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French and Indian War
Well known as the Seven Years War, this New World conflict marked another chapter in the long imperial struggle bewtten Britian and France. France's expansion into the Ohio River valley repeatdely brought it into conflict with the claims of the Britsh colonies. This eventually led to war. It started in 1756 and ended in 1763 -
Proclamation of 1763
Mainly intended to conciliate the Indians by checking the enroachment of settlers or conlonist in their lands. This closed down colonial expansion westward, which affected the thirteen colonies. Declared all lands west of the Appalachian Divide off-limits to colonial settlers. -
Sugar Act
This act put a three cent tax on foreign refined sugar and increased taxes on coffee, indigo, and certain kind of wine. This banned importation of rum and French wines. These taxes affected only a certain part of the populaition, but merchants were still vocal about the affect. The taxes were raised without consent of the colonists. -
Stamp Act
Was the first internal tax levied directly on American colonist by the British government. The act, imposed tax on all paper documents in the colonies. This came at a time when the British empire was deep in debt from the Seven Years War. -
Quatering Act
Required the colonies to house Britsh Soliders in barracks provided b the colonists. The colonist has to provide the British soldiers with any needed accommodations or housing. -
Townshend Acts
The townshend acts imposed duties on glass, lead, paints, paper, and teac imported into the colonies. They hoped the acts would defray imperial expenses in the colonies, but many veiwed the taxation as an abuse of power. -
Boston Massacre
It was a street fight that occured on March 5, 1770, bewteen a mob of patriots. According to resources, the patriots were throwing snowballs, stones, and sticks at a squad of British soliders. Several colonist were killed and this led to a campaign by speech writers to raise awareness of the ire of the citizenry. -
Boston Tea Party
This famed act of American colonial deficance served as a protest against taxation more particular the Tea Act. Seeking to boost the troubled East India Company, British Parliament adjusted import duties with the Tea Act in 1773. Many in Charleston, New York, and Philadelphia rejected tea shipments, merchants in Boston refused to conced to Patriot pressure. On the night of December 16, 1773, Samuel Adams and the Sons of Liberty boarded ships in the Boston harbor and threw chests overboard -
Tea Act
One of several measures imposed on the American colonist by hhe heavilty in debt British goverment. The main purpose of the act was not to raise revenue from the colines but to bail out the floundering East Indea Company. The colonist rejected the act and boycotted tea. -
Coercive Act
Series of four acts established by the British government. The aim was to restore order in MAssachusetts and to punish Bostonians for their Tea Party. These acts closed the port of Boston unitl damages from the Tea party were paid. The Massachusetts Government Act. The administration act, and the quatering act. -
First Continental Congress
In response to the British Parliaments enactment of Coercive Acts in the American colonies, the first session of this congress met. Fifty six delegates from all the colonies except Georgia drafted a declartion of rights and grievances. Virginian Peyton Randolph was elected the first president of Congress. -
Shot Heard Around the World
When hundreds of British troops set off from Boston toward Concord, in order to seize weapons and ammuniton stockpiled there by american colonits. Reaching the next morning, the british reach lexington, where roughly 70 minutemen had gathered on the village green. Someone suddenly fired a shot uncertain which side. This is called the shot around the world. Casued the revolutionary war. -
Second Continental Congress
The second Congress managed the colonial war effort, and moved incrementally towards independence. It adopted the United States Declaration of Idependence. By rasining armies, directing strategy, appointing diplomats, and making formal treaties. This congress acted as the nation government of what became the United Staes. -
Common Sense
Thomas Paine published his pamphlet "Common Sense" setting forth his arugements in favor of American Independence. It advocated independence for the American colonies from Britain. Credited with uniting average citizens and political leaders behind the idea of independene. -
Declaration of Independence
Announced that the thirteen American colonies regarded themselves as thirteen newly independent sovereign staes. They are no longer apart of the British Empire. They insted formed a new nation, The United States of America.