The declaration of independence 000009931570 medium

Events that led to the Declaration of Independence By Druin McGill

By druin
  • The New England Confederation is formed

    The New England Confederation was a military alliance between the Massachusetts Bay, Plymouth, Saybrook, and New Haven colonies of New England. It was the first significant effort by colonists to form an alliance for their mutual benefit.
  • The French and Indian War

    The French and Indian War

    This was a war between France and Great Britain, with the help of the Iroquois Confederation. The war gave Great Britain large territorial advances in North America, but it was quite expensive. Great Britain began to tax the colonies to pay for the war, which led to unrest.
  • The Stamp Act

    The Stamp Act

    The Stamp Act was created by Great Britain that applied a tax on paper goods for the 13 colonies including documents and playing cards. This is one of the ways Britain payed for the 7 years war.
  • The Boston Massacre

    The Boston Massacre

    The Boston Massacre was a skirmish between a mob of colonial patriots and a small group of British soldiers. The mob was unhappy with the British occupying Boston, and were throwing sticks, rocks, and snowballs. This led to the soldiers firing upon the mob, killing 5 colonists.
  • The Boston Tea Party

    The Boston Tea Party

    The Boston Tea Party was a political protest at Griffin's Wharf in Boston, MA. American colonists, frustrated and angry at Great Britain for imposing unfair taxes, dumped 342 chests of British Imported tea into the Boston Harbor.
  • The Intolerable Acts

    The Intolerable Acts

  • The First Continental Congress

    The First Continental Congress

    Delegates from 12 of the 13 colonies met in Philadelphia to organize colonial resistance to Great Britain’s intolerable acts. They decided to stop importing goods from the British Isles if the taxes weren’t removed. They would also meet again and discuss further if their demands weren’t met.
  • Lexington and Concord

    Lexington and Concord

    This is considered to be the battle that started the Revolutionary war. British General Thomas Gage led a large group of soldiers to Lexington, when he planned to capture John Hancock and Sam Adams. When the British forced arrived at Lexington, where they were met by 77 colonial militiamen. They began firing at each other, resulting in 7 dead colonials, but they were able to stop the British advance and push them back to Boston.
  • The Second Continental Congress

    The Second Continental Congress

    Delegates from all 13 colonies once again met in Philadelphia to plan in preparation of the Revolutionary war and for independence. George Washington was appointed as the commander of the Continental Army, discussed appointing other ambassadors, and began drafts of the Declaration of Independence.
  • British attack on Norfolk

    British attack on Norfolk

    Before the attacks, the northern and the southern colonies interests didn’t completely align. The southern colonies relied on the British for crops, and didn’t fully trust the northern colonies. But when the British conducted a 7 hour naval bombardment on Norfolk, VA, resulting in burning buildings and destruction, both the north and the south realized they needed to be united to defeat the British.
  • The Declaration of Independence is first signed

    The Declaration of Independence is first signed

    Amidst the new toils of the Revolutionary War, delegates from all over the 13 colonies met in Philadelphia to sign the Declaration of Independence. This officially declared the colonies to independent from Great Britain in all aspects.

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