-
Stamp Act
The British Parliament passes the Stamp Act, imposing the first direct tax levied from Great Britain on the thirteen American colonies. This is considered the first of British parliamentary attempts to raise revenue through direct taxation. The Stamp act taxed of all colonial commercial and legal papers, newspapers, pamphlets, cards, almanacs, and dice -
The Quartering Act
Great Britain passes the Quartering Act, requiring the thirteen American colonies to house British troops. -
Samuel Johnson's Edition of Shakespeare
Johnson's edition of Shakespeare was finally published as The Plays of William Shakespeare, in Eight Volumes. In the "Preface" to his edition, Johnson justifies trying to determine the original language of the Shakespearean plays. To benefit the reading audience, he added explanatory notes to various passages. -
Declaratory Act
TheDeclaratory Act, was an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain, which accompanied the repeal of the Stamp Act 1765. Parliament repealed the Stamp Act because boycotts were hurting British trade and used the declaration to justify the repeal and save face. The declaration stated that Parliament's authority was the same in America as in Britain and asserted Parliament's authority to pass laws on the American colonies. -
Townshed Acts
The Parliament passed the Townshend Acts, which placed a tax on a number of essential goods including paper, glass, and tea. Angered at the tax increases, colonists organized a boycott of British goods. -
Trial/ Execution Elizabeth Brownrigg
Elizabeth Brownrigg, a middle-class midwife, was found guilty of murdering her 14 year old apprentice Mary Clifford. Brownrigg was said to have severaly tortured,starved, and beat Clifford resulting in her death. Brownrigg was sentenced to hang at Tyburn and her corpse be publicly dissected. While awaiting execution she expressed remorse and prayed for salvation. -
James Cook's First Voyage to the Pacific
British naval captain, navigator, and explorer, who conducted three expeditions to the Pacific Ocean (1768–71; 1772–75; 1776–79), ranging from the Antarctic ice fields to the Bering Strait and from the coasts of North America to Australia and New Zealand. Cook had set new standards of thoroughness in discovery and seamanship, in navigation, cartography, and the sea care of men, -
Britannica is Published
The Encyclopedia Britannica is first published between 1768 and 1771 in Edinburgh, Scotland as three volumes. -
Sarah Fielding Dies
Sarah Fielding (8 November 1710 – 9 April 1768) was a British author and sister of the novelist Henry Fielding. She was the author of The Governess, or The Little Female Academy (1749), which was the first novel in English written especially for children and had earlier achieved success with her novel The Adventures of David Simple (1744). -
General Thomas Gage
In 1763 Gage was appointed commander in chief of all British forces in North America. English troops under general Gage landed in Boston in October of 1768. Were he successfully commanded the British army until the 1774 rebellion, American Revolution.
