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French and Indian War
The French and Indian War broke out once Virginia sent its militia to go and evict France from the Ohio Country. In response, France, Spain, and the Native Americans teamed up to try and win a war against Great Britain. The beginning of the war took place on the Ohio River west of Pennsylvania and Virginia. After losing a number of battles, the British crown chose William Pitt to lead the assault and as a result the British won the war in 1763 with the signing of the Treaty of Paris. -
Writ of Assistance
In 1760, the governor of Massachusetts authorized revenue officers to use the Writ of Assistance or general search warrants to check ships. With the Writ of Assistance officers were able to search ships if they suspected that the ship harbored smuggled goods. This warrant greatly aided officers in their fight against smuggling, the outraged merchants hired lawyer James Otis to challenge the writs in the Supreme Court. In the end the merchants failed and the writs were kept. -
Treaty of Paris 1763
The Treaty of Paris was a treaty that the French and its allies made with Britain once the war ended. The treaty stated that Great Britain would take control of all Canada and all land to the east of the Mississippi including Florida. The treaty also stated that the Spain can keep its land west of the Mississippi and New Orleans. After the treaty France controlled only a few islands and small areas elsewhere in America. -
Proclamation of 1763
The Proclamation of 1763 was a proclamation that established a line along the Appalachian mountains where no colonists were allowed to cross. This line was made so that Native Americans could live in peace and so that the British could avoid engaging in a war against the Native Americans. Soon after the Proclamation of 1763 was made many colonist broke its rule. The colonists' hunger for expansion made them cross over the border and continue on its journey to expand land. -
Sugar Act and Colonist Response
In 1764, the British Prime Minister; George Grenville, created the Sugar Act. This act had did three things it slowed the production of molasses in hope that colonists would pay a small tax rate, it taxed imports that had not been taxed before, and the lastly it stated that any colonist caught breaking the rules would be tried in a vice-admiralty court with a single judge without friendly colonists. This angered many merchants but try as they may the act would not be revoked. -
Stamp Act and Colonists Response
The Stamp Act imposed taxes on all written documents and a stamp would be placed on every document to show that the tax had been paid. The colonists were outraged by this act and a number of colonists formed a secret resistance called the "Sons of Liberty". Later a majority of the colonists began to boycott against Great Britain and the Stamp Act. After boycotting for so long Great Britain finally repealed the Stamp Act. -
Sons of Liberty and its founder, Samuel Adams
The "Sons of Liberty" were a group of colonial rebels that led a series of boycotts and rebellions against unfair acts created by Great Britain. Samuel Adams was one of the founding fathers of the group and was also a main leader when it came to boycotting British goods. -
Declaratory Acts
The same day that Britain repealed the Stamp Act, they placed another law on the colonists called the Declaratory Acts. This law strict because it allowed Britain to bind and restrict colonist actions in any case. With this law in place the colonists had no choice but to abide to the will of the British. They could not rebel or form any sort of resistance against the British. -
Townshend Act and the Colonist's Response
The Townshend Act was an act that was implemented in 1767 by Great Britain. This act placed taxes on all the goods that were imported from Britain into the colonies. Items that had been taxed include lead, glass, paint, paper, and most importantly...tea. Again outraged the "Sons of Liberty" entered the fray. Samuel Adams, a founding leader of the Sons of Liberty lead a boycott against the act. -
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre was a massacre of colonists in 1770. A mob of colonists had formed and taunted British soldiers in front of the Boston Customs House. The British finally fired at the colonists. After the smoke cleared, five colonists had been killed. And although tensions had been built emotionally, politically tensions had softened and the Townshend Act was finally repealed after close consideration from Lord Frederick North. -
Tea Act
In 1773, Lord Frederick North created the Tea Act in order to save the British East Indian Company that was almost bankrupt. This act allowed the company to sell tea to colonists with no taxes. In exchange of having no taxes on tea the colonists would be excluded from the tea trade. By doing this, Lord North hoped that the colonists would just buy the cheaper tea but they acted opposite of how North wanted and protested quite intensely. -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party of 1773 is probably one of the most remembered rebellions in America's past. In this rebellion, colonists dressed up as Native Americans and infiltrated a Britain East India Company ship and dumped 18,000 pounds of into the Boston Harbor. -
Intolerable Acts
After hearing about the Boston Tea Party, King George was infuriated. In his rage he pushed the Parliament into action. In response to the King's rage the Parliament past an act called the Intolerable Acts. There are three parts to the act first was shutting down the Boston harbor, next was the implementing the Quarters Act which allowed British commanders to house their troops in vacant and private houses, and finally placing Boston under martial law by the new governor, General Thomas Gage. -
First Continental Congress Meets
The colonists' response to Britain's action was the creation of the Continental Congress. In 1774, 56 delegates met in Philadelphia and created the declaration of colonial rights. The declaration would defend the colonies' right to run themselves and stated that if Britain attacked the colonies then the colonists would have no choice but to retaliate. -
Second Continental Congress
In May the colonists held the for the meeting of the Second Continental Congress. This meeting would discuss the colonists second move. The delegates were now divided into two groups. One group wished for America's independence while the other group wished to restore its friendly relations with Great Britain. While the groups had their own opinions they agreed that the colonial militia would be recognized as the Continental Army and that George Washington would be its commander. -
Battle of Lexington
On April 19, 1775, British troops arrived at the Lexington where they met the minutemen. The redcoats' goal was to head to Concord to retrieve the weapons but they met with the resistance. The colonists knew that they were outnumbered 10:1 but they fought anyway and by the end of the battle eight colonists were dead and ten were wounded while the redcoats suffered one wounded soldier. This brief battle was all that the colonists needed in order to relocate their weapons. -
