-
French and Indian War 1754-1763
Cause: Arguments over land between French and English settlers, had unhealthy relations.
Summary: Started in 1754 and ended in 1763 with the signing of the Treaty of Paris. Indians fought on both sides. Each side had support from their mother country with England eventually winning the war.
Significance: With the French defeated, it drove them completely out of North America. England took the French land and allowed Indians to move to the region without colonists. -
Proclamation of 1763
Proclamation allowed Indians to settle the newly acquired region past the Appalachian mountains in the Ohio river valley. It also drew a border for colonists along the Appalachian Mountain range prohibiting them from settling past it. This caused anger and resentment from the colonies to the crown. -
Sugar Act
Presented by George Grenville. It was mainly passed to raise to raise revenue for the war debt England was in. The act set a tax on sugar and molasses imported from the colonies. The act mainly impacted the rum industry, and made many colonists protest over the act. -
Stamp Act
George Grenville introduced the law in 1765. The act would require any sort of official document to have an official stamp and be printed on embossed paper. The Virginia Resolves were passed in response to the stamp act by the House of Burgesses. This act would also lead the the creation of the Sons of Liberty, this would be a group of colonists that would organize boycotts and rebellions in the colonies due to the unfair taxes. -
Quartering Act
The Quartering act was established to allow any British soldier to be quartered in any colonists home. The colonists would also have to provide food for the soldier as well. -
Stamp Act Congress
The Stamp Act Congress was a meeting held in New York City in the Federal Hall by some of the delegates from the British colonies. THe purpose of the meeting was create a unified protest against the British taxation. The British were eventually alerted about the meeting and passes the Declaratory Act stating that parliament could make laws for the American colonies in all cases. -
Declaratory Act
This act was passed to repeal the stamp act, it also stated that parliament's taxing authority was the same in the colonies as it was in Britain, allowing them to take full authority when it came to making taxes in America. -
Boston Massacre
-On March 5, 1770 in the town of Boston Massachusetts British regulars opened fire into a group of protesters
-The massacre resulted in five dead colonists
-The trials held after only acquitted two of the five soldiers -
Boston Tea Party
The group responsible for the Boston Tea Party would be the Sons of Liberty. This was done in protest of the Tea Act of 1773.
-The sons of Liberty would empty an entire shipment of tea sent by the East Empire Company.
-The Sons of Liberty would then tar and feather John Malcolm, the British customs official.
The British responded to this event by passing the Intolerable acts. -
Intolerable Acts
The Intolerable acts would mainly impact Massachusetts and Boston. The Acts would close the Boston harbor, along with preventing any British officials from being persecuted in Boston. The other laws would reinstate the Quartering Act, and restrict democratic town meetings. These acts would push the British and colonists to the brink of war, would be the eventual breaking point. -
Quebec act
-Parliament would implement a permanent administration in Canada replacing the temporary one set by the Proclamation of 1763.
-The colonists were outraged as it nullified many of the Western Claims made by the Colonies. -
First Continental Congress September 5 1774-October 26th 1774
-The attendees of the Congress included all of the original colonies except Georgia, Some prominent members would be: Samuel Adams, Benjamin Franklin, James Madison, and George Washington.
-The Congress was held Carpenter's Hall in Philadelphia.
-The purpose of the meeting was to respond to the Intolerable acts, and to see if the Colonists could settle things with Britain.
-The result of the meeting was the organization of colonial resistance to parliaments Intolerable acts. -
Battle of Lexington and Concord
Battle started after British were alerted to a hidden weapons cache in Lexington or Concord. The British would meet and armed group of militiamen. In total the colonists would lose 49 men and the British would lose 73. -
Second Continental Congress May 10, 1775-March 1, 1781
All 13 colonies sent delegates to attend the Congress. Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock, Charles Thompson, and Peyton Randolph all attended. They meet in Philadelphia. The purpose of the meeting would be to discuss colonial independence and to manage the war effort. The result of the Congress was the creation of the Deceleration of Independence and the Olive Branch Petition. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
The Battle of Bunker Hill happened in Charlestown, Massachusetts. The British would charge the hill 3 times and only break through the third time. This battle would show the colonists that they have a chance in the war, and would cause more colonists to sign up for the war effort. -
Common sense
Common sense was written by Thomas Payne in 1775-76. The pamphlet promoted the colonists to gain independence from Britain. The reason he would write this was to tell the colonists they had nothing to lose, and should try to gain independence for whatever it takes. The pamphlet inspired many colonists to join the war effort. -
Declaration Of Independence
The Declaration was written by Thomas Jefferson. It was signed by the delegates on August 2 1776. The significance of the document was to tell Britain why they wanted to separate. The main ideas included in the Declaration would be that all men are created equal, and that the people have the right to rebel whenever the government becomes tyrannical. The colonists would support this Declaration as it would only increase the war effort. -
Sources
-http://www.history.com/topics/native-american-history/1763-proclamation-of
-http://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/townshend-acts
-http://www.ushistory.org/us/10a.asp
-http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/first-continental-congress-convenes
-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Bunker_Hill
-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battles_of_Lexington_and_Concord
-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Declaration_of_Independence
-Google Images
