American Revolution Timeline

  • sugar act

    sugar act
    Although it reduced the tax on molasses, the Sugar Act was strictly enforced, so colonist ended up paying more taxes.
  • Sons of liberty born

    Those who opposed the British taxes called themselves “Patriots” and the Sons of Liberty was born with
    Sam Adams as its leader.
  • stamp act

    stamp act
    Stamp Act was the tax on printed items was the first direct tax on the colonists. It added a fee to printed materials such as legal documents and newspapers.
  • quartering act

    Following the French and Indian War, Britain maintained a standing army in the colonies. The
    Quartering Act required colonial assemblies to house and provision soldiers
  • Sons of liberty

    Sons of liberty
    A Mob led by the Sons of Liberty tore down the office and damaged the house of the stamp collector
  • Declatory act

    The Declatory Act repealed the Stamp Act but asserted Parliament’s right to rule the colonies as saw fit.
  • Taxes

    Import taxes on a variety of goods were collected to support royal officials in the colonies, removing the
    responsibility from the colonial assemblies. The Townsend Acts were so unpopular that all the taxes were
    repealed, except the one on tea
  • 5 colonists killled

    A group of colonist hurled snowballs and rocks at British soldiers guarding the Customs House. The soldiers fired into the crowd, killing five colonists.
  • Tea Act

    The Tea Act was created to save the East India Tea Company. Although it lowered the price of tea, it
    gave the company a monopoly and threatened the business of colonial importers.
  • Tea party

    Tea party
    Boston Patriots dressed as Indians, boarded three British ships laden with tea and Dumped the tea
    into the harbor. The event became known as the Boston Tea Party.
  • Intolerable act

    Intolerable Act officially called the Coercive Acts, these laws were meant to force Massachusetts to pay
    for the tea destroyed in the Boston Tea Party. The laws closed Boston Harbor and forced colonists to house
    British soldiers in their homes
  • Training of continental army

    Training of continental army
    Baron Von Steuben trains the Continental Army at Valley Forge, Penn.
  • first continental congress meeting

    The First Continental Congress meets. Agree to boycott British goods
  • Patrick Henry

    Patrick Henry, gives his most famous speech, in the House of Burgesses. “Give me Liberty or give me Death”
  • olive brach

    Congress sends an “Olive Branch” to King George III. He rejected the petition and sent more troops to Boston.
  • Lexington and Concord

    Battles of Lexington and Concord
  • Bunker hill

    Battle of Bunker Hill
  • Common sense

    Thomas Paine publishes Common Sense
  • George Washington

    Second Continental Congress meets. Congress names George Washington commander of Continental Army
  • Declaration of Independence approved

    Drafted by Thomas Jefferson, the Declaration of Independence was approved.
  • Saratoga

    Patriots win in Saratoga
  • Alliance

    France signs an alliance with the United States.
  • 3000 patriots captured

    General Clinton captures 3000 Patriot soldiers as he takes Charlestown, South Carolina.
  • Cornwallis surrenders

    General Cornwallis surrenders at Yorktown.
  • treaty of paris

    Treaty of Paris signed