-
French and Indian War
The French and the British had fought three inconclusive wars. Each war had begun in Europe but spred to thier overseas colonies. In 1754, after six relatively peaceful years, the French-British conflict reignited -
Proclamation of 1763
The British government prohibited colonists from settling west of the appalachian mountains. the proclamation established a proclamation line along the appalachian, which colonists were no allowed to cross. -
Sugar Act
The Sugar Act did three things. It halved the duty of foreign-made molasses in the hope that the colonists would pay a lower tax rather than a risk arrest by smuggling. It placed duties on imports that have not been taxed before. It provided that colonists accused of violating the act would be tried in a vice-admiralty court rather than a colonial court. -
The Stamp Act
This act imposed a tax on documents and printed items such as will, newspaper and playing cards. A Stamp would be placed on an item to prove that the tax had been paid. It was the first tax that affected colonists directly because it was levied on goods and services. -
Sons of Liberty is formed
The colonistsunited to defy the law. Boston shopkeeers, artisans,and laborers organized a secret resistnce group called the sons of liberty to protest the law. -
Townshend Act
Townshend Act taxes goods that were imported into the colony from Britian, such as lead, glass, paint, and paper. It also taxed tea, the most popular drinks on the colony. -
Boston Massacre
A mob gathered in front of the Bonston custom house sand taunted the british soilders standing gaurd there. Shots were fired and five colonist , including Crispus Attucks, were killed or mortally wounded. -
Tea Act
Britian gives the east indian companies special concessions in the colonial tea buisness and shut out colonial tea merchents. Colonist in Boston rebel, dumping 18,000 pounds of tea into the Boston harbor. -
Boston Tea Party
A large group of Boston rebels disguised themselves as Native Americans and proceeded to take action against three tea ships anchored in the harbor. This was known as the boston tea party. -
Intolerable Acts
King George the third pressed parlament to act. Parlament responded by passing a series of measures that colonists called the intolerable acts. One law shut down in the boston harbor. Another, the Quartering Act, authorized british commanders to house soldiers in vacant private homes and other buildings. -
First Continental Congress meet
In responce to britains actions, the committees of correspondence assemble the First Continental Congress. 56 delegtes met in philadelphia and drew up a declaration of colonial rights. They defended the colonies' right to run their own affairs and stated the, british used forve against the colonies, the colonies should fight back. -
Battles of Lexington and Concord
Colonists in boston were watching and on the night of April 18, Paul Revere, William Dawes, and Samual Prescott rode out to spread the word that 700 British were heading for concord. The country side bells rang and gunshots used as preranged signals. -
Second Continental Congress
Colonial leaders called the Second Continental Congress in philadelphia to debate there next move. some delagates called for an independance, while others argued for an reconciliation with Great Britian.The congress agreed to recognized the colonial militia as the continental army and appointed George Washington as commander. -
Battle of the Bunker hill
cooped up in Boston, British general Thomas Gage decided to strike at militiamen on breed hill, north of the city and near Bunker Hill. Gage sent 2,400 British soldiers up the hill. They held fire until last minute and then they began to take down the advance read coats and then finally retrieting. -
Olive Branch petition
Congress sent the king the Olive Branch Petition to return to the formal harmony betwen Britian and the colonies. The king rejected the petition and issued a proclomation saying the colonies were in rebellion. He also ordered a naval blockade to isolate a line of ships meant for the American coast. -
Publication of Common Sense
Thomas Paine made a 50 page pamphlet titled Common sense, Paine then attacked King George and the monarchy. Paine was an arguing immagrant about the responsibility for the British tyranny lay with "the royal brute of Britian". -
Declaration of Incdependence
Paine declared the independence that would allow Americans to trade more freely. It would also give American colonists a chance to create a better society, one free from tyranny. Congress finally decided to let the colonies to have their own government. The Declaration says "all men are created equally." This is expressed as commen belief that free citizenship were political equals. -
Early British Victories
The British attempted to capture New York City in a plan to stop the rebellion of New England. They sailed to New York harbor in the summer of 1776 with about 32,000 soldiers.In Fall the british had Washingtons army across the Delaware river into Pennsylvania. -
Early Continental Army Victories
Just to have an early victory George Washington risked everything to strike on Christmas night. He was the captain of 2,400 soldiers who rowed across the Hudson river. They went to trenton, New Jersey and defeated a garrison of the Hessians in a surprise attack. -
Saratoga
Burgoyne travled throught the forest. A colonial army was gathered with troops from Ney York and New Jersey. Burgoyne did not know that his officers were not going to meet him. Then the Americans finally surrounded him at Saratoga -
Valley Forge
Washington and his Continental Army with low food and supplies, they fought to stay alive in a camp called Valley Forge, Pennslyvania. More than 2,000 soldiers died and the survivers desert. the indurence and the suffering filled Washingtons letter to congress and his friends. -
Friedrich von Steuben and Marquis de Lafayette
A prussian captain and a talented drillmaster helped to train the Continental Army. other foreign military leaders also arrived their to help them. Lafayette asked france for french reinforcements in 1779. With this help the Continental Army became an effective fighting force. -
British victories in the South
After the British lost, they began to shift their operation in the South. At the end of 1778 a british expedition took Savannah, Georgia. There best victory of the war. Charles Cornwallis captures Charlestown, Carolina in May 1780. He then left New York to conquer more land in the south.The colonist continued to fight cornwalls, hindering his efforts to take carolina. The General then chose to move the fight to Virginia. He led his army of 7,500 onto the peninsula between James and York river an -
British surrender at Yortown
French naval forces defeated a British fleet and then blocked the entrence to the chesapeake bay. obstructing the British sea routes to the bay. In late September 17,000 french and American troops surrounded the british on the Yorktown peninsula ad began to attack them day and night. They later then defeated the british -
Treaty of Paris
The talk about peace began in Paris in 1782. In September 1783 the Delagates signed the treaty of paris which conferms U.S. independence and set boundries for the new boundries for the new nation. The U.S. now streched from the atlantic ocean to the mississippi river. and from Canada to the Florida river.