-
The Stamp Act
The Stamp Act affected many more people than the Sugar Act, simply because it taxed more people and more things. This enraged the colonists, and they were mad about the new taxes that Britain was putting on them. -
The Townshend Acts
By the time the Townshend Acts were passed, colonists were already fed up with all the taxes and new laws Britain was forcing on them. They taxed basic items that the colonists used everyday, and boycotted many British goods. This fueled Patriotic spirit and helped the colonists realize that this was not fair, and that they should have "no taxation without representation". -
The Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre was when the Bostonians fought back because of the British occupying their town- five colonists were killed. This helped fuel resentment for the British, and the Sons of Liberty were able to use it as propaganda for colonists to become Patriots and join the fight. -
The Boston Tea Party
After British Parliament passed the Tea Act, colonists, led by the Sons of Liberty, were outraged, and threw 342 chests (about 92,000 pounds!) of tea from British Ships into the Boston Harbor. This helped fuel Patriotic spirit, and also the Coercive Acts, which led to revolution. -
The Coercive/Intolerable Acts
The Coercive (named 'Intolerable' by the colonists) Acts were very strict laws meant to punish Boston after The Boston Tea Party and take away their rights. The colonists decided that this had to stop, which helped start the Continental Congress and the American Revolution. -
The 1st Continental Congress
The First Continental Congress consisted of 55 delegates from almost every colony to create a makeshift government to discuss the colonists concerns, mainly about the British. This helped to form militias and was the first real representation of the people in the colonies, and their first 'independent' government. -
The Battle of Lexington and Concord
The Battle of Lexington and Concord was the first real battle of the British and Patriots- Paul Revere and other men rushed to wake up all the other Minutemen to fight. One shot was fired, and more followed- by the end of the battle, 18 minutemen were dead, and more followed as they hunted down the British on their march to Concord. This sparked the fights against the British, and was the first in many more battles to come for the Patriots. -
The 2nd Continental Congress
The 2nd Continental Congress met to discuss many important issues, like mail, communication with other territories, and one last shot was made to make peace with the British to have their rights protected with the Olive Branch Petition. This was an important step in protecting colonists rights and it was the first big step in the congress governing the colonies. -
The Battle of Bunker Hil
Colonel William Prescott marched into battle with around 1,200 soldiers in his militia for the Battle of Bunker Hill. The British had to retreat twice, but in the end, the Patriots had to withdraw because of a shortage of gunpowder. The British had around 1,000 casualties, and learned that defeating the Patriots would not be easy. -
Declaration of Independence signing
The Declaration of Independence, written by Thomas Jefferson, was signed by all the delegates on July 4th, 1776. This declared the birth of a new nation, and was their sign that they were now an independent country. Many rights we have today came from the Declaration.
