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The Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris ended the French and Indian War. This war between Britain and France ended with the victorious British deeply in debt and demanding more revenue from the colonies. With the defeat of the French, the colonies became less dependent on Britain for protection. -
The Proclamation of 1763
This proclamation forbid settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains. This area was to be set aside and governed as Indian Territory. -
The Sugar Act
The most objectionable part of the Grenville Acts which were aimed at raising revenue to pay the debts incurred for the French and Indian War. The Sugar Act increased duties on items ranging from sugar to coffee to textiles. -
The Currency Act
This act prohibited the colonies from issuing legal tender paper money. -
Boston Town Meeting Protesting the Grenville Acts
James Otis first discussed the complaint of taxation without representation and called for the colonies to unite. -
Committee of Correspondence
The Massachusetts House of Representatives created a Committee of Correspondence to communicate with the other colonies about their grievances. -
The Stamp Act Passes Parliament
The Stamp act was the first direct tax on the colonies. The purpose of the tax was to help pay for the British military stationed in America. A stamp duty was imposed on newspapers and legal and commercial documents. This act met with greater resistance and the cry against taxation without representation increased. -
The Quartering Act
This act required residents of the colonies to provide housing for British troops stationed in America. -
The Sons of Liberty Are Formed
The Sons of Liberty was founded in towns across the colonies in order to fight against the stamp agents -- often with outright violence. -
The Stamp Act Congress
The Stamp Act Congress met in New Yrrk City. It included representatives from CT, DE, MD, MA, NJ, NY, PA, RI, and SC. Petitions against the Stamp Act are created to be delivered to King George III. -
The Stamp Act Goes into Effect
Once the Stamp Act went into effect, all business basically stopped as colonist refused to use the stamps. -
Benjamin Franklin Testifies Before Parliament
Benjamin Franklin testified before Parliament about the Stamp Act and warned that if the military was used to enforce it, this could lead to open rebellion. -
Repeal of the Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was repealed. However, the Declaratory Act is passed which gave the British government the power to legislate any laws of the colonies without restriction. -
Suspension of the Quartering Act
The New York Assembly continued to fight against the Quartering Act, refusing to allocate any funds for housing the soldiers. The crown suspended the legislature. -
The Townshend Acts
These acts imposed a number of taxes, including duties on items like paper, glass, and tea. Additional plans were set up to ensure enforcement in the colonies. -
Seizure of The Liberty
After a confrontation over customs violations, John Hancock's ship Liberty was seized in Boston. Customs officials were threatened with violence and escaped to Castle William in Boston Harbor. They sent out a request for help from British troops. -
British Warships Arrive in Boston
British warships arrived to help support the customs officials in Boston Harbor. Three days later, two British regiments arrived in Boston to maintain order and enforce customs laws. -
Washington Presents Nonimportation Resolutions
George Washington presented nonimportation resolutions tot he Virginia HOuse of Burgesses. Proclamations are sent out from Patrick Henry and Richard Henry Lee to King George III. -
Boston Massacre
In the Boston Massacre, British soldiers were provoked, and they fired on the crowd, killing five. John Adams defended the soldiers, all but two of whom were acquitted. It was a huge propaganda coup for Sons of Liberty against the British military. -
Repeal of the Townshend Acts
The English crown partially repealed the Townshend Acts except for the duty on tea. -
Boston Tea Party
After months of growing displeasure with the Tea Act, a group of Boston activists dressed as Mowawk Indians boarded tea ships anchored in Boston Harbor and dumped 342 casks of tea into the water. This became known as the Boston Tea Party. -
The Coercive Acts
The Coercive Acts passed Parliament. One of these is the Boston POrt Bill which did not allow any shipping except for military supplies and other approved cargo to go through the port of Boston until the customs duties and the cost of the Tea Party were paid for. -
The First Continental Congress
The First Continental Congress first met in Philadelphia with delegates from every one of the 13 colonies, except Georgia. On October 20, the Congress adopted the Articles of Association, which stated that if the Intolerable Acts were not repealed by December 1, 1774, a boycott of British goods would begin in the colonies. -
The Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress established the militia as the Continental Army to represent the thirteen states. They also elected George Washington as Commander in Chief of the Continental Army. -
Bunker Hill
The Battle of Bunker Hill was a two-day engagement between British forces under the command of General William Howe and American forces under Colonel William Prescott. The Americans had occupied Breed's Hill in Charlestown on June 16, 1775, in order to protect the shipyard of nearby Boston. The next day, the British attacked. They took the hill but suffered heavy losses. The Americans fired until they were out of ammunition, then quickly retreated. -
Battles of Lexington and Concord
The battles of Lexington and Concord marked the beginning of the American Revolution. While the leaders displayed great courage and ability, it was the lack of central leadership that allowed the British to escape. Each militia unit was well organized but tended to act on their own and although they were effective it would be clear that in order to unify the colonies and defeat the British there would need a commander-in-chief and a central military. -
Declaration of Independence
The main purpose of America’s Declaration of Independence was to explain to foreign nations why the colonies had chosen to separate themselves from Great Britain. -
Battle of New York
Washington's spies told him of the British plans to capture New York, so he rushed his army to New York and prepared to defend it. Washington tried four times to drive the British out of New York City, but to no avail. Washington finally gave up, and abandoned the city. -
Battle of Long Island
The Battle of Long Island, also known as the Battle of Brooklyn or the Battle of Brooklyn Heights, was a major victory for the British and defeat for the Americans under General George Washington. -
Battle of New Jersey
The Battle of New Jersey took place after General George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River north of Trenton, New Jersey. The hazardous crossing in adverse weather made it possible for Washington to lead the main body of the Continental Army against Hessian soldiers garrisoned at Trenton. After a brief battle, nearly the entire Hessian force was captured, with fewlosses to the Americans. The battle significantly boosted the Continental Army's flagging morale, and inspired reenlistments. -
Valley Forge
Valley Forge was where the American Continental Army made camp during the winter of 1777-1778. It was here that the American forces became a true fighting unit. Valley Forge is often called the birthplace of the American Army. -
Battle of Saratoga
The Battles of Saratoga were a series of battles that culminated in the Battle of Saratoga and the surrender of British General John Burgoyne. This decisive victory by the Americans was a turning point of the Revolutionary War. The Americans' morale was boosted and the country now felt it could win the war. Just as important to the war, the French decided to support the Americans with military aid. -
Victory at Yorktown
Hopelessly trapped at Yorktown, Virginia, British General Lord Cornwallis surrenders 8,000 British soldiers and seamen to a larger Franco-American force, effectively bringing an end to the American Revolution. -
The Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris ended the American Revolutionary War between Great Britain on one side and the United States of America and its allies on the other.
