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End of the French and Indian War
With the end of the French and Indian War, France lost all of its possessions in Canada and the Ohio River Valley, effectively ending all foreign competition in America. Yet the end of the war helped contribute to the revolution. Due to debt from the war, Britain was forced to impose new taxes on the colonies, angering the colonists because these new taxes interfered with internal affairs after years of salutary neglect and becuase the colonists had no representation in Parliament. (Kowalski) -
Proclamation of 1763
To settle relations with the Natives after Pontiac's Rebellion in 1763, King George created the Proclamation of 1763. This document forbade all British colonists to settle west of the Appalachian Mountains. Colonists became angry, because good farmland was becoming scarce in the colonies and some had already purchased land out west. This created further resentment toward Britain in America. (Proclamation) -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act imposed a tax on all paper goods in America. It was met with a great deal of resentment in the colonies because the taxed goods were so prevalent, and because it was a direct tax on the colonies, rather than a duty on trade goods. Newspaper editors and printers spread their radical ideas throughout the colonies which led to a series of riots throughout the colonies. Tax collectors were hanged or burned in effigy or tarred and feathered. (Stamp Act) -
Quartering Act
The Quartering Act was enacted by British Prime Minister George Grenville in 1765. It ordered colonists to provide housing for British troops, who did not have proper barracks in America. This act raised the question of why there was a standing army in the colonies, during peacetime. The colonies felt as though the Quartering Act was an encroachment on their rights. (Findling, 71) -
Stamp Act Congress
From October 7-25, delegates from 9 colonies came together at the Federal Hall in New York to discuss the Stamp Act crisis. They created a "Declaration of Rights and Grievances," urging King George to repeal the Stamp Act. They expressed loyalty to Britain, but stated no tax could be levied without representation. Furthermore, the colonies imposed a boycott on British goods. It was later repealed but George enacted his Declaratory Act, stating that any new act must be followed. (Findling, 72-73) -
Boston Massacre
Colonial resentment had grown in New England due to the Quartering and Stame Acts. On March 5, 1770, a group of hostile colonists began to harrass a group of British soldiers outside of the Boston customs office. The mob threw snowballs and taunted the guards, but the event became bloody when two soldiers were assaulted and the troops fired on the civilians, killing five. John Adams defended the troops on trial and all but two were acquitted. (Carr, 327) -
Tea Act
The Tea Act was created by Parliament to help the struggling British East India Company, which had a plethora of tea but had trouble selling it. The act greatly lowered the duties the East India Company had to pay to Britain, and because all legal tea had to come through England before coming to America, the East India Company had a monopoly on the colonial market. Even though it was cheaper than smuggled Dutch tea, the colonists felt it was still a breach of their rights. (Parliament) -
Boston Tea Party
Even though the Tea Act produced cheaper tea for the colonists, they were still angry at the fact that it was still a tax created with no American representation in Parliament. On December 17, 1773, a group of roughly 150 colonists dressed in Indian attire raided three British tea ships and threw £20,000 worth of tea into Boston Harbor. The British were disgusted at this event and Parliament created the Coercive Acts to punish Boston. (Findling, 81) -
Intolerable (Coercive) Acts
Also called the Coercive Acts, the Intolerable Acts were a group of laws created by Parliament to punish the colonies, particularly Boston, after the Boston Tea Party. Under these acts, Britain placed Boston under martial law. They closed the Port of Boston until the destroyed tea was paid for, ended town meetings, and brought a standing army back in to Boston. (Carr, 328) -
First Continental Congress
From September 5 to October 26, 1774, delegates from 12 of the 13 colonies met at Carpenter's Hall in Philadelphia in response to the Intolerable Acts. Among the delegates at the meetings were future presidents John Adams and George Washington. They created a declaration of rights, expressing their disapproval of being taxed without representation. They also stated that if the acts were not repealed, they would boycott goods from the British Isles starting December 1. (The Continental) -
Battles of Lexington and Concord