Continental Army
The Continental Army was an army of colonials. In the Second Continental Congress the delegates made George Washington its commander. This Army would be the colonist's army that would fight Great Britain. -
Olive Branch Petition
This petition was sent to the king by delegates and colonists that were still loyal to the king and wanted to return to the former harmony that they once had. The king rejected the petition and urged the Parliament to create a naval blockade that prevented ships from entering America. -
Minutemen
After the first meeting of the Continental Congress, colonists offered themselves to fight and prepare for war against the British. They were civilian soldiers that would not hesitate to take down British redcoats and would be ready to fight in a minutes notice. The rebels stockpiled and smuggled arms into their towns for defense. General Thomas Gage found out about the smuggled weapons and set out in 1775 to seize the weapons. -
Midnight Riders: Revere, Dawes, and Prescott
The colonial rebels Paul Revere, William Dawes, and Samuel Prescott of Boston monitored the British closely and once they found out that the British troops were mobilizing they rode out on horse near midnight to warn the allied rebel towns that the redcoats were coming. Because of the warning the towns were able mobilize their minutemen and prepare for battle -
Battle of Concord
After finding out that the weapons had been relocated the redcoats began their march back to Boston only to be ambushed by 3000-4000 minutemen. The redcoats fell by the dozens. The redcoats that had survived the battle returned bloodied and humiliated. The colonists had waged war with Britain and now held Boston and its British troops under siege. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
The Battle of Bunker Hill was a loss for the colonists even though they had the advantage. General Thomas Gage decided to send 2400 British soldiers to strike the militiamen atop Breed's Hill. The colonials held there fire until the last moment and then they finally started to mow down the redcoats. By the end of the battle, the colonials lost 450 men and retreated while the British army lost 1000 of its troops. This battle would prove to be the deadliest battle in the revolutionary war. -
John Locke's Social Contract
John Locke was an Enlightened English Philosopher that believed that citizens had natural rights to life, liberty, and property. He believed that every society thrived on a social contract that said that the citizens must obey the government and its rules if the government protects its social rights -
Publication of Common Sense
Thomas Paine was a recent immigrant that came to America and wrote a 50 page pamphlet that discussed common sense and attacked the British Monarchy. In Thomas Paine's paper about common sense he tells how independence is the best choice for America as of now. He tells how independence will free America from is tyranny and allow America to trade more freely. -
Declaration of Independence
In the early summer of 1776, Virginia Delegate Richard Henry Lee brought up the idea of a free America. Thomas Jefferson was entrusted to write out the final draft of America's Declaration of Independence. It stated that all men were created freely and after some revision all delegates unanimously agreed on the independence of America on July 2, 1776. On July 4, 1774, all of the colonies adopted the Declaration of Independence. -
Loyalists and Patriots
After the Declaration of Independence was made and war had begun, America found itself divided into two. There were two major groups; the loyalists that rejected the Declaration of Independence and still wished for reconciliation from the king and the Patriots that embraced the Declaration of Independence and wanted to free America from British control. -
Redcoats push Washington's army across the Delaware River into Pennsylvania
In the summer of 1776, the British tried to take New York which was the source for most rebels. Even though the rebels were ill equipped and trained they tried their hardest to defend New York but the British pushed them all the way to Pennsylvania. Wishing for an early victory Washington led a surprise attack during Christmas to take out the British allies; the German Hessians. Despite taking out reinforcements the British still claimed the capital of America, Philadelphia. -
Washington's Christmas night surprise attack
Even though Washington was pushed back to Pennsylvania his desire for victory burned strongly. He devised a risky plan to sail across the Delaware river on Christmas night and take out eh German reinforcements that the British obtained. Luckily for Washington he caught the group by surprise and won the battle but in the mean time the British captured America's capital, Philadelphia. -
Saratoga
While one part of the British army had taken Philadelphia the other part of the army led by General John Burgoyne decided to lead his army from Canada down to Albany to meet up with the rest of the army, but as he was traveling through the woods the rebels surrounded them at Saratoga and forced him to surrender in 1777. The other half of the army had not helped Burgoyne because they were occupied with defending Philadelphia, help was never on the way. -
French-American Alliance
While American and Britain fought against each other France simply watched from the sidelines. The victory at Saratoga left them completely baffled. They thought that with their help, America would win and France would be able to get its revenge on Britain and so an alliance was formed between the two. -
Valley Forge
After the victory of Saratoga, Washington's men needed to rest but they were low on supplies and were trying to survive the winter. More than 2000 soldier perished during the winter but the survivors did not desert they kept fighting for the America. -
Friedrich von Steuben and Marquis de Lafayette
During the intense winter the colonials did not just sit around and wait. A Prussian Captain by the name Friedrich von Steuben trained the inexperienced troops and other foreign military leaders such as Marquis de Lafayette assisted America in its cause. -
British Victories in the South
After conquering the capital America the British moved to south where they won their greatest victory. They had conquered Charles Town, South Carolina. The British Army was led by two skilled leaders Generals Henry Clinton and Charles Cornwallis. -
British Surrender at Yorktown
After learning about the British victory at Charles Town the French Naval Force demolished the British Fleet and blocked the Chesapeake bay so that the British could not enter or leave America. While the blockade was active about 17000 French and Americans marched down Yorktown and began to bombard the British. Finally General Cornwallis surrendered on October 19, 1781. -
Treaty of Paris
After the surrender the delegates signed the Treaty of Paris which marked the end of the Revolutionary War. This confirmed the Independence of America and set the boundaries of the new nation.
