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Proclamation of 1763
The Proclamation of 1763 established the western boundaries of the original 13 colonies, and was sent out by George III. It did not allow colonists to go any further west of the Appalachian Mountains, which upset those who already claimed land westward. It was changed in 1768 and 1770 to accomodate those who had westward claims. -
Sugar Act of 1764
The Sugar Act of 1764, also known as the American Revenue Act, or American Duties Act, was passed by Great Britain's Parliament on April 5, 1764, during an economic depression. It followed the Molasses Act, and indirectly raised taxes on the colonists without them knowing. -
Stamp Act of 1765
Passed by the British Parliament on March 22, 1765, the Stamp Act was a new tax imposed upon all American colonists, that required them to pay a tax on every printed piece of paper that they used. Some examples of things that were taxed, are: licenses, legal documents, newspapers, and even playing cards! The collected money was used for defending and protecting the American frontier near the Appalachian Mountains. -
Quartering Act 1765
Getting colonial assemblies to pay for quartering was rough for Lieutenant-General Thomas Gage, so they put together the Quartering Acts. These acts were proposed to the Parliament, and the Quartering Act of 1765 provided that Great Britain would house it's soldiers in barracks and public houses. The Act was in affect in every colony besides Pennsylvania. -
Stamp Act Congress
Held between October 7 and 25, 1765, the Stamp Act Congress consisted of representatives of some of the British colonies in North America. The representatives were elected and protested against the new British taxation which was to be coming into effect on November 1. They met in what is now known as Federal Hall and six of the nine delegates signed a petition sent to King George III objecting the Act. -
Townshend Acts 1767
On June 29, 1767, the Townshend Acts were passed. These acts contained five seperate acts; the Revenue Act of 1767, the Indemnity Act, the New York Restraining Act, the Commissioners of Customs Act, and the Vice Admiralty Court Act. The purpose of these acts was to raise taxes amongst the colonies, and take the money to pay for the salaries of judges and governors to allow them to have complete rule over their colonies. -
Boston Massacre 1770
On March 5, 1770, British regulars killed five colonists, which became known as the Boston Massacre. The massacre occured because of rising tensions between the American colonies since 1768, when Royal troops appeared in Massachusettes. -
Tea Act 1773
Passed by Parliament on May 10, 1773, the Tea Act proposed that since the East India Company had eighteen million pounds of unsold tea, that the tea would be directly shipped to the colonies, and was to be sold to the colonists at a bargain price. This led to the Boston Tea Party. -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea party was a political protest done by the Sons of Liberty in Boston, Massachusettes on December 16, 1773, against the recently passed Tea Act that controlled all tea imported into the colonies. After officials in Boston refused to return three shiploads of taxed tea to Britain, a group of colonists boarded the ships and ruined the tea by dumpong them overboard. -
Coercive Acts of 1774
The Coercive Acts, also known as the Restraining Acts and the Intolerable Acts, included the Boston Port Act, the Quartering Act, the Administration of Justice Act, and the Massachussettes Government Act, was made to restore order in Massachusettes following the Boston Tea Party and other acts of defiance of the government. -
1st Continental Congress
Meeting at Carpenter's Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on September 5, 1774, the First Continental Congress was composed of twelve delegates, each from a different colony, to consider many things economically and gonvernmentally, such as an economic boycott of British trade and rights for colonists. -
Quebec Act of 1774
Passed on October 7, 1774, the Quebec Act of 1774, was passed by the Parliament of Great Britain. It set the way that the Province of Quebec could be governed. It guranteed free practice of the Catholic faith, made a new allegiance without a reference to the Protestant faith, the territory expanded out into the Indian Reserve, and the French civil law was used for private matters, while the English common law was used for every day circumstances, including criminal prosecution. -
Battles of Lexington and Concord
On April 10, 1775, the Battles of Lexington and Concord commenced, which was the spark for the start of the American Revolutionary War. Lieutenant Colonel Francis Smith instructed around 700 British Army Regulars to destroy military weapons owned by the Massachusettes militia at Concord. The regulars went to Concord after shots were fired in Lexongton. At Concord, they searched for the weapons. -
2nd Continental Congress
Soon after war in the American Revolution had begun, on May 10, 1775, the 2nd Continental Congress met. It was composed of delegates from the thirteen colonies, and managed colonial war efforts and gradually moved towards independence. The 2nd Continental Congress served as the de facto (whether by right or not) government which eventually became the United States of America. -
Olive Branch Petition
Adopted on July 8, 1775, the Olive Branch Petition was an attempt to avoid full war with Great Britain and was an affirmation of American loyalty to Great Britain, and pleaded with the king for no further conflict. -
Declaratory Act of 1776
Also know as the American Colonies Act, the Declaratory Act of 1776 stated that the Parliament of Great Britain had the same authority in America as in Britain and gave Parliamnet the authority to pass colony-binding laws. -
Declaration of Independence
The Delaration of Independence was adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, and said that all of the colonies had gained their own indepepndence. Thomas Jefferson was selected to compose the Declaration, and Congress approved the wording on July 4th. It was actually composed July 2nd, but was not approved until July 4th.
