolutionary war fought on April 19, 1775. The battle displayed to Britain that the colonists will not tolerate unfair behavior toward America. -
Second Continental Congress
The congress acted as a normal government and appointed ambassadors, issued currency, raised the Continental Army, and appointed generals to lead the army. The congress also stated that the British Parliament did not have authority over the colonies while they did not have representation. -
Declaration of Independence adopted
The declaration of Independence was the colonies way of declaring their independence from Great Britain. Because of this the Revolutionary war would later be seen as a war between two countries rather than a civil war within Britain. -
Battle of Saratoga
The battle took place during the second year of the Revolution and it was a very big win for the Continental Army. The battle was also a crucial turning point in the Revolutionary War. -
Winter at Valley Forge
This was a very severe winter for the American soldiers. 11,000 soldiers were stationed at Valley Forge and hundreds died from disease. During the winter the troops were held together by loyalty to George Washington, who stayed the winter with all of his men. -
Battle of Yorktown
During the Battle of Yorktown Cornwallis surrendered to George Washington while the British were being trapped at Yorktown. This was the final battle which ended the Revolutionary War and gave the colonies freedom form Great Britain. -
U.S. Constitution written
The Constitution was written by James Madison and it is the world's longest surviving piece of written government. It states that the government of the United Stated is to serve the people who live within. -
U.S. Constitution adopted
The Constitution established America's government and laws. It also guaranteed basic rights for citizens. The Constitution influenced many others around the world.
