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The Navigation Acts
The Navigation Acts were set to limit the countries that the American colonies could export goods to. Because of Britain's mercantilism economy having all American exports stop in the main land gave jobs to many people. Because of these acts the colonists began smuggling goods in and out of the country avoiding taxation. -
French and Indian War Ends
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The Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was a tax on all papers and official documents in the American colonies given by King George III. This lead to boycotts of British goods and riots. Tax collectors were also attacked. -
The Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre was a riot between a colonist mob throwing snowballs of ice and rock at British soldiers. This lead to five colonists being shot dead and eight others being wounded. This lead to the Royal Governor removing British soldiers from the town of Boston. -
The Tea Act
The Tea Act was set to give the East India Company the rights to directly transport tea to the colonies making it a monopoly. This put a tax on tea. This lead to the Boston Tea Party. -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was the first major act of defiance from the American colonists over the British rule. The Boston Tea Party was when colonists threw 342 chests of tea into the harbor. They were protesting the tax that was made in tea and the monopoly that was the east India Company. -
Coercive or Intolerable Acts of 1774
The Coercive Acts or Intolerable Acts were a series of four laws passed by British Parliament to make the colony of Massachusetts Bay be punished for the Boston Tea Party. More colonists turned away form British rule. This lead to the start of the American Revolution. -
First Continental Congress
The first Continental Congress was held in Philadelphia with twelve of the thirteen colonies represented. They met because of the Intolerable Act and through their meeting they decided to boycott British goods until the act was lifted. -
Battles of Lexington and Concord
The Battles of Lexington and Concord were the start of the American Revolution. This was the first military conflict of the American Revolution. Though the British won, it marked that reconciliation between the American colonies and Britain would be unlikely. -
Second Continental Congress
During the second Continental congress meeting, the Deliration of Independence was issued. This cause the United States to declare being an independent country for Britain. -
Declaration of Independence Adopted
The thirteen American colonies -
Winter at Valley Forge
during December of 1777 American soldiers had to endure cold, wet, and snowy weather. Because of this and a lack of food and other supplies over 2,000 soldiers died. Disease also went rampant throughout the men. -
Battle of Saratoga
The Battle of Saratoga was a battle between the American soldiers and the British soldiers. The American win helped convince the French to provide military assistance in the American Revolution. -
Battle of Yorktown
This was the concluding battle of the American Revolution. British General Lord Charles Cornwallis was forced to surrender giving the colonists their final victory. This directly lead to the thirteen colonies declaring their independence from Britain. -
The U.S. Constitution was Written
The U.S. Constitution was written during the Philadelphia Convention which was May 25 through September 17, 1787. It was signed on the last day. This established America's national government and guaranteed basic rights for its citizens.