The Road to Independence

Proclamation

Jan 11, 1763

Ths Proclamation of 1763 was passed in hopes of protecting the Biritish settlers from American Indians in the Appalachian Mountain region.

Sugar Act

Apr 5, 1764

Sugar Act was a way for Britiain to retrieve themselves from debt due to the French and Indian war. The Sugar Act imposes a tax on any forgien sugar, molasssas, and many other materials entering the colonies.

Stamp Act

Mar 22, 1765

This act imposed duties, or imported tax, on all printed matter such as advertisements, diplomas, legal documents, newspapers and playing cards. These materials were to only be printed on a stamped paper, so British officals can easily see the tax had been paid.

Quarting Act

Mar 24, 1765

When more colonists refused to obey British rule, Parliament decided to send hudres of thousands od British soldiers over to the America's to keep order. The Quarting act forced colonists to house the soldiers, give them food, any neceissites needed to sustain life.

Declatory Act

Mar 18, 1766

Declatory act gave FULL power and authority of Parliament to make laws, bind colonies, and people of America in all cases whatsoever.

Townshend Act

Jun 15, 1767

Townshend Act placed taxes on tea, lead, glass. and dyes for paint. This also enforced search warrents, or writs of assistance. These allowed British generals to search anywhere that has suspision of smuggled materials.

Boston Masacre

Mar 5, 1770

An angry crown of colonists congregated outside of a customs house screaming insults then escelated to throwing snowballs, rocks, pieces of coal anything at their hands. Soon the soldiers open fire on the colonists five total die and two soldiers are tried and convicted of manslauter.

Tea Act

May 10, 1773

Tea Act was passed to help the deprived East India Company which was drowning in debt and millions of pounds of unsold tea. It said that the company did not have to go through colonist, but go directly to the people of the colonies. This however deprived the merchants of the colony depending on the tea to later sell of any business.

Boston Tea Party

Dec 16, 1773

Merchants were so infuritaed with the most recent act, they actually went onto three different shipd holding 342 chests of tea and dumped every single one into the harbor so no one could make use of it.

Coercive or Intolerable Act

Mar 18, 1774

Four laws designed to punish Boston and the rest of Massachusetts.
1st. close the port of Boston until they paid for the lost tea
2nd. forbade town mettigns without govenors permission
3rd. allowed royal officials who comited crim in Massachusetts to be tried in other colonies or Britiain
4th. Forced officials to provied housing for the new soldiers or "red coats" as the colonists would call them.

Quebec Act

Jun 22, 1774

This extended Quebec's boundaries south to the Ohio River, over riding the claims of Conneticut, Massachusetts and Virginia. Also granted full religious freedon to French Roman Catholics, this frustrated the protestant people greatly.

First Continental Congress

Sep 5, 1774

Help in Philadelphia, congress which is not a law making body, could discuss thier grevances and consider the options of Independence. After the first meeting they wrote up The declaration of resolves which expressed the loyalty to british crown but said colonists had the rights of British subjects.

Battles of Lexinton and Concord

Apr 18, 1775

General Gaeges was sent to stop all rebellion, and collect all malitia materials. He brought about 750 Brisish personel from Bosoton to do so. Colonist who were earlier tipped of the British on coming from Paul Reveer, were awaiting their arrival at Lexington Village Greene. the red coats dominated the few unexperianced colonists. Eight died and ten were wounded. On their 20 mile voyage back to Boston, more colonists gorilla attacked the British killing about 270 soldiers.

Second Continental Congress

May 10, 1775

News of Lexington and Concord broke out through out all colonies and congress called for another meeting. This time the meeting resulted in wanting a full independence from Britain and a unifying of the colonies.

Olive Branch Petition

Jul 5, 1775

This was one final plea to King George III once again stating the colonist loyalty but asked for help in ending the conflict. The king rejected the petition and oreder Royal Navy to block off all shipping to the colonies.

Declaration of Independence

Jul 4, 1776

This declared the uniting of the colonies to be free and independent states. Thmoas Jefferson did most of the writing on the actual document and july 2nd was when congress offically made the new United States of America to be independent of Britain and july 4 congrss formally adopted the declaration.