-
Treaty of Paris - 1763
The Treaty of Paris in 1763 was the end of the French Indian war, but it caused taxation on the colonists. This was another reason for the colonists to be angry towards England and start the revolution. -
Proclamation of 1763
The Proclamation of 1763 stated that colonists could not settle west of the Appalachian mountains. This affected the Revolutionary War by angering the colonists to the point of starting a war over power. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was a law stating that the colonists must pay money for every printed piece of paper that they use to help protect the American Frontier. This particular law upset the colonists because usual taxation laws were to help regulate commerce in the colonies, but this one was to raise money without the approval of colonial legislatures. -
The Sons of Liberty
The Sons of Liberty started out as a group that called themselves "The Loyal Nine." They were agitated and upset about the Stamp Act, so they started rebelling against Britain and soon had members in every colony. -
Quartering Act
The Quartering Act was an act stating that British soldiers were to find room and board with the American colonies, but the colonists preffered to be asked and then give consent to those who needed a place to stay. Also, in Massachussetts, soldiers were forced to pitch tents on Boston Common due to the fact that the city was already riled up. These same soldiers were also involved in the Boston Massacre. -
Period: to
Townshend Acts
The Townshend Acts caused the colonists to pay even more money, so obviously they would be upset about this. These laws were just another step to making the colonists angry by making them feel trapped within the government. -
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre was a result of growing tension between the colonists and the English troops. This is considered the first revolt against the British and the start of the revolution -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea party was another act of rebellion against the British Parliament's taxation laws. This led to the Boston Port Act, which closed Boston to shipping tea until the destroyed tea was payed for. Destroying the tea caused the British to be upset about how the colonists wouldn't obey them and pay their taxes. -
Patriots
People that supported the revolution were known as Patriots and took up about 1/3 of the population at the time. When Britain set taxes on tea, some Patriots from Massachusetts ended up throwing over 300 chests of tea overboard on a ship; this event is otherwise known as the Boston Tea Party. -
Martha Custis Washington
Martha Washington played a critical role in caketaking her husband, Colonel George Washington. Before her marriage to this war leader, Martha was betrothed to a manager of a plantation. She was a patriotic symbol in the revolting nation even though she had problems deciding whether to be a Loyalist or a Patriot. -
Period: to
Intolerable Acts
The Intolerable Acts were a series of laws passed by the British Parliament that showed their annoyance with the colonists. Each of the individual acts made life harder for the colonists and angered them to the point of war. -
Samuel Adams
Samuel Adams was a Patriot at heart. He protested against the Stamp Act, wasn't in agreement with the Townshend Acts, helped bring the Boston Massacre to life, the moving spirit of the Boston Tea Party, and was one of people that signed the Declaration of Indepedence. Also, he was a member of the Continental Congress from 1774 - 1781. -
Period: to
1st Continental Congress
Delagates from each state, except Georgia, met to discuss the current situation with Britain. They sent a letter to King George demanding that the Intolerable acts to be stopped, or they would boycott british goods. The King denied, and they started to boycott. This affects the outcome of the war because it causes Britain to have less money to spend on war materials. -
Lexington and Concord
The battle of Lexington and Concord kicked off the start of the Revolutionary war. This battle affected the British army in a negative way because of losing the first battle. Even though the British were heavily armed, the colonists still pulled through. -
Paul Revere
"The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere" influenced the winner of Lexington and Concord, the first battle of the Revolutionary War by warning the Militias by yelling out "The British are coming!" This allowed the Militias to be prepared when the British attacked and win the battle. -
Common Sense
"Common Sense" was a pamphlet that supported American Independence. The writing changed many colonist's feeling towards Britain and brought them to a state of craving freedom. -
Thomas Paine
In 1774, Thomas Paine immigrated to Philadelphia. He quickly became aware of political events happening around him. As a result of this, he published the first pamphlet advocating American Independence, Common Sense. -
Declaration of Independence
On July 4th, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was adopted by congress; the document stated that "all men are created equal" and gained the country their independence. This movement gained support from other colonies and foreign countries. -
Abigail Adams
Abilgail Adams was notably involved in politics during the time of the Revolutionary War because of her husband, John Adams. She sent letters to J.Adams argueing for women's rights to be drawn up in the Declaration of Independence. -
Thomas Jefferson
Third president of the United States and author of the Declaration of Independece, Thomas Jeffereson was a significant role model during the times when America was in early development. -
Hessians
The "Hessians" were around 30,000 German troops recruited by Britain. Unlike other soldiers, they were fighting for their paycheck, not for political reasons, so after the war, many settled in America. These German soldiers fought in many battles such as the Battle of Saratoga, but faced many losses along side with the British. -
Period: to
Battle of Saratoga
In this turning point of the Revolutionary War, General John Burgoyne lost 86 percent of his army and surrendered over 5,000 British troops. Because of this American win, the French recognized American Independence and agreed to aid them in the war. -
Benedict Arnold
An early hero of the Revolutionary War, Benedict Arnold, who later became a traitor and fought for the British, played a crucial part in British General John Burgoyne's surrender at the Battle of Saratoga. Arnold felt that he didn't get the recognizition that he deserved for his role on the Patriot's side. -
Battle of Yorktown
The Battle of Yorktown included George Washington commanding 17,000 French and Continental troops. These troops enveloped Yorktown, and after 3 weeks of constant battle, the British surrendered and started peace negotiations in 1782. -
George Washington
Known as the first president of the United States, George Washington was also a leader in the Revolutionary War. At the Battle of Yorktown, Washington led the Patriots along with the French Military to victory. -
Lord Cornwallis
Charles Cornwallis led the British army to victory during the early times of the war, but near the end of the war, his armies in Virginia were defeated and was forced to surrender in the Battle of Yorktown. -
Treaty of Paris - 1783
After much negotiation, the Treaty of Paris was signed and recognized America as an independent country as well as ended the Revolutionary War. -
Loyalists
Loyalists were those who strongly supported Britain; they had issues choosing which side to fight on in the American Revolution, so most of them stayed neutral, but due to the fact that they were looked down upon in their daily life by Patriots, many chose the side of the Patriots. The Treaty of Paris in 1783 prevented from further destruction of Loyalist property and required congress to restore it as well. -
John Adams
John Adams was a leader in the American Revolution and served as the second president of the United States. He was also a crucial negotiator in the Treaty of Paris of 1783, which officially ended the American Revolution.