The first armed clash of the revolution took place at the Battles of Lexington and Concord. King George was irate at the colonists' reaction to the Coercive Acts, so he sent in armed troops. They marched to Lexington to seize American supplies but were confronted by 77 armed colonists, and the first shots took place. After defeating the colonists, they marched to Concord but were now met by colonists guarding a footbridge and were forced to retreat, sniped on their way back. (Battles) -
Second Continental Congress (America's 1st Formal Government)
The Second Continental Congress first met during the summer of 1775, but continued to meet throughout the entire revolution. In June, 1775, they created the Continental Army, placing Virginian George Washington at the helm. Early in 1776, Thomas Paine created his Common Sense pamphlet, favoring independence. On June 7,1776, Richard Henry Lee introduced a proposal for independence. After several provisions, the proposal was signed into place July 4,1776. (The Continental) -
New York Campaign
The NY Campaign was a series of battles around New York City and New Jersey between the Continental Army, led by George Washington, and the redcoats under William Howe. The British landed in New York on July 3, 1776. Washington was defeated at Long Island and several times in Manhattan, but did have a morale boost, winning at Harlem Heights. He was forced to retreat down to PA for the 'winter, but pushed British troops back after sailing the Delaware River and attacking at Trenton. (Schecter) -
Battle of Princeton
British General Cornwallis had been sent to NJ after Washington's victory at Trenton just days before. He brought 8,000 troops, compared to Washington's 5,000 Continentals. Washington dared not to face the redcoats, and Cornwallis knew Washington would retreat. He sent troops to guard the Delaware River, which Washington used on his way to Trenton. However, Washington fooled the British and snuck around the redcoats and attacked from behind, gaining control of NJ. (The Battle of Princeton) -
Battle of Saratoga
Britain planned to cut New England off from the rest of the colonies by slicing through NY. British General Burgoyne led his troops south from Canada to Saratoga. He waited for reinforcements, which never arrived. Horatio Gates led the colonists and used the terrain to his advantage, cutting off the Britsh supply line, and Burgoyne was forced to surrender Oct. 17. This was the turning point of the Revolution as America was now being aided by France, Spain, and the Netherlands. (Findling, 114-15) -
Southern Campaign
This featured a series of battles between the Continentals, led by Horatio Gates, and the British Army under Charles Cornwallis. Britain felt that they could count on loyalists in the south to aid them in battle so on Dec. 29, the British took Savannah, GA, beginning the Southern Campaign. Later they sieged Charleston, SC as well. After losing the Battle of Camden, Gates was demoted and Nathaniel Greene was put in charge, leading the Americans to several victories in the south. (The Southern) -
Articles of Confederation Ratified
Congress signed the Articles into place in 1777, but Maryland became the last state to ratify it in 1781, making the Articles of Confederation the official government of America. However, after about 5 years, Americans began to see the flawed concept of the Articles, as it featured a weak central government, left most of the power to the states, and failed to create an executive and judicial branch. (Articles) -
Battle of Yorktown
British Commander Charles Cornwallis had settled his army at the port of Yorktown, VA in 1781. French General Rochambeau, meeting with Washington in NY, proposed an assault on Yorktown. Washington denied the idea until he found out that the French Navy would arrive in the Chesapeake by September. He and Rochambeau marched to Yorktown as the French fleet arrived in the bay, trapping the British. After several weeks of fighting, Cornwallis surrendered on Oct.19, virtually ending the war. (Fleming) -
Meeting of the Constitutional Convention (Philadelphia, PA)
The Constitutional Convention took place between May and September, 1787, in response to the failure of the Articles of Confederation, ratified in 1781. Fifty-five delegates from each state but Rhode Island were in attendance. The meeting was centered around three major issues: representation in Congress and how slaves would be counted, separation of power, and states' rights'. (Findling, 134-147) -
Ratification of the U.S. Constitution
The U.S. Constitution featured a bicameral legislature, with representation based on equality and population, and for every five slaves, three would count as people. It also created an executive and judicial branch to enforce/interpret laws, complete with checks and balances. On June 21, New Hampshire became the 9th state to ratify it, and it became a binding document. However, some felt it did not support the liberties of the people, and a Bill of Rights was added. (U.S. Constitution)
