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French and Indian War Begins
The French in North America kept intruding on the growing British territory. Britain and France fought a few previous wars, but all ended unfinished. In 1754, the French-British controversy started up again. -
French and Indain War Ends
The war finally ended with the signing of the Treaty of Paris. Britain had control of Canada, almost everything east of the Mississippi River and Florida. France had control of only a few islands and small colonies near the West Indies and Newfoundland. -
Stamp Act
Parliament passed the Stamp Act to tax all documents and printed items. This was the first direct tax that affected the colonists. -
Townshend Act
The Townshend act taxed goods entering the colonies from Britain including the most popular drink in the colonies, tea. This led to a boycot of British goods. -
Boston Massacre
British soldiers were taunted by a group of colonists in front of the Boston Customs House causing the soldiers to fire and kill five colonists. -
Tea Act
Britain attempts to save the crashing British East India Companys by allowing them to sell tea without taxes. Britain hoped this would encourage the colonists to buy the cheaper tea, instead they protested. -
Boston Tea Party
Rebels dressed up as Native Americans and entered the Boston harbor, dumping 18,000 pounds of East India Company's tea into the water. -
Intolerable Acts
Britain takes more control by passing Quartering Act and closing the Boston Harbor. -
First Continental Congress
The First Continental Congress formed in response to the Intolerable Acts. In Philadelphia, 56 delegates got together and wrote a declaration of colonial rights. -
Lexington and Concord
Word spread that British troops were heading for Concord. The troops reached Lexington and found many minutemen. Someone fired, several were wounded and even killed. This was the battle of the Revolutionary War. -
Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress was called to Philadelphia to discuss their next action. Colonists disagreed here, some wanted independence and some wanted to stay loyal to Britain. George Washington was made commander on this day. -
"Common Sense" is published
"Common Sense" was a pamphlet written by Thomas Paine insulting King George and promoting American independence. Nearly 500,000 copies were sold by 1776.
