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Navigation Acts
These were passed by the English Parliament in 1651. These acts required that only English ships (including ships of its colonies) be used for trade within the British empire. -
Proclamation of 1763
This declared that no colonial settlement could be established west of the Appalachian Mountains. -
Sugar Act
This was passed by the British Parlament, it imposed a tax on all sugar imported into the American colonies. The revenues helped pay for wasrs that the British had waged, and also to support British troops in North America. -
Stamp Act
The British Parliament passed the Stamp Act, placing the first direct tax on the colonies. The Samp Act required the use of tax stamps on all legal documents, newspapers, pamphlets, and playing cards and certain business agreements. -
Stamp Act Congress
In 1765, nine of the thirteen colonies sent delegates to the Stamp Act Congress, held in New York City. The delegates prepared a declaration of rights and grievances against the new British actions, which was sent to King George III. As a result of the colonishts' grievances, the British Parliament repealed the Stamp Act. -
Boston Tea Party
During this time period, anger over taxation reached a powerful climax at the famous Boston Tea Party. Colonists dressed as Mohawk Indians dumped almost 350 chests of British tea into the boston Harbor as a gesture of tax protest. The British Parliament was quick to respond to the Tea Party. It passed the coercive Acts (sometimes called the Intolerable Acts) in 1774. The acts closed the harbor and placed the government of boston under direct British control. -
Coercive Acts
Sometimes called the Intolerable Acts, Coercive Acts closed the harbor and placed the government of Boston under direct British control. -
First Continental Congress
The First Continental Congress was held at Carpenters' Hall in Philadelphia on September 5th, 1774. Of the thirteen colonies, only Georgia did not send delegates. The First Continental Congress decided that the colonies should send a petition to King George III to explain their grievances. Other resolutions were passed to continue the boycott of British goods and to require that each colony start an army. -
Lexington and Concord
British soldiers, called Redcoats, fought with colonial citizen-soldiers, called Minutemen, in the towns of Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts. These were the first battles of the American Revolution. -
Second Continental Congress
Less than a month after the Battle of Concord, delegates from twelve colonies (Georgia's delegates did not arrive until the fall) gathered in Pennsylvania for the Second Continental Congress. The congress immediately assumed the powers of a central government. One of its main actions was to establish an army. Colonial citizen-soldiers had gathered around Boston, and the congress declared them an army. -
Resolution of Independence
In June 1776, after more than a year of fighting, Richard Henry Lee of Virginia introduced the Resolution of Independence to the Second Continental Congress. On July 2nd of that year, the congress adopted it. It was not a legally binding document. It was, however, one of the first necessary steps to establish the legitimacy---legal authority---of a new nation in the eyes of foreign governments. -
Declaration of Independence
Thomas Jefferson began writing a draft of the Declaration of Independence. jefferson worked alone on the document for the last two weeks in June. On June 28th he asked John Adams and Benjamin Franklin to look over his work. After adopting the Resolution of Independence, the congress was ready to pass Jefferson's declaration. On August 2nd, the members of the Continental Congress signed it.
