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French and Indian War (Seven Years' War)
At the beginning of the war, the British were having a tough time trying to figure out how to beat the French, with most attacks ending in defeat. This began to change when the British captured Louisbourg, an important strategic port. Commander James Wolfe surprised the French when climbing up a steep embankment. The next attack killed both Wolfe and the French commander, which essentially ended the war. -
The Royal Proclamation of 1763
The proclamation declared the boundaries of settlement for inhabitants of the 13 colonies to be Appalachia.
The colonists were not very happy with the proclamation because the colonists had shed blood to fight the Indians, not to give them land. Some colonists had already settled further west. The colonists thought that the British only made these laws to keep them under their thumb. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was the first direct tax on the colonies. A Stamp Act Congress was put together to figure out what to do.
The colonists’ words were put to action with widespread boycotts of British goods. Many groups harassed tax -
The Boston Massacre
A mob of 60 angry colonists descended upon a guard guarding the Customs House. When help arrived, the crowd began throwing rocks and snowballs in the guards’ direction.
Without the consent of firing by their captain, the bullets were fired and took the lives of five men. -
Boston Tea Party
Before the tax could be collected by the governor, the Bostonians took action.
The Bostonians stormed the ship and tossed over 342 chests of tea into the water. -
Tea Act
Lord North granted the British East India Company a trading monopoly with the American colonists. Lord North hoped that the colonists would be happy paying for cheaper tea plus tax.
Activists were busy again, boycotting and threatening British ships carrying tea. -
Intolerable Acts
Boston Harbor was closed to trade until the owners of the tea were compensated. Only food and firewood were allowed into the port. Town meetings were banned.
When General Gage,a British commander, was appointed governor, British officials and soldiers were tried outside of Massachusetts for crimes of murder. -
Declaration of Independence
Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson were all part of a subcommittee that chose how to word the Declaration of Independence.
The vote was 12 to 0, which means the colonies must have really wanted to go through with the Declaration, no matter what the consequences.
