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Sugar Act
- Indirect tax (out of sight = out of mind)
- Duties on molasses and sugar
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Stamp Act
- Tax on all paper products
- Official stamp / seal on all paper items ( proof tax was paid)
- Purchased only with valuable silver coins If didn't purchase = fined or jailed Direct Tax (in your face tax)
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Townshend Act
- Taxes on glass, lead, paints, paper, and tea
- Searched for smuggled goods
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Boston Massacre
March 5, 1770: soldier strikes colonist
Crowd gathers and hassles soldier, throwing snowballs and shouting insults.
More troops arrive, colonists get more and more angry
“Fire if you dare!” -
Tea Act
- Passed in 1773 and allowed British East India Company (BEIC) to sell tea directly to colonists -- Lower Prices than colonist merchant prices -- Tax Tea cheaper than smuggled tea -- Less smuggling = more tax money
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Boston tea party
Members of Sons of Liberty Dump over 340 chests of tea into Boston Harbor -
Quartering Act
Quartering Act required colonists to house soldiers
“If a soldier comes knocking at the door….
you’re sleeping on the floor” -
Intolerable Act
- Passes to punish Boston for Tea Party -- Boston Harbor Closed until tea paid for -- Massachusetts Charter cancelled -- Quartering Act required colonists to house soldiers "If a soldier comes knocking at the door you're sleeping on the floor -- General Thomas gage became new governor of MA
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First Continental Congress meets
- All colonies but Georgia have representatives
- Votes to send a "statement of grievances"
- Voted to Boycott all British Trade
- Patrick Henry - VA rep. Urged colonists to unite against Britain
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1,000's of Redcoats in Boston
- General Gage brings thousands of British soldiers to Boston with more on the way
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Midnight ride of Paul Revere
- Paul Revere rides to warn the Sons of Liberty in Lexington and Concord that the "British are coming... The British are coming.."
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Battles of Lexington & Concord
- Battle of Lexington
- 1st battle of American Revolutionary War
- "shot head round the world" -Ralph Waldo Emerson -BRITISH Victory
- Battle of Concord
- Americans Stop British and force them to retreat back to Boston
- AMERICAN Victory
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Capture of Fort Ticonderoga
- Benedict Arnold & Ethan Allen capture the fort
- Get all supplies in the fort including cannons
- AMERICAN Victory
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Second Continental Congress meet
- Print $$$$
- Set up post office
- Created Continental Army led by George Washington
- Sent Olive Branch asking King to protect their rights -- King hires 30,000 Hessian's Soldiers in reponse
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Battle of Bunker Hill
- Fought on Breed's Hill
- "Don't Fire until you see the whites of their eyes" - William Prescott
- BRITISH Victory ( Americans ran out of ammunition) British learn defeating Americans would NOT be easy.
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Washington arrives on outskirts of Boston with Continental troops
- Realizes men are disorganized & need discipline
- Need weapons
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Declaratory Act
- Parliament declares it has power to make laws for the colonies "in all cases whatsoever"
- Parliament passes this to save face
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"Common Sense" published by Thomas Paine
- Pamphlet inspires more colonists to become patriots
- "Every thing that is right or reasonable pleads for separation. The blood of the slain, the weeping voice of nature cries, 'TIS TIME TO PART" -Thomas Paine, Common Sense
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British Surrender Boston
- Washington believes his army is ready & weapons arrive
- Washington puts cannons on Dorchester Heights overlooking Boston
- BRITISH retreat - AMERICAN Victory
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Second Continental Congress meet again
- Debate on declaring independence
- Thomas Jefferson is the primary author of the document
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Second Continental Congress votes for Independence
- All 13 colonies vote YES on declaring independence
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The Declaration of Independence is signed!
FIREWORKS