-
End of the French and Indian War
The British came out of this war victorious but the expenses of war put them into major debt. In order to get rid of the debt the British started taxing the American settlers, this did not make them happy. Importance: The end of the war was the start of the British taxing the colonist, the British viewed the taxation as fair since they fought to protect the colonists but the colonists had a different opinion. -
The Proclamation of 1763
This act forbid settlers from settling on land west of the Appellation Mountains. The land was to be preserved as Indian Territory. Any of the settlers who had already settled there were ordered to move east of the mountains. Importance: The Proclamation of 1763 became part of the events that would eventually lead to the American Revolution, even for as minor as it is the colonists were unhappy that they were being told that they couldn’t settle on that land. -
Sugar Act
The Sugar act was created to try and stop the smuggling of sugar and molasses into the colonies from other countries that weren't Britain, while also a way for Britain to rid themselves of some of the massive debt they had collected from the recent war. Importance: The Sugar Act was the first tax created by the British against the colonists. -
Committee of Correspondence
The Committee of Correspondence was created as a way for all the colonies to have some way of communication with each other. This system of communicating created a way where all of the colonies could share their thoughts and ideas. Importance: This was the colonists first way of having communication with one and other. -
The Stamp Act
The Stamp Act enforced all colonists to pay tax on any form of printed paper they used, newspapers, legal documents, etc. The tax money collected from the Stamp Act was used to help cover the costs of the British military stations near the Appalachian Mountains to maintain peace between colonists and Native Americans. Import: The colonists saw the Stamp Act as unconstitutional and argued that only their own assemblies could tax them. This lead to the cry of "No taxation without representation". -
The Quartering Act
The Quartering Act made it necessary for colonists to house any British soldiers seeking refuge. The citizens began refusing to house the soldiers as they would rather be asked for their consent on if the soldiers were allowed inside their homes or not. Importance: The tension between the British government and the colonists was already high, and the Quartering Act only helped further anger the colonists. -
Sons of Liberty Organizations are Founded
The Sons of Liberty Organization was founded as a protest group against Britain. The Sons of Liberty had an extreme way of protesting, they would use threats and in some cases actual violence. The Sons of Liberty played an important role in fighting against the Stamp Act of 1765. Importance: The Sons of Liberty fought the British by protesting for their and the peoples rights as British citizens and against the unfair taxation against the colonists. -
Townshend Act
The Townshend act was passed as a way for the British money to tax imported goods for revenue. The colonists saw this as the British government abusing their government power. By December two documents had turned the colonists in favor of boycotting British goods. Importance: The Townshend act caused a greater amount of tension between the colonists and the British government which builds up to the American Revolution. -
Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania by John Dickinson
These twelve letters written by John Dickinson were widely read and reprinted throughout the colonies. The letters described to the colonists of how the British governments way of taxing the colonists for the purpose of revenue gain is unconstitutional which influenced and united the colonists to protest the Townshend act. Importance: It united the colonies to protest against the government for their rights -
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre was a street fight that broke out between a mob of patriots throwing snowballs, rocks and sticks at British soldiers. The British soldiers began firing into the crowd of people killing 5 citizens and injuring 6. A town meeting was called and demanded a trial for Captain Preston and his men for murder. Importance: The Boston Massacre helped push the anti-British views as they were now seen as the bad guys after opening fire on a mob of colonists. -
Boston Tea Party
As a form of protest against the Tea Act, a large group of men who were reportedly from the Sons of Liberty disguised themselves as Native Americans, boarded three ships that were carrying crates of tea from the British East India Company and dumped all 342 crates of tea into the Boston Harbor. Importance: This event was the first major defiance against the British government from the colonists. -
Intolerable Acts
The Intolerable Acts were laws passed by the British Parliament after the events of the Boston Tea Party. These laws were made mainly to punish the Boston colonists for destroying 342 crates of tea. The Boston harbor was closed for trading until the tea company was paid back, the only items allowed into the Boston Harbor were food and firewood. Importance: The British government had now realized they had little control over the colonists which forced them to use a stricter form of discipline. -
"Give me liberty or give me death"
Patrick Henry felt that the revolutionary war just fast approaching, this famous speech helped him convince his fellow delegates that they needed to take a stand against Britain. After Henry had delivered his speech the crowd fell in favor of taking a stance against Britain. Importance: Patrick Henry's famous speech at the Virginia Convention was a driving force that convinced a majority of people that the time for the revolution was now. -
New England Restraining Acts
The New England Restraining Acts prohibited the colonies from trading with anyone else besides Great Britain. This act was made to punish the colonists for boycotting British goods. Importance: This act was made as an attempt to keep the New England colonies dependent on Great Britain. The King felt that this act was needed due to the current increased spreading of civil disobedience among the colonists. -
Lexington and Concord
First battle of the revolution. This battle marks the beginning of the revolution that granted America its freedom from Great Britain. Importance: The first battle of the American revolution and the start of the revolution.
