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Treaty of Paris (1763 French and Indian War)
In 1761, Spain made a pact with France to aid them in the French and Indian war, but they were too late. By the time help arrived, the British had defeated France. In 1763, the British created the Treaty of Paris which stated that Britain claimed all North American land east of the Mississippi River. In exchange for Florida, Britain gave Spain Cuba and the Philipines. The Treaty of Paris ended all power in North America for the French. -
Proclamation of 1763
The Proclamation of 1763 was issued by the British which forbade the America colnists to settle west of the Appalachians for defending the Western lands would be too costly. This made the colonists very angry because they thought that it was their right that the3y won to settle the Ohio River Valley, but this angered Britain, for the colonists did not want to pay for their own defense. -
Sugar Act
The Sugar Act was passed in 1764. This act taxed the colonists for sugar, molasses, and other products shipped to the American colonies. This angered the people and mostly the merchants who were often smugglers. James Otis, a colonial leader at the time, claimed that Britain could not tax the colonies, for the colonies had no representation in Parliament. His exlcamation was, "Taxation without representation is tyranny!" But they were still subjects of Britain and were taxed anyways. -
Quartering Act
King George III wanted to keep peace with the Native Americans, so in 1765, he decided to keep 10,000 British soldiers in the colonies. In order to save costs, Parliament passed the Quarteringn Act which required American colonists to house and provide supplies to British soldiers.The commander of the forces, general Thomas Gage, put most of the troops in New York. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was a law that directly taxed the colonists by requiring any legal and/or commercial documents to have an official stamp on it, which would show that a tax had been payed. This included items like diplomas, contracts, and wills, to carry a stamp. Silver coins were used to pay for stamps, which were a rare item in the colonies at the time. Patrick Henry was a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses and he inspired colonists to resist the act. The Stamp Act was repealed in 1766. -
Boston Massacre
On the night of March 5, 1770, tensions in the colonies broke out. There was a group of dockworkers and youths that started insulting the British soldiers who were insulting the group as well. Soon enough, a fight broke out and the soldiers began to fire. A man named Crispus Attucks and four laborers were killed in the shooting. This incident was used as propaganda in newspapers, magazines, posters, etc. This event was called the Boston Massacre. -
Tea Act
The Tea Act was passed in 1773 and gave the British East India Company control overe American tea trade. This meant that only the trading company's ships would deliver the tea and be sold by its merchants. This angered colonial shippers and merchants, for they had not been paying tax on their smuggled tea, and now they would have to pay tax on regulated tea. Many protests occured all over the colonies. The Tea Act led to the Boston Tea Party which helped spred rebellion among the colonies. -
Boston Tea Party
One of the most memorable protests against the Tea Act was the Boston Tea Party. In 1773 the Sons of Liberty organized this event. A group of men who were disguised as Native Americans boarded three British ships holding tea that were docked in Boston harbor. The men destroyed342 chests of tea. There was much controversey on if this was a good way to deal with the act. Britain's reaction to the Boston Tea Party led to much rebellion in the colonies. -
Intolerable Acts
The Coercive Acts, or the Intolerable Acts as th colonists called them, were a direct punishment on the colonies for the Boston Tea Party. King George III said they could either master them or leave them by themselves and treat them as another country. Britain's choice was to master them. These acts were very harsh, and that is why the colonists called them the Intolerable Acts. One act closed the port of Boston until the colonies paid Britain for the destroyed tea. -
First Continental Congress
On September 5, 1774 in Philadelphia, delegates from all the colonies but Georgia met to discuss issues like trade with Britain. They voted to ban all trade with Britain until the Coersive Acts, or the Intolerable Acts, were repealed. They then asked each colony to start training troops, and though Georgia had not sent delegaes, they agreed to be apart of the actions of the Congress. This First Continental Congress marked a big step in American history. -
Battles of Lexington and Concord
