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Stamp Act (October 1765)
Britain created a tax that requires a stamp on all written papers, like newspapers, letters or documents. Unrest grew in the colonies because of this, as the colonists felt like they were being governed unfairly. They thought that the British had no right to impose taxes on a land thousands of miles away. -
Townshend Act (June 1767)
The Townshend Act was a series of acts made by the British Parliament. The people of Britain wanted to assert its authority over the American people. They did things like enforce taxes, and create laws that only benefited the British. They did this with the reasoning that, if the colonists wanted protection, they should have to pay for it. The Townshend Act provoked the colonists and was a major factor for starting the American Revolutionary War. -
Boston Massacre (March 1770)
The Boston Massacre was a riot that occurred in Boston when multiple Americans and a single Britain had a brawl. The Boston locals had been angry with the British for a long time because of taxes and soldiers, and apparently tensions ran too high. What resulted was many British troops firing on the crowd, and five Americans were killed. -
Boston Tea Party (December 1773)
The Boston Tea Party was a kind of protest. People from Boston, and from many other colonies gathered because they were angry with the British. The Stamp Act had been the first offense, but the tea taxation was too much. The colonists gathered together, and they threw so much tea off boats into the Boston Harbour that the water was colored like tea for days. -
First Continental Congress Meeting (September 1774)
In September 1774, 12 out of the 13 colonies sent delegates to Carpenters Hall in Philadelphia. They were there to discuss America’s future, as it had been going through trying times with the British. They organized resistance towards the British Empire, and they started writing the Declaration of Independence. -
Battle of Concord and Lexington (April 1775)
In April, the first official battle of the American Revolutionary War begins. It’s first shot known as “the shot heard across the world” because of its significance in causing a long, bloody war. The colonists had prepared for a British attack, but did not expect for it to be an actual battle. There was a shot mistakenly taken which caused the British to attack. After fighting for a few hours, the Americans took the victory and the British retreated. -
Battle of Bunker Hill (June 1775)
In June, a major battle took place a few months after the start of the war. Boston was being attacked by thousands of Americans, and they needed to do something quickly. They decided to capture two strategic locations, Bunker and Breed's Hill. The Americans heard about this, and went to defend those hills. This provoked a battle in which the famous, “don’t shoot until you see the whites of their eyes” quote was spoken. It was because they were running low on ammo and did not want to waste any. -
Paul Revere’s Ride (April 1775) MY CHOICE
In April of the year 1775, Paul Revere was on his journey to warn rebel leaders. He had heard that the British were attempting to attack some of the colonists most important figures, and so he rode his horse many miles in order to warn them. He made it just in time. There is a legend that the retreating rebels could hear gunshots behind them as they fled. -
Battle of Fort Ticonderoga (May 1775) MY CHOICE
Fort Ticonderoga played a very important role in the American Revolution. In mid May, 1775, a small group of rebel troops known as the “Green Mountain Boys” surprised attacked a British fort and managed to capture it. This proved to be significant because of all the artillery and weapons. The Americans had been lacking, but Fort Ticonderoga had plently. With these weapons and cannons, the Americans were able to make a much better fight when faced with the British. -
Declaration of Independence is Adopted (July 1776)
In July, about a year after the war had started, all 13 colonies decided that it was time to proclaim their independence. Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and John Adams composed much of the Declaration. Its contents were along the lines of being free, breaking away from the British and it listed all the wrongdoing the British had done to the Americans. -
Washington Crosses Delaware (December 1776) MY CHOICE
On Christmas Day, George Washington led a surprise attack by crossing the Delaware into New Jersey. The British did not suspect a thing, as they thought that no reasonable person would want to have war on Christmas. The Americans managed to capture over 1000 Hessians, which were hired German soldiers. This battle is where the famous picture of George Washington standing at the head of the boat was based off of. -
Articles of Confederation (November 1777)
The Articles of Confederation was approved by the Second Continental Congress in November 15th. It was an agreement between all thirteen colonies, and served as America’s first Constitution. The purpose of this document was to create a base plan for the government, and how things were supposed to go in the new country. The articles consisted of a weak central government and strong individual states. Some agreed, but some did not which led to a new Constitution. -
Battle of Saratoga (September to October 1777)
The Battle of Saratoga was a long event. It occurred in Saratoga and had many battles, not just one. It was a bit of a minor war of its own. When the Americans claimed victory, it was a major turning point. It became an American sided war, instead of being favored for the British. This was a bit of a guerilla war, with rebels sneak attacking British troops. This tactic obviously worked, as they won. -
America Chooses a Flag (June 1777) MY CHOICE
In June, the Continental Congress approved of a flag that had stars and stripes. They had been needing one because they were almost an official independent country. Legend has it that Betsy Ross sewed the flag, although no one is able to confirm if this is true or not. The flag originally only had 13 stars, for thirteen colonies. However, the flag changed when more and more states emerged. -
Baylor’s Massacre (September 1778)
In late September of the year 1778, a large company of American troops were marching in Riverdale, New Jersey. All of a sudden British troops started pouring out of the trees and the Americans found themselves surrounded. What happened was a massacre that led to 15 rebel deaths, all bayoneted. Almost half of the group was captured, and this defeat was a big loss to colonist morale. This battle was looked poorly upon because the Americans had surrendered and were still killed. -
Monmouth (June 1778)
The battle of Monmouth was one of the last major battles of the American Revolutionary War. It had colonist leader General George Washington fighting opponent General Sir Henry Clinton. It received its name from the fact that the battle took place near Monmouth court house. It lasted around one day, and the Americans won. This victory greatly strengthened the morale of the American troops and was one of the factors of Britain losing hold on America. -
Execution of Major John Andre (October 1780)
In late 1780, a thirty year old handsome bachelor was to be executed. He, John Andre, had known the famous Benedict Arnold, and was arrested for having incriminating papers hidden in his boot. The papers showed that Arnold would betray the Americans, and how he would do it. When Major John Andre received the death sentence, he did not ask for his life to be spared. Instead he asked that he die from a firing squad, as it was considered a more “gentlemanly” way to die than by hanging. -
Battle of Yorktown (October 1781)
The Battle of Yorktown was a battle that took place at Yorktown, obviously. It ended on October 19, and some debate whether it was a battle at all, or a siege. The Americans fought the British for a long time, and when General George Washington finally claimed a decisive victory, it was a major factor in the British government finally surrendering, -
DeWint House (1780 and 1783)
The DeWint House is a historical site. It was built in 1700 by Daniel DeClark, who was a Hollander. He had immigrated to the American colonies around 1680. A patriot, Johannes DeWint, bought the house at around 1746. He shared the house with his daughter, and her husband. During the late stages of the American Revolution, George Washington stayed in that house and used it as a headquarters. He stayed there in 1780, and in 1783. The room that he used is now known as the “Washington Room.” -
Treaty of Paris (September 1783)
In late 1783, the British acknowledges America as an independent country after the war. The colonists had claimed their independence and were now a new country. They had won the war, after facing impossible odds. The Treaty of Paris was signed in Paris, hence its name. King George the Third sent representatives to sign the treaty, and once the paper had been signed, the largest new country had been formed.
