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Period: to
Before the Revoloutinary War
The events leading up to the Revoloutionary War. -
Sugar Act
British taxed the colonists to help pay for the French-Indian war. Parliament passed the Sugar Act, which set duties on molasses and sugar imported by the colonists. This was the first act passed specifically to raise money in the colonists. This was the forst act that started making colonists angry at Britian. -
Committees of Correspondence
At a Boston town meeting, Samuel Adams agreed with James Otis. He beleived that Parlimant could not tax the colonists without their permision. Many people came up with "No taxtion without Representation" from Otis and Adam's ideas. Adams helped form the Committees of Correspondence. Each Committee got in touch with other cities and towns. -
Stamp Act
The British Governemnt continued to search for new ways to tax the American colonies, making the colonists angrier. Formed by Prime Minister Greenville, the Stamp Act required colonists to pay fo an official stamp, or seal, when they bougght paper items. The tax had to be paid on legal documents, licenses, newspapes, pamphlets, and even playing cards. Colonists who refused to buy stamps could e fined or thown in jail. -
Sons of Liberty
The Sons of Liberty was a secret society that the colonist fomed. Samuel Adams helped fom the grou in Boston. This group sometimes used violence to frighten tax collectors. Many colonial courts shut down because people refused to buy the stamps required for legal documents. -
Townshend Acts
The Townshend Acts was passed by parliment in June 1967. These acts placed duties gas, lead, paint, paper, and tea. To enforce the Townshend acts, Beitish officials used wits of assistance. These allowed tax collectors to search for smuggled goods. -
Boston Massacre
A lone British solidier standing gurad had an argument with a colonist and struck him. A crowd gathered around the solidier, throwing snowballs and shouting insults. Soon a small number of troops arrived. The crowd grew angrier and louder by the moment. Suddenly, the solidiers fired into the crowd, instanty killing three men, including sailor Crispus Attucks. -
Tea Act
This act allowed the British East India company to sell tea directly to the colonits. Many colonist merchants and smugglers feared that the British East India Company's cheap tea would put them out of buisness. Three ships loaded with tea arrved in Boston Harbor in 1773. Members of the Sons of Liberty demanded that te ships leave. The governer of Bostonwould not let them leave until they payed its duty. -
Boston Tea Party
On December 16, 1773, colonists disguised as Indians sneaked onto the three tea-filled ships and dumped over 340 chests of tea into the harbor's waters. This even became known as the Boston Tea Party. Sonn the streets echoed with shoutsof "Boston Harbour is a tea pot tonight!" -
Intolerable Acts
- Boston Harbour was closed until Boston paid for the tea.
- Massachusettes's charter was canceled.
- Royal officials accussed of crimes were sent to Britian for trial.
- A new quartering act required colonists to house British Solidiers.
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The first Continetial Congress
It was the gathering of colonial leaders who were deeply troubled about the ealtionship between Great Britain and its colonies in America. At Carpenters' Hall in Philadelphia, the leaders remained locked in weeks of intense debate. Patrick Henry and others beleived that violence was unavoidable. On the other hand, delegates from Pennsylvannia and New York had strict orders to seek peace.