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Sugar Act
British Parliament was in debt due to the French and Indian war so they decided to tax the colonists. The Sugar Act was the first tax they placed on colonists, which placed a tax on sugar, molasses, and coffee. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was imposed on all American colonists and stated that they must pay a tax on all paper products they printed or used. Licenses, legal documents, newspapers, and playing cards were some of the items that were taxed. The money from these taxes were used to defend and protect the American troops near the Appalachian Mountains. -
The Townshend Acts
The Townshend Acts placed new taxes on lead, glass, paint, paper, and tea. American colonists rebelled against these new taxes, causing Great Britain to send more troops to the colonies. -
The Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre was directly sparked by an American colonist insulting a British soldier. Immediately the soldier hit the colonist with the butt of his rifle, and the guns were fired. Three men were immediately dead, and two who were wounded died later that day. -
The Tea Act
The Tea Act wasn't passed to impose new taxes on the colonists. Parliament passed the tea act to directly sell the unsold tea to colonists at a bargain price. However, the Townshend Acts were still in place, leading colonists to believe that Great Britain was trying to tax them further. -
Boston Tea Party
A group of Massachusetts colonists disguised themselves as Indians and dumped over 342 chests of tea into Boston Harbor. They did this to protest against the Tea Act that Parliament recently passed. -
The Intolerable Acts
After the French and Indian war, more money was needed to pay of the debts. The Intolerable Acts was passed as acts aimed to bring the colonies back into submission of the king -
The First Continental Congress met
The First Continental Congress first met in Carpenter's Hall, Philadelphia. They met to discuss their response to the Intolerable Acts and their relationship with Great Britain. -
The Declaration of Rights & Grievances
The Declaration of Rights is a document stating the problems the colonies had with the British government. The rights that the colonies thought they were being denied were also listed in the document. -
Battle of Lexington & Concord
The battle of Lexington & Concord took place in Boston, Massachusetts. While the British were traveling to Concord for more weapons, they were met by Minutemen. When the British defeated them, they advanced to Concord where they were defeated by the colonists. -
The Second Continental Congress met
The Second Continental Congress met at the State House in Philadelphia. The purpose of the meeting was to decide their next steps concerning the militia. They also created a Continental Army, which they appointed George Washington to be Commander in Cheif of. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
The battle of Bunker Hill was actually fought on Breed's Hill, The battle lasted not even a day with the British winning. -
Common Sense was published
Common Sense was a political pamphlet published by Thomas Paine to "postulate a moral obligation" to the Americans. The impact that it had made Americans strengthen their resolve. -
Declaration of Independence signed
The Declaration of Independence was drafted by Thomas Jefferson between June 11 and June 28, 1776. The official document, stating the independence from Great Britain, was signed on July 4. -
Battle of Trenton
The battle of Trenton took place in Trenton, New Jersey. George Washington led the American troops, who made the Hessians retreat and later surrender. -
Battle of Brandywine Creek
Washington gathered his troops behind Brandywine Creek on September 9. Two days later, the first British troops came down the road. In the end, the British and the Hessians won the battle. -
Battle of Saratoga
The battle of Saratoga took place in Saratoga, New York. There were actually two battles that took place there, the battle of Freeman's Farm and the battle of Bemis Heights. The main battle, the battle of Bemis Heights was won by the American troops -
Washington settles at Valley Forge
When Washington and his troops settled at Valley forge for the winter, they were exhausted after the battles with the British. They were low on supplies and weather conditions were terrible. Many men didn't make it through the winter. -
Battle of Yorktown
The battle of Yorktown took place in Virginia. The Americans, along with the help of the French, took control and won the battle. -
Treaty of Paris was signed
The Treaty of Paris was an agreement that ended the Americans fighting for freedon. Since the Americans were done rebelling, the treaty also ended the war.
