Causes of American Revolution Timeline

French/ Indian War

1754

Military encounters in North America between Great Britain and France also known as the Seven Years' War.

Stamp Act

Mar 22, 1765

The British Parliament passed this act which required colonists to pay taxes (stamps) on multiple papers, documents, etc.

Townshend Act

Jun 15, 1767

The British Government passed laws which placed new taxes and took some colonists' freedoms away.

Boston Massacre

Mar 5, 1770

British soldiers opened fire on some American colonists.

Tea Act

May 10, 1773

The Tea Act permitted the British East India Company Tea to control all of the tea sales in the american colonies.

Boston Tea Party

Dec 16, 1773

This occurred at the Boston Harbor because the colonists didn't want to pay taxes on British tea.

Intolerable Acts

Mar 31, 1774

Laws meant to punish Massachusetts' colonists for not following the rules by creating the Tea Party protest.

1st and 2nd Continental Congress

Sep 5, 1774

Both were meetings of delegates from 12 of the 13 British colonies which became the U.S. however the 2nd Continental Congress was when the 12 colonies joined the American Revolutionary War.

Lexington and Concord

Apr 19, 1775

The British General wanted to prevent violence seizing weapons and powder stored in Concord however this caused a series of battles in Lexington and Concord.

Publishing of Common Sense

Jan 10, 1776

This book challenged the British Government and royal monarchy's authority. Paine also tried to encourage independence from Great Britain to people in the Thirteen Colonies.