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Taxes
Intense taxation by the British caused the American colonists to feel like an injustice had been done to them, and several other acts such as the Quartering Act were perceived as violating their rights. These taxes and laws made many colonists feel as though the best option for the colonies would be to separate from Britain and run themselves (Events). -
Boston Massacre
A group of Bostonians, angered by the heavy British taxes because Boston was a port city and thus very affected by them, provoked a group of Regulars. One soldier responded by shooting, without orders, at the group, and the situation escalated until several were injured and killed. A sensationalized depiction of this event was popularized by a local silversmith, Paul Revere, that led the colonists to believe that the Regulars were perpetrating unnecessary and brutal violence against them. This a -
Paul Revere's Midnight Ride
Paul Revere (who in turn recruited many other riders along his path) rode through the night to warn the Patriots in Concord that the Regulars were advancing in their direction and were seeking to capture Hancock and Adams (Intelligence). -
Battles of Lexington and Concord
The Battles of Lexington and Concord were the first military engagements of the Revolutionary War. They were also the first instance of guerilla warfare’s usage in the revolution. While not the dominating Patriot tactic, guerrilla strategy would prove useful for slowing British advance with smaller numbers (Battles of Lexington and Concord). -
Establishment of the Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress was a convention of delegates from all of the colonies that coordinated and managed the war effort (Second). -
Publishing of Thomas Paine's "Common Sense"
Common Sense is believed to be the most incendiary and profound publication advocating for independence from Britain. The pamphlet explained the need for independence in a way that the everyday colonist could understand, and therefore it managed to reach many people through print and local readings (Paine 1776). -
Adoption of the Declaration of Independence
On this day, the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence, and formally declared the colonies’ independence from Britain (Declaration of Independence). -
Hessians Make Land in America
Hessians, German soldiers contracted by the British, arrived to combat the American Revolution on this day in 1776. These soldiers would proceed to fight in many conflicts spanning the colonies. Hessian involvement in the war was different than that of the French and Spanish because of the fact that they were contracted by the British as opposed to helping defeat a common enemy or striking a deal (Hessians). -
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Battles of Saratoga
These battles were fought eighteen days apart in the same area in upstate New York. They were both won by American forces and those decisive victories won the Americans the support they needed from foreign powers in order to win the war (Battle of Saratoga). -
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Winter at Valley Forge
This winter significantly affected the outcome of the war, as it damaged the health and numbers of the Continental Army. Over two thousand of the twelve thousand troops camping there died before the army left, and disease, malnutrition, and exposure ran rampant among the soldiers (Valley Forge). -
"Treaty of Alliance" signed with France
This was not the first show of support for the rebels by the French, but it formally announced their partnership with the colonists against the British. The intervention of the French would aid the colonists in their defeat of the British (French Alliance). -
Spanish signing of "Treaty of Aranjuez" with the French
This treaty brought Spain into the American Revolutionary War on the side of the French, and therefore the Patriots, in return for France’s assistance in capturing Gibraltar, the Floridas, and the island of Minorca. The Spanish intervention in the war was different from that of the French in that they allied with an ally of the Patriots, not with the Patriots themselves. The French and Spanish motivations for their alliances were quite different (Hispanic). -
Adoption of the Articles of Confederation
On this day, a ceremonial conformation of the ratification of the Articles of Confederation took place. The Articles were mostly used as a means to organize the colonies during the war effort, but became the basis for the system of government after the war as well (Articles of Confederation). -
Siege of Yorktown and Cornwallis's Surrender
A collaborative military effort between the French and the American Continental Army defeated the British troops in Yorktown, winning the last major land conflict of the American Revolutionary War. This battle was different from the first military conflicts of the war, because the Americans joint forces used more traditional warfare, as opposed to the larger use of guerilla warfare towards the beginning. This difference was characterized in the fact that the British asked for (and were subsequen