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Struggle between the British and French for control of eastern North America. The British won
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The British formally gain control of Canada and all the French possessions east of the Mississippi.
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British troops fire into a mob, killing five men and leading to intense public protests.
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Group of colonial patriots disguised as Mohawk Indians board three ships in Boston harbor and dump more than 300 crates of tea overboard as a protest against the British tea tax.
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First Continental Congress meets in Philadelphia.
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War of independence fought between Great Britain and the 13 British colonies begins.
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Continental Congress adopts the Articles of Confederation, the first U.S. constitution.
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Great Britain formally acknowledges American independence in the Treaty of Paris, which officially brings the war to a close.