American Revolution 2021

Navigation Acts

Dec 1, 1660

The Navigation Acts were created by parliament to better regulate trade with their colonies. This infuriated the colonists as it only allowed them to trade with Britain, decreasing chances for them to make profit while benefiting British banks. This is one of many factors that lead up to the American Revolution.

End of the French and Indian War

Feb 10, 1763

The French and Indian War was fought between Great Britain and France over possession of land. Many Native Americans join the war and fight on both sides. This war was ended by the Treaty of Paris. This is the war that drained Britain’s funds and caused the king to tax the colonists, leading to the American Revolution.

Stamp Act

Sep 28, 1765

The Stamp Act was issued by parliament to help refill Britain’s empty banks after the French and Indian War. This act applies only to the colonists in America and raises taxes on all printed goods, like papers and official documents. This caused outrage in the colonists and was one of many factors that eventually led to the revolution.

Boston Massacre

Mar 5, 1770

In Boston, British troops open fired on civilians who were throwing snowballs packed with stones at them. The colonists were protesting the newly created Townshend Acts. These five deaths only inflated the colonist’s aspiration for independence.

Tea Act

Apr 27, 1773

Parliament passed this act to try and save the tea industry. This act let the British East India Company to import tea directly to the colonies without having to take a detour to England first. In response to this, the colonists dumped the tea into the Boston Harbor which is known as the Boston Tea Party.

Boston Tea Party

Dec 16, 1773

The American colonists, outraged at being unfairly taxed without having representatives in parliament, dumped about 92,000 pounds of tea from the British East India Company into the Boston Harbor.

Coercive/Intolerable Acts

Mar 31, 1774

Britain passed the first of the Coercive Acts (known in the U.S. as the Intolerable Acts) to punish the colonists for the Boston Tea Party. These acts consisted of 5 acts in total and included the Boston Port Act and the Quartering Act.

First Continental Congress

Sep 5, 1774

The First Continental Congress was one of two meetings between 56 delegates from twelve of the thirteen colonies. The purpose of this meeting was to acknowledge and support Boston in their struggles against Britain. In it they issued the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of the Confederation.

Lexington and Concord

Apr 19, 1775

The first real battle of the American Revolution took place in the towns Lexington, Concord, Lincoln, Menotomy, and Cambridge. The opening shot of this battle is known as the “shot heard around the world.” It ended in favor of the Americans and was seen as a major military victory.

Second Continental Congress starts

May 10, 1775

This was the second of two meetings, and many of the same 56 delegates from the First Continental Congress were in their one as well. The purpose of this meeting was to help setup the developing government as well as raising armies to fight in the American Revolution.

Declaration of Independence adopted

Jul 4, 1776

The Declaration of Independence is a document written by Thomas Jefferson over the span of 17 days. It has three main ideas. These are:

1. All men are created equal and have the same rights.
2. The government exists to protect these rights.
3. If the government cannot fulfill the point of its existence, the people have the right to revolt.

Battle of Saratoga

Sep 19, 1777

An American victory over the British in Stillwater, New York. This is the battle that ultimately convinced the French to support the colonists.

Troops Arrived at Valley Forge

Dec 19, 1777

Winter at Valley Forge was a six month encampment for George Washington and his troops. Out of 12,000 men, almost 2,000 died from disease and malnourishment. This struggle made the army more disciplined and showed that they could survive even the harshest of conditions.

Battle of Yorktown

Sep 28, 1781

In this battle, the Americans and the French joined forces to cut the British Army off on a peninsula in Yorktown, Virginia, forcing them to surrender. This is the final battle of the American Revolution, leaving the colonists to govern on their own.

The U.S. Constitution written

Sep 17, 1787

The United States Constitution is a document that was created by the members of the Constitutional Convention and contains a preamble as well as the seven articles of the constitution. It was created to replace the Articles of Confederation, which had failed due to not being able to collect taxes to fund the newfound government.

U.S. Constitution adopted

Jun 21, 1788

Nine of the original thirteen colonies voted to ratify the United States Constitution, so it is officially adopted and put into place.