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Navigation Acts
During the Navigation Acts, the British Parliament imposed restrictions on trade from the colonies. -
French and Indian war ends
Started 1754, ended 1763. Treaty of Paris put an end to the war. -
The Sugar Act
Parliament passed new taxes on the colonies. The Sugar Act of 1764 taxed imports. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act taxed items such as newspapers and pamphlets. -
Boston Massacre
In Boston on March 5, 1770, a crowd of Americans were verbally assaulting British soldiers. The Americans were also throwing stones and snowballs at the British soldiers. Nine of the soldiers shot 5 people out of the crowd. -
Tea Act
Allowed other countries to import tea directly to the colonies without trading through Britain first. -
Boston Tea Party
In December 1773, a handful of colonists hurled a cargo of recently arrived British tea into the harbor to protest tax on tea. The incident became known as the Boston Tea Party. -
Coercive/Intolerable Acts
Laws passed by British Parliament as an attempt to punish the Massachusetts for the Boston Tea Party. -
The First Continental Congress
As tensions rose, representatives from 12 colonies gathered in Philadelphia in 1774. At the First Continental Congress, representatives discussed how to respond to Britain’s harsh moves against Massachusetts. -
Lexington and Concord
The Battles of Lexington and Concord were the first battles of the American Revolutionary War. -
Second Continental Congress
Meeting of delegates from each of the thirteen colonies that set an agreement to support the Revolutionary War. -
Declaration of Independence Adopted
In 1776, Congress took a momentous step, voting to declare independence from Britain. Thomas Jefferson of Virginia was the principal author. The document was signed by many founding fathers. -
Battle of Saratoga
Turning point of the American Revolutionary War, giving the upper hand to the colonists. -
Winter at Valley Forge
Valley Forge was a camp for Continental Soldiers. The camp was in a terrible state, with unsanitary conditions and lack of food. Disease spread and the soldiers became exhausted. -
Battle of Yorktown
At the Battle of Yorktown the British surrendered. This ended British rule in the colonies -
U.S. Constitution is written
The Constitution created a federal republic. It provided for both an elected legislature and an elected president. The Constitution set up a series of checks and balances. -
U.S. Constitution Adopted
The first ten amendments to the constitution are known as The Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights recognized the idea that citizens have basic rights that the government must protect.