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Sugar Act
Ended the smuggling trade in sugar and molasses from the French and provided increased revenues while raising taxes on sugars. It was the first-ever tax to be placed on the colonies, and the colonists were unhappy. -
Stamp Act
Raised revenue through direct taxation on a wide variety of colonial transactions, and the colonists immediately rebelled and caused riots and boycotts, brewing even more tension between the colonists and British. -
Quartering Act
Passed by George Grenville, it required certain colonies to provide food and supplies to British soldiers, increasing riots and boycotts. Sugar taxes were reduced. -
Sons of Liberty (August, Date Unknown)
Founded in August 1765, they were instigators and provocateurs and used extreme forms of civil disobedience, threats, and sometimes violence to intimidate loyalists and outrage the British government. It was dissolved in 1776. -
Daughters of Liberty (Founded In The Summer, Date unknown)
Formed around the same time as the sons of liberty, it started in 1765 of the summer in Massachusetts and was created to oppose the Stamp Act and later Townshend Acts. However, unlike the Sons of Liberty, they weren't as violent and organized and participated in boycotts. -
Stamp Act Congress
A step forward in colonial unity, there were 27 delegates representing the nine colonies in a debate about the rights and grievances of the Stamp Act. -
Townshend Acts
Acts passed by Prime Minister Charles Townshend was a light tax on goods such as tea, paint, glass, white lead, and paper payable in American ports. Colonists cherished the right to control governors by suspending their salaries. The colonists were somewhat angered, but no riots and smuggling increased. -
Nonimportation Agreements
To protest the British crown's Townshend Act, which placed taxes on a variety of goods, Boston merchants and traders made an agreement not to import or export any goods to Britain. -
The Boston Massacre
Sixty colonists taunted ten redcoats, clubbing them and throwing rocks and snowballs, provoking them to open fire. Eleven "innocent" colonists were killed, including Crispus Attucks, the leader of the mob and a runaway slave. Both sides were at fault, but served as an integral part of the fuel of the colonist's anger and were later used as propaganda. -
Committee of Correspondence (Formed November, Date Unknown)
Samuel Adams and other patriots formed this committee in Boston in the response of governors, judges, and etc. from having their salaries being paid by the crown instead of colonial legislatures, and they believed it would threaten the colonists' right to fair trails. After the Boston Committee wrote a list of grievances towards the British government and distributed it widely, more Committees of Correspondence started appearing everywhere. -
Tea Tax
The act granted the British East India Company a monopoly on selling cheaper than smuggled tea; its hidden purpose was to force the colonists to pay a tax of 3 pennies on every pound of tea, and people could only buy their tea. -
Boston Tea Party
Boston realized that the British had been taxing their tea and, in response, organized the Boston Tea Party, where they disguised themselves as Indians and dumped 342 chests of tea into Boston Harbor. Many other protests against the tea tax also occurred too, this was a significant event that led to the Revolution. -
The Intolerable Acts (Made the colonists even more angered)
Multiple acts were passed on due to the events of the Boston Tea Party in order to mainly punish the people of Boston.
-Boston Port Act- closed Boston harbor to trade until damages paid, order assured
-Administration of Justice Act- British officials who committed misdemeanors tried in England
Massachusetts Government Act- many charter rights revoked, restrictions on town meetings
-New Quartering Act of 1774- allowed British troops to be housed in private homes and facilities
-The Quebec Act -
The Quebec Act
It was the least impactful act towards the Americans, and was considered a intolerable act because the parliament allowed the French Canadians in the land near Ohio river to be allowed to retain custom and practice Catholicism by no trial by jury or representative assembly of the Americans. The Americans didn't like the Catholics; they wanted their land that they fought for, and this decision that was made without any American representative was feared as their rights might be taken away. -
First Continental Congress
Convention held in Philadelphia to discuss colonial grievances and what to do about them. The twelve colonies were represented by 55 delegates, and they drew up Declaration of Rights and wrote appeals to other British American colonies, King George III and the people of Britain. The petitions were rejected. Also established The Association, banning all trade with Britain- import and export. They not yet want independence however, but to fix their relationship with the British. -
Battle of Lexington
Lexington Massacre" took place right before Battle of Concord. Both were attempts by the British to seize colonial gunpowder and capture Samuel Adams and John Hancock- leaders of rebellion. Colonial militia did not disperse quick enough- British opened fire. Eight colonists killed, several wounded. -
Battle of Concord
Took place right after Battle of Lexington. British attempt to seize colonial gunpowder, capture Samuel Adams and John Hancock- leaders of rebellion. Colonists prepared after Lexington, hid behind walls and shot British, pushed back to Boston. Seventy British soldiers were killed, with 300 total British casualties. -
Second Continental Congress
All 13 colonies were represented at yet another convention to address American grievances. Made more appeals of grievances to the king. They sent an "Olive Branch" petition as well, affirming their loyalty and pledging for an and to hostilities. Although they did not yet seek independence, the congress decided to raise money for an army, appointing Washington as its commander in chief (pictured) in a contradictory move.
