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In 1764 The British taxed American colonies to support British mercantilist. They taxed sugar and imports from non-British colonies
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King George III made sure new taxes were levied. He wanted Americans to obey him so he came out with a new list of policies called the Coercive act.
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The coercive was otherwise known as the Intolerable Acts. The act included: The Boston port being closed until the Boston Tea Party tea was paid for, British officials that had done crime had to be tried in England instead of in America, they reduced the
colonies right of self-government, British troops could be housed anywhere and even in the homes of private citizens. Lastly, they extended the Canadian province of Quebec south to the Ohio River. -
Congress adopts The Declaration of Independence. It was drafted by Thomas Jefferson and it established the United States as an independent nation. (Rights of women and enslaved people were not mentioned though)
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In 1777 colonists defeat Burgoyne’s British troops. This was the turning point in the war. France, the Netherlands and Spain sided with Americans in war after their victory.
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The American and French people trapped general Cornwallis’s army in Yorktown Virginia. The British surrendered.
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This ended the American revolution. Benjamin Franklin was chief negotiator.
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The Articles Of Confederation ended in 1787. It was developed by the second continental Congress. It set up a central government with the one house legislature. Congress could do things like make war and settle interstate disputes.
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Slavery didn’t end until 1865. As we saw before, The Declaration of Independence said nothing about enslaved people. Now, some people celebrate June 19th as a holiday called Juneteenth. This is because black people had not gained their independence until that day.
