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The French and Indian War 1754-1763
The French and Indian war was a war between The French and the British, the Natives sided with the French and the colonists sided with the British. This occurred because the colonists had started to take over the Indian's land. This war led to some of the first problems between the colonists and the British. -
Proclamation of 1763
To end the French and Indian war, King George III sent out a royal proclamation. This prevented all colonists to settle in the Native's land, he did this to prevent further fighting with the Indians. The colonists disagreed with this because they wanted to be able to settle where they wanted, leading to some of the first problems between the British and the Colonists. -
The Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was an Act put into place to tax any paper documents. The colonists reacted very strongly to this because they thought it was a tax on far too many things, so a few colonists started boycotting certain paper goods. This led to some of the first boycotts as well as the Declaratory Act. -
Declaratory Act
The Declaratory Act occurred because the colonists complained of the Stamp Act. The British then got rid of the stamp Act but created the Declaratory Act, which means that the British had full power over the colonies. The British did this to prove that, even though they took the Stamp Act away, they could still boss the colonists around. This led to the colonists being treated badly by the British and feeling trapped. -
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre happened on March 5th of 1770, when a large group of angry colonists ganged up on a smaller group of redcoats. They did this because they were very upset about all the Acts and taxes, the British soldiers were intimidated and one of them shot, leading to the death of 5 colonists. This is a very significant event because the colonists reacted by making it look the British had attacked them, which was portrayed in political cartoons. -
The Tea Act and The Boston Tea Party
The Tea Act was when the British allowed the East Indian Tea Company to sell their tea directly to the colonies, because it helped the British economy, but it really hurt the colonies.The colonies grew more upset and this lead to the Boston Tea Party. The Boston Tea Party was when several patriots disguised themselves as Natives and dumped tea from a ship into the Boston Harbor. This led to an awful set of rules known as the Intolerable Acts. -
The Intolerable Acts
After the Boston Tea Party the British were very upset with the patriots, so as a punishment they created harsh rules for the colonists. These acts included: The Boston port being shut off from other places, massive restrictions put on the Mass government, and unfair trials. The colonists were astonished by this, the British were literally trying to starve one of the massive cities the colonies had established. These acts led to the colonists being even more determined to fight the British. -
Lexington and Concord
In the spring of 1775, British march into Lexington. The small patriot army tried to fight them, but the British ended up killing 8 patriots. They then marched on into Concord, where they are greeted by a large group of American minutemen. Although the British did not expect much, the minutemen fought hard, winning the battle. The first shot at Concord is known as 'The Shot Heard Around the World' because it is what officially started the war. -
Fort Ticonderoga
When the colonists captured the British fort, Fort Ticonderoga, it was a very big deal because it was the first big American victory. The British didn't expect them, so it was a perfect surprise attack. This leads to many more American victories. -
Olive Branch Petition
After fighting broke out between the Colonists and the British, the Second Continental Congress sent a petition called the Olive Branch Petition to the British. They wished for a compromise between the two sides. King George III ignored this and declared the colonists in rebellion, which led to them being all the more determined. -
Declaration of Independence
On July 4th of 1776 the colonies declared their independence from the British. The 13 colonies had declared themselves free under any circumstances. This was very significant because a lot of the people signing the petition were wealthy men who were risking their lives. Although the British ignore this, the Declaration of Independence inspires Americans and many other cultures today. -
Battle of Saratoga & Help form the French and Spanish
The British created a plan to cut off New England from the rest of the colonies, but it was immediately interrupted by King George III pointed the army in the wrong direction. The colonists surrounded the British with a much larger army than theirs, forcing the British to surrender. This is very important because if it weren't an American victory, we would not have gotten support from the French or Spanish. -
Valley Forge 1777-1778
Washington's troops spent an awful and cruel winter in Valley Forge. The troops had little food, heat, shelter, and clothing. Many troops froze or starved. This is very important because other colonists reacted with compassion. The women provided medicine, clothing, and food for the troops. This led to many colonists that were not fighting becomming more aware of the soldier's situation. -
The War Moves South and Yorktown 1778-1781
In 1778, the British start to move south, and they soon capture all of Georgia. Soon after, they gain control of South Carolina. In 1780 the Americans luck start to improve with a new general. In 1781, the army splits in two. The British make the mistake of going to a peninsula, Yorktown, where the colonists and french attack them, forcing the British to surrender. This was the final battle of the war, leading to the Treaty of Paris. -
Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris is the official document that ended the war. It stated that the British recognize the colonies' freedom, and that the patriots would return all land and rights back to the loyalists. This led to the official freedom of the colonies.
