-
The Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was passed by the British Parliament on March 22, 1765. The new 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. The Stamp Act was the first direct, internal tax -
Period: to
Span of the Revolution (at least mine)
-
Committees of Correspondence
They were shadow governments organized by Patriot leaders, by communicating the colonial interpretation of British actions between the colonies and to foreign governments. The committees of correspondence brought the colonies together on common causes and made plans for unified action.The group of committees was the beginning of what later became a formal political union among the colonies. -
The Boston Tea Party
This was a political protest by the Sons of Liberty to ct out against the British East India Company forcing their taxed tea upon them. 46 tons of tea were thrown overboard, and the British shut down Boston harbor until it was all paid for, which of coursse it never was. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
In the early years of the war, the British defeated the Americans at Bunker Hill, but took a suprising number of casualties. Not only did this establish unease in the British forces, it provided a significant confidence boost to the Continental Army -
Henry Knox totally rocks
As a colonel in the Continental Army and a former Son of Liberty, Knox worked in close proximity with George Washington throughput the war. Perhaps his most significant achievement was during the siege of Boston. Using cannons captured at Fort Ticonderoga, he positioned them on Dorchester Heights, a feat wich took two months. Instead of being bombarded, the British surrendered almst immediately. -
Benjamin Franklin sets out to win the alliance of France
Shortly after being named an agent of diplomatic commision, Ben Franklin sets sail for Paris, so as to befriend the king and assure the victory of the Colonies over Britian, with the help of the French military. Even though he was partying, his agenda was to gain a powerful ally, a powerful ally that already had a quarrel with Britian. -
Crossing the Delaware
George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River, which occurred on the night of December 25–26, 1776, was the first move in a surprise attack organized by George Washington against the Hessian forces in Trenton, New Jersey on the morning of December 26. This allowde his army to re-stock and reorganize, as well as giving them a significant morale boost -
Battle of Trenton
This was a small but extremely important victory for the Continental Army. In a time of extremely low morale, George Washington led an assault on Hessian mercenaries on Christmas day, when their guard was down. The defeat of the Hessians inspired colonists to join the ranks of the Army. This battle served mainly as a pivotal morale boost. -
Batlle of Brandywine
In the largest battle of the Revolutionary War, General Sir William Howe outmanuevered George Washington and overtook Philadelphia on September 26, leading into a nearly year long British occupation -
Marquis de Lafayette at Valley Forge
If not for the support of the Marquis de Lafayette, the Continental Army may have never recovered from the winter of Valley Forge. He was crucial in securing supplies from France, maintaining morale, donating money to buy supplies, and upholding the command of George Washington. He proved his loyalty time and time again, fighting alongside his men in some of the most miserable conditions in the Revolutionary War -
Benedict's traitorous defect
Benedict Arnold started off as an American hero, but feeling underappreciated, he plotted to weaken the Continental Army in favor of the British. He had made plans with a British spy named John Andre to turn over West Point to the British in turn for money, as his lavish lifestyle yielded much debt. Andre was captured and evidence on his person would have led back to Arnold, so he fled to join te British on the HMS Vulture. -
Battle of King's Mountain
This was a decisive victory for the Patriot militia in South Carolina, killing the British major Patrick Ferguson. This came after the string of defeats due to Cornwallis, and was a huge morale booster. This also forced Cornwallis to abandon his plan of capturing North Carolina. -
Nathanael Greene's War Machine
With the British pushed back to South Carolina, but the Continental Army outnumbered, Greene leads the attack on Eutaw Springs, employing brilliant guerilla tactics, he and his smaller force were able to push Cornwallis into Charleston, the last British settlement in South Carolina. -
Siege of Yorktown
Continental and French troops laid siege to Yorktown, the last major land battle of the war. This forced the surrender of Cornwallis, and led to a negotiation to end the conflict. This boosted faltering morale, and revived French enthusiasm. -
Treaty of Paris 1783
The Treaty of Paris, signed in Paris by representatives of King George III of Great Britain and representatives of the United States of America on September 3, 1783, ended the American Revolutionary War. This treaty, along with the separate peace treaties between Great Britain and the nations that supported the American cause: France, Spain and the Dutch are known collectively as the Peace of Paris. Its granted the United States a generous amount of land.
