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French and Indian War
In the late 17th century France and Great Britain were rivals and competed for land in North America. In 1754 France built Fort Duquesne even thought the Virginia Government already granted that land to someone else. The Virginia governor then sent militia to evict the French. This was the start of the war. Britain joined with native Iriqouis Indians to attack the French again. Britain succeeded over France and the war officially ended in 1763 under the Treaty of Paris. -
Stamp Act
Parliament passed the Stamp Act which imposed taxes on printed items and documents. It was the first tax that directly affected the colonists so in May of 1765, they united to defy the law. Boston colonists created and organized a secret resistance group called the Sons of Liberty to protest. Due to the continuouis protests of the colonists, Parliament repealed the law in March of 1766. -
TownShend Acts
Britain taxes imports and sends troops to major colonial ports to custom officers. This is where the phrase "No taxation without representation" came from. The colonists protested this and organized a boycott of imported goods. -
Boston Massacre
On MArch 5, 1770 a large colonial mob gathered in front of the Boston Customs House and protested againt British soldiers that were there. The angered British guards fired on the colonists and 5 of them were killed or mortally wounded. One of these men was Cispus Attucks. The colonists quickly labeled this event as the Boston Massacre. -
Boston Tea Party
In 1773, the British East India Company was nearly bankrupt. In attempt to save the BEAC, Lord North devised the Tea Act, which granted the company the right to sell tea to the colonists tax free. The colonists protested violently. In the evening of December 16, 1773, a large group of colonial protestors disguised themselves as Native Americans and dumped 18,000 pounds of the company's tea into the water. -
Intolerable Acts
King George III was angered and pressed Parliament to take action against the colonists. In 1774, Parliament passed a series of laws that the colonists called the Intolerable Acts. General Thomas Gage became the new governor of Massachusetts and he placed Boston under martial law. -
First Continental Congress
In reponse to the Intolerable Acts, the committees of correspondence assemble the First Continental Congress. 56 delegates met in Philadelphia and came up with a declaration of colonial rights. It stated that if the British used force against the colonies, the colonies would fight back. -
Lexington and Concord
Paul Revere, William Dawes, and Samuel Prescott rode out to spread word that 700 British troops were approaching Concord on the night of April 18, 1775. The British troops first reached the town of Lexington, where 70 minute men were waiting for them. Only one British soldier was killed and the battle only lasted 15 minutes. They then proceeded to Concord, where between 3,000 and 4,000 minute men were assembled. The British tried to retreat back to Boston, but were slaughtered by the minute men. -
Second Continental Congress
The colonial leaders met agian in Philadelphia to discuss their next move against the British. Some of the leaders called for independence but others wanted to reconcilliate with Britain. Both sides agreed that their militia was to be their Continental Army and appointed George Washington as the commander. -
Publishing of Common Sense
Thomas paine attacked King George in 50 page pamphlet called Common Sense. He called the British monarchy one of tyranny. He said that his own revolt against Britain began with Lexington and Concord. Paine called for independence and believed that it would allow America to trade more freely and the colonists to create a better society. nearly 500,000 copies were sold in 1776.
