-
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was a law passed by British government requiring the colonists to pay taxes for any paper goods. The cost of the act wasn't what angered the colonists, so much as the fact that all of a sudden the British were creating laws, when for many years the colonists created their own laws and taxes. This event is asymmetrical because the colonists didn't expect the British to tax them.
Link text -
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre was a skirmish between the colonists and British soldiers that resulted in the deaths of five colonists. This event was asymmetrical because the colonists didn't expect the British to react in the way they did.
http://www.bostonmassacre.net/ -
Tea Tax
The Tea Act made the tea from the East India Co. much cheaper so the colonists wouldn't buy illegally smuggled tea. The "taxation without representation" caused the Boston Tea Party. This event was asymmetrical because the colonists did not expect the British to tax them.
Link text -
Lexington/Concord
The battles of Lexington and Concord were the first military conflicts of the American Revolution. The battles took a toll on both sides. The two battles were considered a major victory for the Patriots. This event was asymmetrical because the British expected to win but the Americans surprised them and chased them off.
Link text -
Bunker (Breed's) Hill
On June 16, Colonel William Prescott created fortifications on top of Breed's Hill (it was supposed to be on Bunker Hill, but Breed was closer to Boston), taking a strategic military position. The British won the battle, though, gaining control of the Charlestown Peninsula. This event is symmetrical because it was a battle fought by both sides.
Link text -
Declaration of Independence
The colonies declared independence from Great Britain on July 4, 1776. The Declaration of Independence was written by Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin. This event was asymmetrical because the British did not expect the colonists to seek independence. -
Common Sense
The pamphlet Common Sense was written by Thomas Paine, who urged the colonists to take up arms and advocated for the colonies' independence. It blamed the dispute between England and the colonies on King George III. This event was asymmetrical because at the time, this type of thinking was considered very radical.
Link text -
Battle at Trenton/Princeton
General Washington marched his army to Trenton immediately after his famous crossing the Delaware River on Christmas morning. Washington and Nathanael Greene arrived from the north. After Washington's forces defeated the Hessians, he ordered his men back across the Delaware river to a strategic position in the Ramapo Mountains. They defeated the British near Princeton just eight days after Trenton. This event was asymmetrical because Washington had a strategic advantage. www.mountvernon.org/ -
Battle of Saratoga
The patriots won the battle and captured the British. This victory helped Benjamin Franklin convince France to help the patriots. This event is symmetrical because both sides played equal parts.
Link text -
Continental Army Winters at Valley Forge
General Washington and the Continental Army spent six months at Valley Forge under the poor conditions of extreme cold, hunger, and sickness, just 20 miles away from the British troops in Philadelphia. This event is symmetrical because they both responded as expected.
Link text -
War in the south/Charleston
In the last years of the war, most of the fighting took place in the south. The British captured Savannah, Wilmington, and Charleston. However, Washington sent Nathanael Greene to the southern colonies, and he and the Continental Army won battles at King's Mountain, Cowpens, and Guilford Courthouse. This event was asymmetrical because the American Army was greatly outnumbered.
Link text -
Battle of Yorktown
The Battle of Yorktown was the last major battle of the American Revolution. Outnumbered 2:1, British General Cornwallis and his troops lost the battle to the Americans and their French allies. This event was asymmetrical because the Americans outnumbered the British.
Link text
