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Albany Plan of Union
The Albany Plan of Union was a proposed union between Massachusetts Bay, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and the Carolinas. It was written up by Benjamin Franklin. This plan was for defense, security, and the expansion of British settlements in the New World. It is significant because the plan would create a sense of unity between the colonies, but the king didn't wish for it to become more powerful than he could control, so he -
Albany Plan of Union (Continued)
didn't allow its creation. Also, similar concepts would be written in the Declaration of Independence. http://press-pubs.uchicago.edu/founders/documents/v1ch7s1.html
http://www.constitution.org/bcp/albany.htm -
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The Road to Revolution (Thesis Statement)
A majority of these events aggrivated the colonists and eventually led up to the Revolutionary War. -
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War was also known as the Seven Year's War. The French and Indian War started as a dispute over land in the Ohio River Valley. Fighting took place throughout North America, Europe, and India. The French and English battled for control over various colonial enterprises. Eventually, after the Battle of Quebec, the English were victorious. However, it cost them quite a large sum of money. This is significant because the debt incured by the English led to the Navigation Acts -
French and Indian War (Continued)
as well as various taxes which caused colonists to resent the English. http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/related/frin.htm -
Battle of Quebec
The Battle of Quebec was the deciding battle in the French and Indian War. After sneaking up on a seemingly unattackable fortress, the French were attacked by surprise and ultimately lost the war on the spot. This is significant because it led to the fall of New France and victory for the British. http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h787.html -
Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris was the document that officially ended the French and Indian War. France lost just about all of it's colonies except for some land in the West Indies. Britian received Canada and Florida. Spain received Louisiana and New Orleans. This is significant because it caused a drastic power shift towards the British in North America http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h754.html -
Proclamation of 1763
The Proclamation of 1763 prevented colonists from expanding westward. The British wrote up this proclamation to lessen the worries of the Indians, who were concerned that even more land was to be robbed from them. It also established 4 new colonies, 3 in North America and one elsewhere, It was significant because it angered the colonists who hungered for expansion and removed other colonists from there home in 'Indian Territory'. www.ushistory.org/declaration/related/proc63.htm -
Sugar Act
Looking for ways to pay off some of the debt from the French and Indian War, the British created the Sugar Act. This act put a tax on sugar as well as many other miscellanious items. It caused a huge drop in colonial exports. This is significant because it caused protest and the phrase "No taxation without representation" emerged. http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1211.html -
Quartering Act of 1765
As the French and Indian War was drawing to a close, there were large quantities of British troops in the New World. To address this, the Quartering Act was created. This act forced the colonial assembly to provide for the troops in the form of housing, food, etc. This is significant because they didn't like that the British had a standing army in the colonies and it cost them large sums of money to keep them alive and well. http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h641.html -
Stamp Act Congress
The meeting of the Stamp Act Congress resulted in a 14-point Declaration of Rights and Grievances, including the issue of taxation without representation. The Stamp Act Congress is significant because it continued to reject Bristish taxation and continued the push toward revolution. www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1221.html -
Stamp Act
Still looking to pay off debt from the French and Indian War as well as new debts from maintaining all their new land, the British unleashed the Stamp Act on the colonists. It required the use of stamped papers for newspapers, legal documents, etc. The outrage created by this act united some of the most important players in the upcoming revolution, and violent riots were also a result of the Stamp Act. http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h642.html -
Repeal of the Stamp Act
After a four-month span of rioting and general resentment in the New World, the British were forced to repeal the Stamp Act. This is significant because it was the first time the colonists actively used riots and violence to get what the wanted from the British. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/parliament-repeals-the-stamp-act -
Declaratory Act
The Declaratory Act, passed shortly after the repeal of the Stamp Act, claimed that Parliament could place taxes on the colonies whenever it wished too. This is significant because it goes directly against the colonists concept of 'no taxation without representation' and sparked more fury from them. http://www.sparknotes.com/history/american/revolution/summary.html -
Townshend Act
Still looking to pay off debt from the French and Indian War, Townshend created several acts, including a revised Quatering Act, a new customs act with measures to reduce smuggling, and an 'external' tax for the colonists. This is significant because Townshend quickly became resented in the colonies, and although there was little outright violence, trade with Britian decreased drastically, www.u-s-history.com/pages/h643.html -
Boston Massacre
What stated out as an argument between a merchant and a soldier quickly escalated into a street fight in which 5 colonists were killed by the British. Even though the colonists started the fight, the killing of the colonists was widely used as propaganda against the British and further fueled the revolutionary fire. http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h644.html -
Boston Tea Party
When the British East India Company was threatened with bankruptcy, the British created a tea act that allowed them to sell directly to colonists without the use of a middle-man, Although this resulted in cheaper tea, the colonists were outraged since it took jobs and was seen as further British control they didn't want. To show their displeasure, they dumped all the tea into Boston Harbor, which infuriated the British. http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h646.html -
Intolerable Acts
In response to the Boston Tea Party, the British created the Intolerable Acts. They included: The Boston Port Act, which closed the port until all the tea was paid for, Another Quartering Act, The Administration of Justice Act, which regarded punishment for crimes, and the Mass Gov't Act, which regulated the gov't of the Mass Bay colony. http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/related/mga.htm -
Quebec Act
Shortly after the Intolerable Acts, the British created the Quebec Act to give more rights to the French still living in Canada. Essentially, it gave the French their own private government and recognition as Catholics. This outraged the colonists because they weren't allowed all the freedoms that their once enemies were now receiveing. http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h648.html -
Battle of Lexington and Concord
The Battle of Lexington and Concord was the kickoff of the American Revolution. The colonists were astonished that they had any success at all in the battle. This was the much needed confidence booster that would push the colonists to continue fighting for their independence and eventually create modern America. http://www.theamericanrevolution.org/battledetail.aspx?battle=1 -
First Continental Congress
12 of the 13 colonies sent representatives to meet in Philidelphia. The congress was not seeking independence, but was looking for solutions to the British issues they were presented with,They assumed that by coming together, they may have a voice in England. They attempted to resolve a variety of issues and were regarded as a success. http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h650.html
