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Navigation Acts
In effect, this law blocked colonists from forming their own trade economy. In addition, the law led to increased shipping time, which resulted in higher costs on goods. -
End of French and Indian War
The Treaty of Paris 1763 concluded the French and Indian War. It resulted in France losing all claims in America and England gaining territory to the Mississippi River. The British debt from the war led to the taxes imposed on the colonies. -
Stamp Act
It was Parliament's first direct tax on the American colonies, this act, like those passed in 1764, was enacted to raise money for Britain. It taxed newspapers, almanacs, pamphlets, broadsides, legal documents, dice, and playing cards. It led to protests from the colonists. -
Boston Massacre
In protest of the Townshend Acts and the occupation of Boston, a mob of colonists began heckling and throwing rocks and oyster shells at British soldiers. It escalated and led to the deaths of 5 colonists. -
Tea Act
The Tea Act made it so that the colonists could only by tea from the British East India Company. This caused the Boston Tea Party. -
Boston Tea Party
The Tea Act angered many colonists, and that led to colonists in Boston boarding a British ship and throwing over 300 crates of tea in the water. This protest led to the British creating the Intolerable Acts. -
Coercive/Intolerable Acts
Due to the Boston Tea Party, Parliament passed the Intolerable Acts. These -
First Continental Congress
The First Continental Congress was established September 5, 1774, and went trough October 22. The main purpose of the First Continental Congress was a compact among the colonies to boycott British goods unless parliament should rescind the Intolerable Acts. -
Lexington and Concord
The battles of Lexington and Concord were the first military engagements of the Revolutionary War. They ended with a Colonial victory, and they showed that the colonists were willing to fight. -
Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress met to plan further responses if the British government had not repealed or modified the Intolerable Acts. -
Declaration of Independence Adopted
The colonies officially declared independence from Great Britain due to the behavior of the British regarding taxes and other acts. -
Battle of Saratoga
Lasted from September 19, 1777, to October 7 of the same year. It was a major turning point in the war, with the colonists defeating the British with the aid of the French. -
Winter at Vally Forge
Lasting from December 19, to June 19, 1778, the winter at Valley Forge was when the Continental Army was reorganized and better trained. This was when they became a true army. -
Battle of Yorktown
It lasted from September 28 to October 19, 1781, and resulted in an American victory, with the surrender of Cornwallis. It was the last major battle of the American Revolutionary War. -
U.S. Constitution Written
Due to the failure of the Articles of Confederation, it was decided that a new system of government was needed. And thus, the Constitution was first drafted. -
U.S. Constitution Adopted
Because the Constitution was drafted, it was eventually put into effect. Congress set this date for December 7, 1789. This would be the basis for the government of the U.S. moving forward.