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The Stamp Act
Requires stamped paper for documents printed items. Tax reaches every colonist and lawbreakers tried in vice-admiralty
court. Direct Tax. -
The Townshend Acts
1767 Townshend Acts levy duties on imported materials, tea.
Colonists enraged; Samuel Adams organizes a boycott.
Women stop buying British luxuries; join spinning bees; boycott tea.
Customs agents seize John Hancock’s ship Liberty for unpaid taxes.
Colonists riot; 2000 British troops stationed in Boston. -
The Boston Massacre
Soldiers compete with colonists for shipyard work.
1770, Boston Massacre, a mob gathers at Customs House; clashes erupt, five colonists killed.
1772, colonists burn customs ship; suspects to be tried in Britain. -
The Committees of Correspondence
The American colonies' first institution for maintaining communication with one another. They were organized in the decade before the Revolution, when the deteriorating relationship with Great Britain made it increasingly important for the colonies to share ideas and information. -
The Boston Tea Party
Tea act lets East India Company avoid tax, undersell colonists.
Boston Tea Party, disguised colonists dump 18000 lbs. Tea in harbor -
The Intolerable Acts
King George the III, British King, is angered by destruction of tea.
1774, parliament passes Intolerable Acts as response to tea Party.
Acts close Boston Harbor; Quarter soldiers in empty homes, buildings.
General Thomas Gage puts Boston under martial law.
First Continental Congress claims colonial rights supports protest. -
The Second Continental Congress
Meets in Philadelphia, debate independence, recognize militiamen as Continental Army, appoint George Washington commander, print paper money to pay troops -
The Olive Branch Petition
Congress sends Olive Branch Petition to restore “harmony”, George III rejects petition orders naval blockade -
The Battle of Bunker Hill
British troops attack militia north of Boston, Costly British win 450 colonists and over 1000 British casualties. -
The Declaration of Independence
Based on Enlightenment ideals and has inspired other independence movements and upholds ideals of civil rights, human rights. Declaration of rights, lists of complaints, people have natural rights life, liberty, property, people consent to obey a government that protects rights, people can resist or overthrow tyrannical governments. -
The Battle of Trenton
After crossing the Delaware River in a treacherous storm, General George Washington's army defeated a garrison of Hessian mercenaries at Trenton. The victory set the stage for another success at Princeton a week later and boosted the morale of the American troops. -
The Battle of Saratoga
The Battle of Saratoga was a turning point in the American Revolution. It gave the Patriots a major morale boost and persuaded the French, Spanish and Dutch to join their cause against a mutual rival. -
Valley Forge
11,000 soldiers stationed at Valley Forge, hundreds died from disease. However, the suffering troops were held together by loyalty to the Patriot cause and to General Washington, who stayed with his men. -
Battle of Yorktown
Cornwallis surrendered to George Washington as French and American forces trapped the British at Yorktown. The British surrender at the Battle of Yorktown ended the American Revolutionary War. -
The Treaty of Paris
Treaty that formally The American Revolutionary War. The British acknowledged the independence of the United States. The colonial empire of Great Britain was destroyed in North America.