Revolutionary War

By lzimmermanl

  • British Empire Goes To War

    In 1760 a new king came to power in Great Britain named King George III. George III used the powerful British Navy to wage war with France in order to gain more land. This war was very expensive and cost England almost all the money it had. In order to raise more money, King George III looked to the colonies.

  • The Stamp Act

    In order to help cover the cost of the war between Great Britain and France, British officials began to establish new taxes in the Colonies. In 1765 a tax was passed by Great Britain known as the stamp act. This law required all colonists to pay a tax to Great Britain on all of the printed materials that they used, newspapers, magazines, and even playing cards.

  • The Boston Massacre

    The king continued to impose new and unfair taxes. When the colonists refused to pay them, the king sent soldiers to the colonies. In the Winter of 1770 a small group of colonists in Boston were taking out their frustration with the troops by teasing them, and throwing snowballs at them. In retaliation, these soldiers opened fire, killing four of the Bostonians. This event became known as the Boston Massacre.

  • Boston Tea Party

    In protest to the unfair tax on tea, a group of individuals dressed up as Native Americans boarded a cargo ship in Boston Harbor, and dumped its entire load of tea into the harbor waters. This event became known as the Boston tea party. In response to the Boston tea party the Parliament in Great Britain passed a number of new laws, which completely closed down the Boston Harbor until colonists paid for the cost of the tea that had been dumped into the harbor.

  • The First Continental Congress

    56 delegates were sent from each of the 13 colonies to meet in Philadelphia as representatives of The First Continental Congress. These representatives debated the issues of the rights of colonists as a united group.

  • Paul Revere's Ride

    King George III ordered that soldiers take all the weapons from the colonists in Boston. Paul Revere warned the colonists that the soldiers were coming and an army made of farmers and shop owners were able to defeat the trainied British soldiers.

  • The Olive Branch Petition

    In May of 1775 The Second Continental Congress met to discuss the ongoing problems between Great Britain and the Colonies. They asked King George III to change the unfair trading practices which favored Great Britain. The King refused to even read the Petition.

  • The Declaration of Independence

    Thomas Jefferson writes the Declaration of Independence stating that the colonies would no longer follow the rules of the king, but would make their own laws instead.

  • The Revolutionary War

    The Colonists fight for the right to make their own laws.

  • The Articles of Confederation

    After winning their independence in 1781, the Continental Congress established the Articles of Confederation. These articles stated that each colony was to act as an independent state, and that each state had the right to pass laws within their territories.

  • The Constitution

    After debating the problems with the Articles of Confederation, the representatives in Philadelphia decided that rather than rewrite the articles they would instead create a new constitution, that would form a new central government.
    After several months of debate, and compromise, they signed the Constitution of the United States into law, creating the United States of America.