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1st event: The Sugar Act
Significance- First tax that sparks colonial retaliation to taxation.
(An Act that was enacted without the consent of the colonists that put a three-cent tax on foreign refined sugar and increased taxes on coffee, indigo, and certain kinds of wine. It banned the importation of rum and French wines. Merchants affected by this act were outraged and very vocal of their opinion). -
2nd event: the Stamp Act
Significance- The beginning of colonial citizen outcry.
(The Stamp Act was the first direct British tax on American colonists. The act declared that every newspaper, pamphlet, and other public and legal document was required to have a Stamp, or British seal, on it. The colonists did not believe they should have to now begin to pay for something that had been free in the past. The colonists responded with many demonstrations. Eventually the act was repealed). -
3rd event: Patrick Henry Speech
Significance- more propaganda to colonial citizens.
(Patrick Henry delivered a speech about American Independence. Patrick was a very outspoken critic of acts enacted by Great Britian, especially the Stamp Act). -
4th event: Townshend Acts
Significance- Sparks violent protest and allows for more propoganda from those that wish to secede from British rule. (A series of laws named after Charles Townsend. These laws placed a tax on glass, paper, lead, paint and tea. Colonial reaction remained the same as it had with former acts and later on all of those taxes, besides the tax on tea, were repealed due to violent protests from colonists). -
5th event: Boston Massacre
Significance- Gives colonists reason to call to arms against British and displays "need for liberation". (Americans were killed in the "massacre". It is said that the colonists were throwing rocks at British soldiers, and others say that they only threw snow. Either way the British opened fire onto the crowd. This increased colonial hatred of the British forces occupying colonies. The event was severely blown out of proportion and was a cry to arms for colonial citizens). -
6th event: Boston Tea Party
Significance- Caused the "Intolerable" acts to be enacted, which in turn created the first continental congress to form. (Angered American colonists naming themselves the "Sons of Liberty" boarded three British Ships. (the Beaver, the Darthmouth and the Eleanor) Dressed as Native Americans, they dumped 342 crates of British tea into the harbor. (Similar incidents occurred in Maryland, New York, and New Jersey in the next few months, and tea was eventually boycotted throughout the colonies). -
7th event: The Continental Congress
Significance- First time representatives from almost all colonies come together to discuss liberation. (The Continental Congress consisted of two groups of people from all over the 13 Colonies who came together to discuss liberty. The First Continental Congress was a group of 56 delegates from 12 colonies (all except Georgia) who met in Philadelphia. Their meeting was in response to the "intolerable acts". Later (in 1775) The Second Continental Congress was formed). -
8th event: Battles of Lexington and Concord
Significance- Start of the war. (This event marked the first shots fired between American and British troops. The British chose to march to Concord because it was an arms depot. British troops had occupied Boston and were marching on Concord as they passed through Lexington. No one knows who fired first). -
9th event: Capture of Fort Ticonderoga
Significance- First real American victory; stalled British invasion. (The fort was captured by the Americans and was named their first "official" victory of the Revolutionary War. Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys, along with Benedict Arnold, captured the fort. The capture stalled a planned British invasion from Canada and also enabled American troops to invade Canada themselves. The fort was not particularly well defended, though still contained a stock of British Arms). -
10th event: Battle of Bunker Hill
Significance- British suffer heavy losses. (The Two-day engagement at Breed's Hill. The Americans had occupied Breed's Hill in order to protect the shipyard of nearby Boston. The next day, the British attacked. They took the hill but suffered heavy losses).
