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French and Indian War
The French and Indian War was fought to decide if Britain or France would be the strong power in North America. France and its colonists and Indian allies fought against Britain, its colonists and Indian allies. The war began with conflicts about land. -
Albany Plan
The Albany plan of Union failed because the colonies were afraid of losing their own autonomy or self government. The British also dropped the plan because they wanted to make the management of the colonies simple. -
Stamp Act
This act taxed anything printed on paper. Many colonists said the new taxes were unfair. Colonists had no say in making tax laws because they did not have representatives in Parliament. -
Boston Massacre
Each group shared in the responsibility for what happened on the night of March 5, 1770. The British government was at fault for sending more soldiers to Boston. They should have known how much the colonists resented their presence in the colony. The morning of March 6, 1770, Boston was in crisis. The night before, British soldiers had fired their guns into a violent crowd, leaving four dead and seven wounded. A milestone on the path to the American Revolution. -
Boston Tea Party
A raid that took place in the Boston Harbor in 1773 during which American colonists dumped shiploads of tea into the water to protest a British tax on tea. This event was important because it fueled the tension that had already begun between Britain and America. -
Intolerable Act
The four acts were: The Boston Port Act, which closed the port of Boston until the tea was paid for. The Administration of Justice Act, which changed the right of jury trial in the colonies. The Quartering Act, which allowed British troops to be quartered in American buildings.The laws were meant to punish the Massachusetts colonists for their defiance in the Tea Party protest in reaction to changes in taxation by the British to the detriment of colonial goods. -
Battles of Lexington and Concord
The Battles of Lexington and Concord, fought on April 19, 1775, kicked off the American Revolutionary War (1775-83). On the night of April 18, 1775, hundreds of British troops marched from Boston to nearby Concord in order to seize an arms cache. -
2nd Continental Congress
They chose to try to resolve the ongoing crisis with England. However, the most significant issue faced by the Second Continental Congress was whether to continue seeking reconciliation with Great Britain or to declare independence, debated in June and July of 1776. -
1st Continental Congress
On December 1, 1774, the Continental Association was created to boycott all contact with British goods. By reversing the economic sanctions placed on the colonists, the delegates hoped Britain would repeal its Intolerable Acts. -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence is one of the most important documents in the history of the United States. It was an official act taken by all 13 American colonies in declaring independence from British rule.
