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Proclamation of 1763
British wanted to forbid colonists from settling past the Appalachian Mountains.
Colonists resented the British and failed to comply. This grew tensions between British colonists and the British. -
Currency Act
British government assumed control of colonial currency systems.
This did support merchants, but colonists protested and trade suffered . -
Sugar Act
Replaced molasses act, lowered taxes, made stricter regulations and forbade non-British caribbean trade.
Boston experimented with boycotts, which upset the British. -
Quartering Act
Built up troop strength in colonies and forced colonists to provide soldiers with supplies. There were many protests in assemblies. It was repealed in 1770 because colonists believed their rights their rights were infringed upon. -
Stamp Act
Required all legal documents to be written on special British paper. Colonists had many petitions and boycotts which led Parliament to reoeal the act. -
Repeal of Stamp Act / Declaratory Act passage
After london merchants convinced parliament to repeal the stamp act, parliament passed the Declaratory Act to have absolute power over the colonies, including taxation. Although colonists were happy about the stamp act repealed, but they mostly ignored the declaratory act because they disliked taxation without representation. -
Townshend Duties
Taxed luxury imports to colonies, including paper, lead, tea, glass, etc. There were boycotts, petitions, and newspaper attacks, which grw tensions. -
Tea Act
Forced colonists to buy tea from the East India Company, which angered the colonists into performing the Boston Tea Party. The act of rebellion led to the intolerable acts. -
Coercive / Intolerable Acts
In response to Boston Tea Party, shut down the Boston Harbor, limited colonial government, considered one of the harshest acts passed by the British. It let to the first continental congress and is considered the final straw before the revolution. -
2nd Continental Congress
Located in Philadelphia, the Second Continental Congress called delegates from the colonies to disscus freedom. This Congress eventually created the Continental Army, the Declaration of Independence, and the Articals of Confederation. -
Lexington and Concord
The battles of Lexington and Concord where the first two battles of the revolution.
Thomas Paine wrote "Common Sense," a text that rallied the Colonists and empowered them to take the final step of rebellion against the British, War. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
The Battle of Bunker Hill happened in Charleston Virgina on June 17, 1775.
It may have been a win for the British, but it sure showed them that the Colonists were not an easy foe to be defeated quickly. This gave the Cololonists a much needed confidence boost for the War ahead of them, it served almost like a battle cry for these new Americans to rally behind. -
Paine's Common Sense Published
Spoke out against unfair colonial treatment, this pamphlet turned people in favor of independence. -
Declaration of Independece
In Independence Hall, Philadelphia Pennsylvania, The Declaration Of Independence was signed.
This document is considered one of the most iconic political statements in history. The colonists rallied themeselves together with an official purpose, freedom against the oppression and harsh treatment form Britian. The Colonists offically stated indepencence for America. -
Battle of Saratoga
In Saratoga Country, New York, the Battle of Saratoga was fought.
It was a mayjor turning point in war for America. The British surrender gave Americans new hope and gave the French a strong enough reason to join the fight to help America. Without the help from the Frenc, the events following this battle may have had drasticlly different outcomes. -
Battle of Yorktown
At Yorktown, Virginia, this was the last major land battle of the war for independence.
General Cornwallis surrendered to Washington's troops with the help of France, which meant an American victory not only for the battle, but the entire war once the surrender prompted the British government to end the conflict. -
Treaty of Paris
This was signied in Paris to end the war.
The Terms: Great Britain recognized American independence from the British crown and defined (more or less) the national borders Britain would remove their remaining military forces from the area of the thirteen colonies, as well as from their forts in the Great Lakes area. The American government also promised to return confiscated property to loyalists. However, many of these regulations were ignored for a while and took time to officailly be true.
