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French and Indian War
French-British conflict reignited after 6 peaceful years. The French were trade partners with Indians, thus had several military alliances. The French and British fought over the Ohio River Valley. Virgina's British militia is sent to evict the french from Fort Duquesne but lost badly. The Colonial troops under Washington suffered defeat after defeat. Eventually the British win in a surprise attack, after scaling the high cliffs of Quebec. It all ended with the Treaty of Paris (1763). -
Proclamation of 1763
British gov, prohibited setlers from crossing the Appalachian Mountains (west) to avoid conficts with the Native Americans. -
Sugar Act
It halved the duty on foreign-made molasses in hopes colonists would pay a lower tax than risk smuggling. I placed duties on certain imports it hadn't taxed before. Most importantly, colonists accused of violating the act could be tried in a vice-admirality court not a colonial court. Merchants and traders (not colonists) complained. -
Stamp Act
Parliament imposed a tax on documents and other printed items. A stamp was plac ed on the items to prove the tax had been paid. The first tax that affected colonists directly, it had earlier always been indirect. -
Sons of Liberty Formed
The Sons of Liberty were a secret resistance group of colonists in Boston united to protest the law (Stamp Act). Managed to get the Stamp Act repealed, but Parliament passed the Declaratory Act (Parliament had the full right to bind he colonies and the American people in all cases. -
Townshed Acts
Passed by Parliament, taxed imports from Britain like lead, glass, paint, and paper. The tax on tea caused the main uproar. Led by the Sons of Liberty (Samuel Adams a founder) colonists boycotted British goods. "No taxation without repsentation" -
Boston Massacre
Taunted b an angry mob in the Boston Customs House, British soldiers staning guard fired shots into the crowd and killed five colonists. Colonial leaders / agitators label the conflict the Boston Massacre, an publish a dramatic scene engraved with violence. -
Tea Act
Lod North gives the nearly bankup East India Company special concessions in the colonial tea business, and cuts out colonial tea merchants. -
Boston Tea Party
Colonists in Boston rebel against the Tea Act isguise thmselves as Indians and dumped 18,000 lbs of tea from East India's 3 ships into the Boston Habor. -
Intolerable Acts
Parliament passed these measures called the Intolerable Acts in response to King George III pressuring after the Boston Tea Party. Boston harbor was shut down, British soldiers had to be housed, General Thomas Gage (head of Britain's forces in America) was made the new governer of Massachusetts. Boston was under martial law (military enforced). -
First Continental Congess Meets
In response to Britain's Actions, the committees of correspondence assembled. 56 delgates met in Phildelphia and drew up a declaration of colonial rights. They efended the colonis' rught to run their own affais; and if Britain used force, the colonies should fight back. Minutemen (civilian soldiers) were the military preparations, many from New England towns. -
Battles of Lexington and Concord
700 red coats were headed for Concord; Revere, Dawes, and Prescott warned the minutemen. 70 minutemen assembled and lost to the British at Lexington. But at Concord the British found the arsenal empty, and were slaughtered by the 3,000-4,000 minutemen assembled there. The British were humiliated and retreated to Boston. Colonists officially became enemies of Britain. -
Second Continental Congress Meets
Colonial leaders met in Philadelphia to debate the next move. Divided loyalities sparked endless debates on independence or reconciliation with Britain. Only that the Continental Army was to be recognized as the colonial militia was agreed upon; George Washington was appointed as its commander. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
The deadliest battle of the war. (British General) Gage sent 2,400 redcoats up Breed's Hill. The colonists lost, But colonists lost only 450 men, while the British lost over 1,000 men. -
Olive Branch Petition
2nd Continental Congress sent the Olivie Branch peition because they were still hoping for peace, and blamed the king's ministers for the bloodshed. King George III rejected the petition and to return to former harmony with the colonies. Plus he urged Parliament to order a naval blockade to isolate ships meant for the American Coast. -
Publication of Common Sense
A widely-read 50 pg pamphlet promoting independence from the "evil British tyranny". As he said King George IIII was the root of America's problems; and without him colonists could create a society with equal social and economic oppurtunity for all. -
Declaration of Independence
Richard Henry Lee on July 7 believed they were free. Thomas Jefferson-Virginia lawyer was chosen to prepare the final draft. It contained John Locke's ideas of natural rights, power of the gov rests in the people, & they have the right to alter their gov. While originally against slavery, that was cut out to gain South Carolina and Georgia's vote. On July 2 the delegates voted unanimously that America was free. On July 4 the Declaration was adopted. -
Early Continental Army Victories
Washington desperate for an early victory led 2,400 men across the icy Delaware River to Trenton, New Jersey on Chrstmas eve, and managed to surprise the Hessians, thus win. -
Early British Victories
The British tried to take New York City. They sailed into New York harbor with about 32,000 soldiers including Hessians (German Mercenaries). They pushed Washington's pathetic army past the Delaware River, though Washington surpried them on Christmas. But Britain quickly regrouped and on September of 1777 captured the American capital in Philadelphia. -
Saratoga
Americans troops surrounded Burgoyne's troops from Canada at Saratoga; as the British troops had not met him b/c they were preoccupied with holding Philidelphia. Important b/c it boosted the French's confidence America could win the war, and in Feb. 1778 openly joined them in an allied fight. -
Valley Forge
Washington and his Army fought to survive the winter in Valley Forge, Pennslyvania. More then 2,000 died, but the soldiers didn't desert. Their endurance and suffering filled Washington's letters to Congress and his friends. -
Friedrich von Steuben and Marquis de Lafayette
In February Steuben (Prussian captain and drillmaster) transformed and trained the Continental Army in Valley Forge. Lafayette (foreign military leader) offered help, led soldiers in Virginia in the war's last years, and lobbied France for troops for reinforcements in 1779. -
British Victories in the South
At the end of 1778 the British expedition easily took Savannah, Georgia Dec. 29, 1778. Under Clinton and Cornwallis the British captured Charles Town, South Carolina in May 12, 1780. Cornwallis was left to conquer the South alone afterwards. -
British Surrender at Yorktown
Cornwallis led 7,500 onto the peninsula between James and York Rivers and camped at Yorktown. Lafayette's and Washinton's army moved south towards Yorktown, while a French naval force defeated a British fleet thus blocked British sea routes to Chesapeake Bay. By late September 17,000 French & American troops surrounded and bombarded the British day and night. On October 19, 1781 Cornwalllis surrendered. Americans had shocked the world and defeated the British. -
Treaty of Paris
Peace talks began in Paris, delegates including John Adams, John Jay, and Pranklin. The Treaty confirmed US independence and set boundaries for the new nation: Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi River; Canada to Florida's border.
