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John Locke
John Locke was the one to come up with the idea that all people have the right to Life, Liberty, and Property. He not only believed that if a government violated these rights they may be taken down, but that it was a citizens duty to overthrow a goverment that violated the rights of it's people. His ideas were later used by Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence. -
Currency Act
In the Currency Act the British took control of the Colonial Currency System. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was the imposed by the British and was a tax on all paper goods. This came after the British were deep in debt from fighting a war and they needed money. -
Quartering Act
The Quartering Act was imposed by the British which said that colonies were required to house british soldiers in there towns. If there wasn't enough room in the barracks, then Colonists were forced to house them on their own property. The Quartering Act was reapealed in 1770. -
Townshend Acts
The Townshend acts put taxes on lead, paint, glass, paper and tea. They were used to establish tax collectors in the colonies. Allowed the British to search the homes and buisnesses of colonists. These acts further increased the tension between Britain and the Colonies. -
The Boston Massacre
While the British held their soldiers in the colonies, tensions escalated and a riot was started aginst the soldiers. The colonists threw snowballs, sticks, and rocks. In response, the British soldiers fired their guns and killed 5 of the colonists. -
Boston Tea Party
Frustrated with the taxes, some of the colonists dressed up as indians, climbed aboard ships filled with tea and threw it overboard. This showed the British that they were tired of their taxes, this could have been what brought America to independence. Some supported the actions of the marauders, but others saw great hardship over it. -
Boston Port Act
Following the Boston Tea Party the British released a new set of taxes called the intolerable acts, one of which being the Boston Port Act. This act closed the port where the tea was dumped until the colonists would pay for the tea. This caused trouble, for many relied on trade for their buisneses. -
Administration of Justice Act
The Administration of Justice Act was part of the intolerable acts was believed by Colinists that British enforcers would get an aquittel if accused of a crime. This act gained the name "Murder Act" shortly there after. -
Massachusets Government Act
Also part of the Intolerable Acts, the Massacusets Government Act was intended to punish the colonists by taking away their right to their own authority. -
First Continental Congress
During the first meeting of Continental Congress, the deligates discussed the British imposing the Intolerable Acts. -
Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress focussed on the Declaration of Independence. -
The Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was the document that said America was part of no other country and that it was going to create a new govenment for the people. The main princibles were that all people had the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness and that if any of those rights were violated by the government, the citizens had the duty to overthrow and start a new one. This new government was fueled by the people and meant for the people. -
John Hancock
John Hancock was a Revolution leader and signed the Declaration of Independence. With his wealth from a shipping buisness, he aided the Revolution and in 1775 became the president of the second Continental Congress. -
George Washington
George Washington fought in the French and Indian war and during the revolution was the leader to bring the colonists victory over the British. Following that he became the president of the convention that wrote the constitution, and finished off as the first president of the United States of America. -
Sam Adams
Sam Adams protested unfair taxation by the British, and his ideas on Liberty and Independece were also included in Declaration of Independence by Thomas Jefferson. In 1993 he became the govenor of Massachusets until 1997. -
Alexander Hamilton
Alexander Hamilton was selcted as a delegate from New York. He had little affect on the constitiution itself, for his outlandish views on having a monarchy were not commonly accepted, but a few years later, George Washington appointed him as his secretary of Treasury. In his time, Hamilton helped build an important and lasting finacial structure for America. -
Paul Revere
Paul Revere was silversmith and although his buisness was doing good, he could see the trouble with the British coming. He became pollitcally active and took part in the Boston Tea Party. But perhaps his most legendary deed was when he rode horse late at night in order to warn Sam Adams and John Hancock of a British attack coming. -
John Adams
John Adams was one to question the true interests of the British in Colonial America, and took part in the Declaration of Indpendence. He helped to negotiate the Treaty of Paris, and following George Washington, John Adams was the second president of America. -
Thomas Jefferson
During the Revolution, Thomas Jefferson was chosen as a deligate of the Continental Congress, and with a gift in writing, was the one to draft the Declaration of Independence. He became the governor of Virginia and then the third president of the United States.
