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Albany Plan of Union
The Albany Plan of Union is a plan, created by Benjamin Franklin, for the unity of the colonies. The colonies rejected the plan because it gave too much power to an assembly made up of representatives from all thirteen colonies. -
George III Becomes King of Great Britain
George III greatly changed the relationship between the colonies and Britain. He had different ideas about how the colonies should be governed. He was determined to deal firmly with the American colonies. To help pay for war, the king and his ministers levied taxes on tea, sugar, glass, paper, and other products. -
French and Indian War
It started as a struggle between the French and British over lands in western Pennsylvania and Ohio. By 1756, several other European countries became involved. Great Britain won the war in 1763 and gained complete control of the eastern third of the continent. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act imposed the the first direct tax on colonists. It required them to pay tax on legal documents, pamphlets, newspapers, and even dice and playing cards. -
Stamp Act Congress
Nine colonies sent delegates to a meeting in New York called the Stamp Act Congress to protest King George's actions.Delegates to the congress sent a petition to the king, arguing that only colonial legislatures could impose direct taxes such as the Stamp Tax. -
Boston Tea Party
A group of colonists, dressed as Mohawk Indians, dumped 342 chests of British tea into Boston Harbor. -
Coercive Acts
In retaliation Parliament passed the Coercive Acts, also called the Intolerable Acts. One of these acts closed Boston Harbor. Another withdrew the right of the Massachusetts colony to govern itself. -
Committees of Correspondence
Committees of Correspondence urged resistance to the British. These committees consisted of colonists who wanted to keep in touch with one another as events unfolded. Samuel Adams established the first committee in Boston. The idea spread quickly, and within a few months, Massachusetts alone had more than 80 such committees. -
First Continental Congress
The Intolerable Acts prompted Virginia and Massachusetts to call a general meeting of the colonies. Delegates from all the colonies except Georgia met in Philadelphia on September 5, 1774, for the first Continental Congress. The delegates debated what to do about the relationship with Great Britain.They finally imposed an embargo on Britain and agreed not to use British goods. They also proposed a meeting the following year if Britain did not change its policies -
Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress served as the acting government of the colonies throughout the war. It purchased supplies, negotiated treaties, and rallied support for the colonists' cause. -
Resolution of Independence
Lee introduced a resolution in the Continental Congress "that these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states. After his resolution, Congress promptly named a committee to prepare a written declaration of independence. On June 28, the committee submitted the edited draft to the Congress. -
Declaration of Independence
Congress approved Lee's resolution. The colonies officially broke with Great Britain. The Congress then turned their attention to Jefferson's draft. After considerable debate, a few passages were removed. On July 4, Congress approved the final draft. It explained the reason for declaring independence.
