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Navigation Acts
The Navigation Acts were a series of Laws passed by England to restrict trade between the American Colonies and other countries, namely France, Spain, and the Netherlands. These were some of the first acts that restricted colonists' freedom -
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Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin was one of the founding fathers and a very early supporter of colonial unity. Following the French and Indian War, He testified to Parliament, making the case that Americans had already paid there share of debt by supporting and paying for soldiers. He was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. -
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Samuel Adams
Samuel Adams was one of the founding fathers, and cofounder of the Sons of Liberty. He was a widely known advocate of republicanism, and a master of propoganda. -
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Paul Revere
Paul Revere was a revolutionary and blacksmith in Boston. He is most well known for his midnight ride to warn those in Lexington and Concord. He also was the artist of the Boston Massacre print. -
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Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was one of the founding fathers, and later served as president. At the Second Continental Congress, he was asked to draft the Declaration of Independence. -
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The French and Indian War
The French and Indian war was one of the first major wars fought in North America. It united the colonies as a single whole in order to fight a common enemy. It also gave George Washington necessary experience in the field of battle which he used later as a general in the Revolutionary War. -
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The Albany Congress
The Albany Congress was called to discuss Benjamin Franklin's plan for colonial unity. Discussions went well, but when the delegates returned to their respective colonies, not a single one ratified the plan. -
Proclamation of 1763
Following the French and Indian War, King George III issued the proclamation of 1763. The proclamation banned Americans from settling beyond the Appalachians. The purpose of this was to maintain better relationships with the natives, making war less likely. The colonists were not pleased at this infringement on their rights. -
The Sugar Act
The Sugar Act was an act passed by British Parliament which prohibeted trade of sugar and molasses between the Dutch West Indies and the colonies. This forced traders to smuggle in sugar and molasses from the Caribbean to maintain profits. This laid the path for later defiance in the Americas. -
The Stamp Act
The Stamp Tax was a tax passed by the British Parliament and imposed on the Americans. It required that paid official stamps be placed on all paper as a form of taxation. The colonists were displeased because they had no representation in the passing of the tax. -
Boston Massacre
A fight between the patriots and the British in the center of Boston. The redcoats shot several colonists killing them. This made clear that the British were not welcome. -
All Townshend Acts except tea tax replaced
The British government takes away some taxes to calm the colonist. This lead to a short truce between the mother country and the colonists -
Committees of Correspondence formed
The Committees of Correspondence were formed to encourage resistance against British ban of American paper money. They brought information between the colonies. -
The Tea Act
The Tea Act gave a tax break to the East India Tea company. The Americans saw it as “Taxation without Representation”. This gave the colonists reason to hate the British even more because they felt it violated their rights. -
The Boston Tea Party
Governor Hutchison of Massachusetts refused to send back ships with tea. This caused the colonists to become more rebellious leading to the Boston Tea Party, where colonists disguised as "Indians" dumped tea off of ships into Boston Harbor. -
The Intolerable Acts
The Intolerable Acts were series of laws passed by British Parliament after the Boston Tea Party. They were meant to punish the colonists for throwing 342 chests of tea into the Boston Harbor. The colonist felt that the laws violated their rights. -
Quebec Act
The Quebec Act was passed by Parliament to set practices of authority in Quebec. The colonies protested, largely because it extended the boudary of Quebec into the Ohio River Valley, which they themselves had hoped to settle. Canadians had mixed reactions; the landowners and clergies were happy with its requirements although the public hated their loss of freedom. -
First Continental Congress
The First Continental Congress was composed of delegates fom all colonies except Georgia. They met in response to the Intolerable Acts to discuss options for retaliation, including a boycott. This congress was the precursor to the Second Continental Congress, which passed the Declaration of Indepence. -
Battles of Lexington and Concord
The Battles of Lexington and Concord were the start of the Revolutionary War. They began when the British marched to Lexington, hoping to capture stockpiled ammunitions and rebel leaders. Someone gave the order to fire, and fighting ensued. The British then moved on to Concord, where they were met with heavy resistance, forcing them to retreat to Boston under heavy fire. -
Common Sense - Thomas Paine
Common Sense was a pamphlet published by Thomas Paine that called on Americans to fight for independence. The pamphlet was widely printed and distributed, leading to increased support for the Americans.
