Road to Revolution 5.3 & 5.4

Sugar Act

1764

1. Indirect tax (out of sight = out of mind)
2. Duties on molasses and sugar

Stamp Act

1765

1. Tax on all paper products
2. Official stamp / seal on all paper items ( proof tax was paid)
3. Purchased only with valuable silver coins If didn't purchase = fined or jailed Direct Tax (in your face tax)

Townshend Act

1767

1. Taxes on glass, lead, paints, paper, and tea
2. Searched for smuggled goods

Boston Massacre

Mar 5, 1770

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

1773

1. 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

Boston tea party

Dec 16, 1773

Members of Sons of Liberty Dump over 340 chests of tea into Boston Harbor

Quartering Act

1774

Quartering Act required colonists to house soldiers
“If a soldier comes knocking at the door….
you’re sleeping on the floor”

Intolerable Act

1774

1. 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

First Continental Congress meets

Sep 5, 1774

1. All colonies but Georgia have representatives
2. Votes to send a "statement of grievances"
3. Voted to Boycott all British Trade
4. Patrick Henry - VA rep. Urged colonists to unite against Britain

1,000's of Redcoats in Boston

Apr 1, 1775

1. General Gage brings thousands of British soldiers to Boston with more on the way

Midnight ride of Paul Revere

Apr 18, 1775

1. Paul Revere rides to warn the Sons of Liberty in Lexington and Concord that the "British are coming... The British are coming.."

Battles of Lexington & Concord

Apr 19, 1775

1. Battle of Lexington
2. 1st battle of American Revolutionary War
3. "shot head round the world" -Ralph Waldo Emerson -BRITISH Victory
4. Battle of Concord
5. Americans Stop British and force them to retreat back to Boston
6. AMERICAN Victory

Capture of Fort Ticonderoga

May 10, 1775

1. Benedict Arnold & Ethan Allen capture the fort
2. Get all supplies in the fort including cannons
3. AMERICAN Victory

Second Continental Congress meet

May 10, 1775

1. Print $$$$
2. Set up post office
3. Created Continental Army led by George Washington
4. Sent Olive Branch asking King to protect their rights -- King hires 30,000 Hessian's Soldiers in reponse

Battle of Bunker Hill

Jun 16, 1775

1. Fought on Breed's Hill
2. "Don't Fire until you see the whites of their eyes" - William Prescott
3. BRITISH Victory ( Americans ran out of ammunition) British learn defeating Americans would NOT be easy.

Washington arrives on outskirts of Boston with Continental troops

Jul 15, 1775

1. Realizes men are disorganized & need discipline
2. Need weapons

Declaratory Act

1776

1. Parliament declares it has power to make laws for the colonies "in all cases whatsoever"
2. Parliament passes this to save face

"Common Sense" published by Thomas Paine

Jan 10, 1776

1. Pamphlet inspires more colonists to become patriots
2. "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

British Surrender Boston

Mar 17, 1776

1. Washington believes his army is ready & weapons arrive
2. Washington puts cannons on Dorchester Heights overlooking Boston
3. BRITISH retreat - AMERICAN Victory

Second Continental Congress meet again

Jun 15, 1776

1. Debate on declaring independence
2. Thomas Jefferson is the primary author of the document

Second Continental Congress votes for Independence

Jul 2, 1776

1. All 13 colonies vote YES on declaring independence

The Declaration of Independence is signed!

Jul 4, 1776

FIREWORKS