-
On March 5, 1770, a combat took place in Boston between British soldiers and the populace. Following colonist provocations, British soldiers opened fire on the crowd, killing five men, including Crispus Attucks. -
60 American colonists participated in an act of protest in which they hurled 342 chests of tea into Boston Harbor to protest both the East India Company's alleged monopoly and a tax on tea that they believed was imposed without their consent. -
The law allowed the Royal Navy to blockade Boston Harbor because "the commerce of his Majesty's subjects cannot be safely carried there." On June 1, 1774, the blockade began, effectively blocking Boston's port. -
Between September 5 until October 26, 1774, the First Continental Congress met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania's Carpenters' Hall. Twelve of Britain's thirteen American colonies sent representatives to a meeting to talk about the future of America under rising British aggressiveness. -
The famous ride by Paul Revere to alert the community to the approaching British forces. Revere's discussion of the plan with the other soldier is described, followed by his ride and the subsequent interaction between the British and American forces. -
The American War of Independence (1775–1833) began with the Battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775, which produced the infamous "shot heard 'round the world." It was politically terrible for the British and motivated many Americans to join the fight for independence -
At Bunker Hill, the American Revolutionaries lost, but they showed they could compete with the stronger British Army. The violent battle made it clear that there was no chance of peace between England and her American colonies. -
The 13 American colonies lost their political ties to Great Britain after the Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. The colonists' justifications for wanting independence were enumerated in the Declaration. -
The American victory over the superior British force boosted national pride, boosted the dream of independence, and helped to garner the backing of allies that the war required to be won. -
The War of the American Revolution came to an end on September 3, 1783, when representatives from the United States and Great Britain signed the Treaty of Paris. The deal acknowledged American independence and handed it a sizable portion of western territory, building on a prior treaty from 1782.