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Stamp Act
This tax was imposed on all Americans and required them to pay a tax for every piece of printed paper they used. Before, taxes were used to keep England's economy stable, not to raise money. The Stamp Act was used as a direct attempt by England to raise money in the colonies without the colonial legislatures. This bothered the colonists. -
Protest of the Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was strongly opposed by the colonists.The colonists slogan was, "No taxation without representation." This Stamp Act was one of several taxes which helped fuel and cause the American Revolution. -
Gaspee Affair
Local citizens in Narragansett Bay lured the "Gaspee" aground. They proceeded to shoot and wound the commanding officer, capture the crew and burn the boat to the ground. This was America's first blow for freedom. -
Committees of Correspondence Established
Samuel Adams proposed the creation of a corresponding society to weigh the sentiments of Massachusetts towns. This committee was born when the Boston selectmen voted to establish a twenty-one-member Committee of Correspondence. -
Boston Tea Party
The colonists were taxed on tea by England and they saw this as unfair without their fair share of representation. So, about 200 men (some dressed as Indians), descended upon three different ships and dumped their cargos of tea into the harbor waters. This was the spark that lit the fuel for the American Revolution. -
First Continental Congress
The first Continental Congress met in Philadelphia at Carpenter's Hall, All of the colonies except Georgia sent their own delegates. These delegates were elected by the people, by the colonial legislatures, or by the committees of correspondence of the colonies. The colonies were united in a determination to show a combined authority to Great Britain. -
Coercive Acts
These acts were put in place by England. Their goal was to restore order in Massachusetts, following the Boston Tea Party and other acts of defiance. Many leaders, such as Edmund Burke and Lord Chatham, voiced their caution on these acts as they believed that these stern measures would only lead them to trouble. Their advice though, was not given any consideration by the parliament. -
The Quebec Act
This act was an intentioned measure designed to afford greater rights to the French living in Canada, which had come under British rule through the Treaty of Paris in 1763. Many American's mistaked the meaning of this act and viewed it as another "Intolerable Act". This sparked more rebellions and opposition formed throughout the colonies. -
Paul Reveres Ride
Paul Revere was sent to ride to Lexington, Massachusetts, to warn John Hancock and Samuel Adams that British troops were coming to arrest them. There were pre-arranged signals that warned if the British were coming by land or sea. This mission was kept quiet as they only wanted to warn the Revolutionary activists. Not the British living within the colonies. -
Battles of Lexington and Concord
This kicked off the start of the American Revolutionary War. Tension before this time had been brewing in the colonies. On Lexington's town green, a confrontation started the fighting between the British and Colonists. With Paul Revere's valiant help before the battle, the British soon had to retreat under intence fire. -
Second Continental Congress
When England had been attempting to arrest patriot leaders, America decided to create the Second Continental Congress which convened in Philadelphia. They appoineted George Washington to General and agreed to form a continental army. Congress even appointed a standing committee. They conducted relations with foreign governments, should the need ever arise to ask for help. No longer was the Congress dealing with mere grievances. It was a full-fledged governing body. -
Geroge Washington Appointed General
Although Washington did not have as much military experience as did his competition in England, he had significantly more than anyone else in America. It was his strong character and personality though, that had impressed his fellow-delegates in the Congress. It was his impressive personality which gave him the opportunity to lead America against England. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
This was one of the most important battles in the U.S. struggle for independence. Although they arguably lost this battle, it served as encouragment for the Americans. This also showed that this War would not be easy for either side and it would not be won in one small battle. -
The Olive Branch Petition
John Dickinson wrote the Olive Branch Petition, which was adopted by the Second Continental Congress submitted to King George. It was an attempt to assert the rights of the colonists while still maintaining their loyalty to England. This was a peaceful attempt to resolve the conflicts America and England had been experiencing. King George refused to read the petition and proceeded to proclaimed that the colonists had unashamedly acknowledge rebellion. -
Proclamation for Supressing Rebellion and Sedition
Following the Battle of Lexington and Concord, King George III of England issued this proclamation. It said that the colonies stood in open rebellion to his authority and were subject to severe penalty. This included any British subject who failed to report the knowledge of rebellion or conspiracy. This document transformed loyal subjects into traitorous rebels. -
Common Sense Published
Common Sense, written by Thomas Paine, challenged the authority of the British government and the royal monarchy. The clear language that Paine used, spoke to the normal people of America and was the first work to openly ask for independence from Great Britain. -
British Evacuate Boston
During one evening in 1776, General Washington's successful placement of fortifications and cannons on Dorchester Heights forced British troops to evacuate Boston. Due to storms, American troops were given ample time to construct their fortifications. When the British realized there position was indefensable, 11,000 British troops and 1,000 Loyalists departed Boston by ship, sailing to the safety of Halifax, Nova Scotia. -
Writing of the Declaration of Independence
Thomas Jefferson began working on the declaration on June 11 and toiled in seclusion as he wrote a number of drafts. After presenting his final draft, the committee further revised the document and submitted it to the Continental Congress on June 28. The Continental Congress voted for independence and refined its Declaration of Independence on July 2, before releasing it to the public on July 4th. -
Declaration of Independence
This was a list of "self-evident truths" and grievances against the King, which justified to the world the breaking of ties between the colonies and the mother country(England). This was released to the public on July 4th, which also marks America's freedom from England. -
The British Pull Out if Virginia
From October 17-19, the British troops faced heavy fire in Virginia. This occured during the Battle of Yorktown. The British experienced many casualties and weapons were limited during this battle. The British were hoping that more troops would come to provide assistance for them. To their dismay, the support troops did not arrive in time. On October 19, 1781, British leader General Cornwallis had no choice but to sign a surrender agreement. The American's had won their independence!