The first battles of the war were Lexington and Concord. Ralph Waldo once wrote that colonial troops had fired the "shot heard around the world." This was the time in which Americans had to choose a side-Loyalist if you supported Britain, and Patriot if you sided with the American rebels. About 20% of Americans were Loyalists, 40% Patriots, and 40% were neutral. This conflict divided friends, families, and communities. -
Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congresss was held in Philadelohia on May 10, 1775. John and Samuel Adams, John Hancock, Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, and Patrick Henry were some delegates that attended the congress. This was where they agreed to form a Continental Army. George Washington, who had experience fighting in the French and Indian War as a colonial officer, was appointed commanding general. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
On June 17, 1775, General William Howe crossed the bay with 2,200 soldiers to attack the patriot militamen who had captured Bunker Hill. In order to save ammunition, Howe told his men, "Dont fire until you see the whites of their eyes!" But when the British got near, the patriots fired murderously at the British. Eventually, the British forced the militia off the hill, but they had suffered a big cost of more than 1,000 men killed or wounded, while the patriots had some 400 casualties. -
Common Sense by Thomas Paine
This was a pamphlet, or a series of pamphlets, that made a strong case that a break with Britain was a must. Written by Thomas Paine, it ridiculed the idea that one man, a king, should control just by the will of God. He called King George III "the Royal Brute," Paine argued that monarchies were corrupt. He also believed that America should follow its own destiny. -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was composed by Thomas Jefferson because he was said to be an excellant writer and plus he was from Virginia. Members of the congress knew that they could not succeed without Virginia's support. But instead of Jefferson writing the Declaration solely, they put together a committee to help draft. THis committee was made up of Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Roger Sherman, Robert Livingston, and Thomas Jefferson. On July 4, 1776, Congress adopted the Declaration. -
Battle of Long Island (Brooklyn)
The Battle of Long Island, the Battle of Brooklyn, or the Battle of Brooklyn Heights was a major loss for the Americans, though no soldiers were losts. It was also the biggest battle in terms of numbers of soldiers. For the British, this win strategically gave them control of New York City. -
The "American Crisis" by Thomas Paine
Other than "Common Sense," Thomas Paine also wrote "The American Crisis." This was a series of pamphlets used to push the soldiers to carry on fighting after Paine had seen the tough conditions and the low spirits of the soldiers. He tried to inspire the soldiers and keep them fighting against the British. -
Battle of Trenton
On the morning of December 26, 1776, the Battle of Trenton took kplace. This was after George Washington crossed the Delaware River, a very dangerous, icy, and cold journey. These hazardous conditions helped Washington when fighting the Hessians at Trenton. After a brief fight, the Continental Army captured the entire Hessian army, with very minor losses on the American side. -
Battles of Saratoga
The Battles of Saratoga were major turning points in the Revolutionary War. These battles helped Benjamin Franklin and John Adams convince the king of France to support the patriots in the war. This is because the Americans defeating Britain, who was the most powerful army in the world at the time, caused other European Nations to think that Americans could possibly win their freedom. This was a big advantage to the Americans. -
Winter at Valley Forge
The wiinter at Valley Forge was very harsh period when Washington's army was dangerously low on much needed supplies. Most of the soldiers didn't have shoes and all they had were blankets to cover them. Because of these conditions, the name Valley Forge came to stand for the hardships that Americans endured throughout the entire war. -
Battle of Yorktown
The Battle of Yorktown was when the American and French soldiers attacked Yorktown by firing cannons at them, destroying its buildings. British general, Lord Cornwallis, had no way out and was forced to surrender his force of around 8,000. Though there was still some fighting after this battle, this was the last major battle of the Revolutionary War. -
Treaty of Paris (Revolutionary War)
This Treaty of Paris ended the Revolutionary War. The conditions of the treaty were that the U.S. would be an independent country, its boundaries would include on the west the Mississippi River, on the north would be Canada, and Spanish Florida on the south. Another condition was that the U.S.had the right to fish off of the the Atlantic Coast of Canada. Also, debts had to be repayed on each side, Britiain had to return slaves, and the states had to return stolen property from Loyalists.
