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Treaty of Paris (French and Indian War)
France had to give up Canada due to their loss. Also gained all the French lands east of the Mississippi River except city of New Orleans and two small islands in the Gulfof St. Lawrence. -
Stamp Act
This act required colonists to pay for an official stamp, or seal, when they buy paper items. It was paid on legal documents, licenses, newspapers, pamphlets, and even playing cards. -
Townshed Acts
These acts placed duties on glass, paints, paper, and tea. To inforce these laws the British used writs of officials, which was were the British could check the homes of the colonists for smuggled goods. -
Boston Massacre
Tension exploded whien a lone British soldier standing guard had an argument with a colonist and struck him. Soon other colonists gathered and were throwing snowballs, then soldiers gathered and they started to fire. Three colonists were killed on the spot and two died later after being shot. -
Tea Act
This allowed the British East India Company to sell tea directly to the colonists. This also made colonial merchants and smugglers fear that the British East India Company's cheap tea would go out of business. -
Intolerable Acts
It was origianly called the Coercive Acts, but the colonists renamed them to the Intolerable Acts. It basically said that the colonists had no liberty to do when and what they wanted to do to survive in the colonies. -
Boston Tea Party
During the night, colonists disguised as Indians and sneaked into the three tea-filled ships and dumped them into the Boston Harbor. They had dumped over 340 chests full of tea into the Harbor. -
First Continental Congress
Was a gathering of colonial leaders who were troubled on the idea of Great Britian and the relationship with the colonies in America. At Carpender's Hall, leaders were locked away at work debating on the idea. -
Battle of Lexington and Concord
British troops arrived at the town of Lexington, near Concord, where only 70 armed minutemen waited for their arrival. And Patriot caption John Parker yelled "Don't fire unless fired upon!" The battle only ended after minutes, with 8 minutemen dead, 10 wounded, and only one British soldier wounded -
Second Continental Congress
Was the second group of delagates from the colonies. In May 1775, delegates from 12 colonies met in Philidelphia this time, and by the time they worked all the glitches out, they had an attempt to the first republican government in the colonies. -
Battle of New York
General Washington had 23,000 patriot troops, while General Howe had 32,000 British troops. The Patriots were less equiped with supplies and soldiers, so they had to keep on retreating and finally Howe pushed them back across the Hudson River. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
Since a huge defeat in Fort Ticonderoga, the Patriots were low on supplies. Meanwhile, even though they were poorly supplied they kept the British fighting a fair fight, The Patriots through the night climbed their way up Bunker Hill and crossed the Boston Harbor. Even though the Patriots did end up loosing that battle, that battle still gave them hope that they could really win this war. -
Olive Branch Petition
It was a peace treaty between the British and the colonists. Except the only problem was that King George wouldn't except this treaty and so he found new ways to punish the colonists. -
Common Sense
Was a 47 page pamphlet that was distributed in Philidelphia in January 1776. It was "supposively" published anonymously, except the only problem with that was that everyone knew who wrote it. It argued that citizens, not kings and queens, should be making the laws -
Declaration of Independence
The delegates formally announced the colonies' break from Great Britian. Thomas Jefferson, the documents main author, argued for all people to possess unalienable rights, including the rights of "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." -
Battle of Trenton
During the night, the Patriots left their campfires burning and then slipped into the darkness and circled the British troops. And this was a major Patriot victory. -
Battle of Saratoga
The British were really craving for a victory, so they thought this was their chance. British General John Burgoyne decided to push through New York and cut of New England from the other colonies. This war was the turning point of the war, with another Patriot victory. -
Valley Forge
It was a very cold winter at Valley Forge. Over 2,000 soldiers died of disease and malnutrition. But only the Patriots were suffering these cold outdoor conditions while the British were in Phildelphia in their warm and cozy homes. -
Battle of Yorktown
Was the last major battle of the Revolutionary. This battle lasted for weeks until the British just couldn't fight anymore, and they sent a drummer with another soldier holding a white flag forward due to surrender. -
Treaty of Paris
Great Britian finally recognized the independence of the United States. It also set America's borders.
