Events leading up to the Declaration

French and Indian War

May 1, 1754

British soldiers fought against French soldiers and Native Americans. Native Americans joined in the battle against the British because they were afraid the British would take over their land. This led to the Declaration by making the Americans and British have hostility.

Royal Proclamation

Oct 7, 1763

The purpose of the proclamation was to organize Great Britain's new North American empire and to stabilize relations with Native North Americans through regulation of trade, settlement, and land purchases on the western frontier. This led to the Declaration because their thought of regulation wasn't the same as the Americans.

Quartering Act

Feb 1, 1765

An act for punishing mutiny and desertion, and for the better payment of the British army and their quarters. This led to the declaration by angering Americans.

Stamp Act

Mar 22, 1765

The tax was imposed on all American colonists and required them to pay a tax on every piece of printed paper they used. Ship's papers, legal documents, licenses, newspapers, other publications, and even playing cards were taxed. This led to the declaration by angering Americans.

Sons and Daughters of Liberty

Mar 31, 1765

Was formed in response to the Stamp Act. They knew that talk and politics alone would not bring an end to British tyranny, so they tarred and feathered British officials who got in front of their way to independence. This led to the declaration because the Americans started to rebel.

Townshend Acts

Jun 14, 1767

These Acts were created to raise revenue in the colonies to pay the salaries of governors and judges so that they would be independent of colonial rule, to create a more effective means of enforcing compliance with trade regulations, to punish the province of New York for disobeying the 1765 Quartering Act, and to establish the precedent that the British. Parliament had the right to tax the colonies. This angered Americans and made them lead to the declaration more.

Sugar Act

Apr 5, 1769

This was a revenue-raising act passed by the Parliament of Great Britain.They were trying to collect more taxes for sugar. This led to the Declaration because Britain's taxes kept angering the Americans.

Boston Massacre

Mar 5, 1770

British Army soldiers killed five civilian men after being harassed. This led to the declaration because it raged americans.

Currency Act

Mar 1, 1773

This regulated paper money issued by the colonies of British America. The Act was made to protect British merchants and creditors from being paid in depreciated colonial currency. This led to the Declaration because Britain's taxes kept angering Americans.

Boston Tea Party

Mar 1, 1773

Americans dressed as Indians then went to ships and dumped thousands of pounds of Tea into the Boston harbor because they were through with Britain's taxes. This led to the declaration because the Americans were rebeling against Britain.

Tea Act

May 10, 1773

This act would launch the final spark to the revolutionary movement in Boston. British parliament sent tea to Boston Harber to sell it at bargain price. The direct sale of tea, via British agents, would have undercut the business of local merchants. This led to the Declaration because Britain's taxes kept angering Americans.