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Beginning
Sugar Act (1764) This British law charged duties on sugar imported by the colonies. Several other products were also taxed
Stamp Act (1765) This British law required certain printed materials including newspapers in America be on paper produced in Britain and stamped with a revenue stamp
Quartering Act (1765) This act forced the colonist to provide food and shelter for British soldiers when needed.
Townshend Acts (1767) A series of acts passed By Britain beginning in 1767 that taxed the colonies -
Letters from a farmer
December 2 - John Dickinson publishes Letters From a Farmer in Pennsylvania to the Inhabitants of the British Colonies explaining the issues with British actions to tax the colonies. It is highly influential -
Seized
June - After a confrontation over Customs violations, John Hancock's ship Liberty is seized in Boston. Customs officials are threatened with violence and escape to Castle William in Boston Harbor. They send out a request for help from British troops. -
House of Burgess
May 7 - George Washington presents non-importation resolutions to the Virginia House of Burgess's. Proclamations are sent out from Patrick Henry and Richard Henry Lee to King George III. -
Boston
Boston Massacre (1770). An angry mob of colonist confronts British soldiers in Boston. Five colonists are killed. -
Abandonment
July - Virginia becomes the last colony to abandon the nonimportation pact after the repeal of the Townshend Acts. -
Occurring of the Boston tea party.
December 16 - The Boston Tea Party occurs. After months of growing consternation with the Tea Act, a group of Boston activists dressed as Mohawk Indians and boarded tea ships anchored in Boston Harbor in order to dump 342 casks of tea into the water. -
First Congress
October 14 - The First Continental Congress adopts a Declaration and Resolves against the Coercive Acts, the Quebec Acts, the Quartering of troops, and other objectionable British actions. These resolutions include the rights of the colonists including that of "life, liberty, and property." -
Lexington
The Battles of Lexington and Concord, fought on April 19, 1775, kicked off the American Revolutionary War (1775-83). Tensions had been building for many years between residents of the 13 American colonies and the British authorities, particularly in Massachusetts. -
Independence
The Declaration of Independence was written by Thomas Jefferson, with the assistance of John Adams and Benjamin Franklin. The document defined the rights of the people of the independent states. On July 2, 1776, the members of the Second Continental Congress voted in favor of independence. -
Surrender
The British wanted to take control of the Hudson River Valley to cut off New England from the other colonies. General Burgoyne with 7,700 troops approached Albany, New York, from Canada. On his way, Burgoyne defeated American forces at Fort Ticonderoga. Another group of troops, led by Lieutenant Colonel St. Leger, were to join him from Canada. -
France and spain
Seeked French support in the war. They sent Benjamin Franklin, who could speak French, to meet with King Louis XVI and French foreign minister. France wanted to get revenge on Britain for the defeat in the French and Indian War. They also wanted to ensure that Britain and America don't resolve their differences. In February 1778, France signed a treaty which put France at war with Britain. treaty was the first document to officially recognize America as an independent state. -
Confederation
The Articles of Confederation defined the federal government powers separate from those of the states. The Articles were adopted in March 1781. In the interim, the Congress continued to act on behalf of the federal government, and they directed the war effort. -
Paris, the treaty.
Lord Shelborne wanted to negotiate an end to the war. He sent Richard Oswald to Paris to meet with the American representatives Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and John Jay. The Treaty of Paris was signed on September 3, 1782. -
Treaty of Paris
When the British heard of the surrender at Yorktown, the House of Commons was in an uproar. Lord Shelborne wanted to negotiate an end to the war. He sent Richard Oswald to Paris to meet with the American representatives Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and John Jay. The Treaty of Paris was signed on September 3, 1782. The treaty was ratified on April 17, 1783, and it officially recognized American independence.
