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French and Indian War
Both the French and the British wanted control of the Ohio River Valley. French explorers and traders made forts and communities from the Great Lakes to Louisiana. Although, the English settlers wanted to expand their land so they went to the Iroquois Confederacy to give them a permit. They got their wish and had the Virginia governor make French abandon their Ohio River Valley Land. The French refused and as a result there was a war. The war was bad for the British; they lost Fort Necessity. -
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French and Indian War
Both the French and the British wanted control of the Ohio River Valley. French explorers and traders made forts and communities from the Great Lakes to Louisiana. Although, the English settlers wanted to expand their land so they went to the Iroquois Confederacy to give them a permit. They got their wish and had the Virginia governor make French abandon their Ohio River Valley Land. The French refused and as a result there was a war. The war was bad for the British; they lost Fort Necessity. -
The Stamp Act
In 1775, the British proposed the first major tax on the colonies. It was called the Stamp Act. They made the tax as an effort to pay off their debt. The Stamp Act taxed newspapers, licenses, insurance policies, land titles, contracts, and other documents. The colonists protested and rioted. The colonies even sent the delegates to protest about the tax! After the boycott of paper products, in 1766, British repealed the tax. The colonist then looked over their relationship with the British. -
The Boston Massacre
One night, a boy started to insult a British soldier. The soldier hit him in the head with the back of a rifle. In pain, the boy screeched and a crowd came. They then harassed the British soldier for hitting the boy by throwing chunks of ice and almost throwing fire. More soldiers then came but they couldn’t calm down the crowd. The colonists were furious because they believed the British soldier had no authority. Then, one of the eight soldiers fell to the ground and the other began shooting. -
The BostonTea Pary
Protests spread through Boston caused by the Tea Act. The colonists were angry that the parliament had a monopoly with the East India Company. They felt the British were cheating them. On the night of December 16, 150 patriots dressed up as Indians and boarded three British tea ships. The patriots threw 342 chests of tea into the water. The 90,000 pounds of tea was worth £10,000. This was the most illegal act the patriots had ever done. The British were furious. -
Intolerable Acts
British decided to take better control of the colonists after the Boston Tea Party. King George III passed four new laws. The laws were called acts and they affected Massachusetts. The first act was the Boston Port Act. It closed the port in Boston until the colonists could repay the East India Tea Company. The second act was the Massachusetts Government Act. It increased the royal governor’s power and discouraged public speaking. -
The Shot Heard Around the World
America began to form a new militia called the minutemen. The governor of Massachusetts believed the minutemen were storing arms in Concord. He sent 700 troops to retrieve the arms. Paul Revere and William Dawes warned everybody at night to tell the minutemen the British troops were coming. The minutemen appeared at the steeple of the church. Seventy-seven of the minutemen were waiting for the British. The British told the minutemen to go home although they refused. Five were shot. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
During the night on June 16, 1775, Colonel William Prescott ordered 1,600 soldiers to go to Charlestown, Pennsylvania. They dug six foot dirt walls. British sent 2,200 men to attack the peninsula of Charlestown. The British were delayed because they needed boats. This helped the Americans to prepare for their attack. After the delay, the British burnt down a town. The American’s response was to fire at British generals. At the end of the war, 1,054 British were wounded, and 226 were killed. -
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Battle of Bunker Hill
During the night on June 16, 1775, Colonel William Prescott ordered 1,600 soldiers to go to Charlestown, Pennsylvania. They dug six foot dirt walls. British sent 2,200 men to attack the peninsula of Charlestown. The British were delayed because they needed boats. This helped the Americans to prepare for their attack. After the delay, the British burnt down a town. The American’s response was to fire at British generals. At the end of the war, 1,054 British were wounded, and 226 were killed. -
Common Sense
Common Sense was a fifty page pamphlet written by Thomas Paine. It inspired the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. It was also a proponent of the American Revolution. Most colonists wanted to stay under the rule of England. After Common Sense was written it helped colonist realize that they do not need the help of England. Common Sense also made the English king look undesirable. Common Sense was the best seller of its generation and had 120,000 copies sold! -
Decleration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was a document written on the ideas on Enlightenment. The Continental Congress wrote the document. Although three men in particular wrote the document, they were Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert Livingston. Thomas Jefferson did most of the work by drafting the brilliant piece of writing. The congress accepted the document on July 4, 1776. It was signed months after. -
Alliances with the French
In the summer of 1777, the colonies had have made their alliance with the French official. They sent over volunteers to help the French. One of the volunteers was a French noble who was a high ranking officer. His name was Marquis de Lafayette and he was nineteen. Another volunteer was Baron von Steuben. He was from the Prussian army and was considered the best in Europe. He helped train the Continental Army. He improved their aim and taught them how to use bayonets. -
Battle of Saratoga
The battle was over the control of the Hudson River Valley. France decided to join the American’s side to get back at the British. The French gave the Americans troops and supplies. British General John Burgoyne had a plan which was to isolate New York and cut off the colonies supplies. The plan was a success until Benedict Arnold came. Burgoyne’s troops were easily defeated. Benedict’s troops aimed at generals. Then Burgoyne realized how low they were on supplies and winter was coming. -
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Battle of Saratoga
The battle was over the control of the Hudson River Valley. France decided to join the American’s side to get back at the British. The French gave the Americans troops and supplies. British General John Burgoyne had a plan which was to isolate New York and cut off the colonies supplies. The plan was a success until Benedict Arnold came. Burgoyne’s troops were easily defeated. Benedict’s troops aimed at generals. Then Burgoyne realized how low they were on supplies and winter was coming. -
Valley Forge
Valley Forge was a place that Washington and his soldiers camped in through the cruel winter. It was very cold and there was not enough supply for the 11,000 soldiers. There were very little shoes, trousers, and socks, but Washington kept hope. He built a camp of huts. Each day the soldiers were served tiny bread patties and soup. While the army was suffering, the British were attending balls and parties. This also gave the colonists and advance because they were trained in harsher ways. -
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Valley Forge
Valley Forge was a place that Washington and his soldiers camped in through the cruel winter. It was very cold and there was not enough supply for the 11,000 soldiers. There were very little shoes, trousers, and socks, but Washington kept hope. He built a camp of huts. Each day the soldiers were served tiny bread patties and soup. While the army was suffering, the British were attending balls and parties. This also gave the colonists and advance because they were trained in harsher ways. -
The War at Sea
The British had a very strong navy compared to the Americans. It was very hard to have a naval battle under these conditions so the Americans did hit-and-run attacks. In 1779, John Paul Jones took the Bonhomme to a naval battle against the British ship, Serapis. The Americans waited until the British surrendered and won the battle. At the end, dozens of sailors were dead. Meanwhile privateers were high jacking British trade ships. This helped America. -
The Battle of Yorktown
The Battle of Yorktown was the last battle of the Revolutionary war. Charles Cornwallis decided to retreat to Virginia. It was a very bad mistake. Cornwallis was then surrounded by French boats, and the French and American army. The French and American army burnt all the crops around them so they had no food. Cornwallis had to either surrender or die. He decided to surrender and this ended the Revolutionary war. -
Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris ended the war between the British and Americans. It showed the colonies independence. The Treaty of Paris was negotiated by Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, John Jay, and Henry Laurens. It was signed on 1783 by the Continental Congress. It encouraged other countries to fight for their independence like France.
