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Treaty of Paris (1763)
The Treaty of Paris in 1763 was the treaty to end the French and Indian War. Britain, France, and French ally Spain signed the Treaty of Paris in France on February 10, 1763. The treaty stated France would give Canada to Britain and all land east of the Mississippi River and Britain gave Cuba back to Spain. -
Proclamation Line of 1763
The Proclamation Line of 1763 was set in place upon the American colonists by Britain. The Proclamation Line forbade the colonists to move west of the Appalachian Mountains and crossing into the territory of the French and Native Americans. -
The Sugar Act
The Sugar Act was an act passed by British leaders forcing the colonists to pay a 3 cent tax on sugar. It also increased taxes on coffee, indigo, and wine. -
The Stamp Act
One of the first of all British Acts to be passed against the colonists was the Stamp Act. The Stamp Act was a tax on all printed materials -- including newspapers, magazines, legal documents, licenses, and even playing cards. The Stamp Act outraged the colonists because printed materials were so popular among them and used in every day life. Paper was becoming too expensive for the colonists to afford, and was eventually repealed. -
The Quartering Act
In May 1765, British Parliament passed the Quartering Act which stated that if there wasn't enough space to quarter troops in barracks, then they were to be quartered in public houses and inns. -
The Townshend Acts
The Townshend Acts were passed in order to raise revenue in the colonies for govoners and judges to ensure the colonists would remain loyal to Britain. -
Boston Massacre
On March 5, 1770, the tension between the British and the colonists had gone on long enough and errupted in a violent altercation. The colonists began to throw snowballs and pebbles at British soldiers; this quickly broke into a raging riot. To stop the riot, the soldiers fired their weapons and killed five Americans and wounded several others. -
Boston Tea Party
The final act of rebellion against the British occurred during the Boston Tea Party. British leaders lowered the prices on taxes after selling the rights to the East India Company. Many colonists saw this as a trick of Britain's to get them to buy more tea and in turn pay more money. When British ships arrived in the Boston Harbor on December 16, the colonists dumped hundreds of cases of tea in the harbor as their final protest before the war finally began. -
The Intolerable Acts
The Intolerable Acts were passed by British leaders in order to punish the colonists of Massachusetts after the events of the Boston Tea Party. Britain punished Massachusetts by closing the ports of Boston Harbor with the passing of these acts. -
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First Continental Congress
The First Continental Congress met in Philadelphia from September 5 to October 26 in 1774. Every colony, except Georgia, sent a delegate. The purpose of this meeting was for the colonies to decide how to react to the Intolerable Acts passed by British Parliment. -
Lexington and Concord
British troops moved out of Boston and marched toward Concord in order to seize the colonists’ weapons. Boston Patriots learned of this plan, however, it was supposed to remain a secret. British forces reached Concord on April 19 and encountered 70 armed militia. They promised the colonists that no one would be harmed as long as they released their weapons. The colonists obeyed until an anonymous figure fired a shot; eight Americans were shot dead within minutes. -
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Second Continental Congress
Delegates of all thirteen colonies met in the summer of 1775 when the Revolutionary War broke out until the Declaration of Independence was written July 4, 1776. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
The British attack the colonist troops at Bunker Hill on June 17, 1775. Although this battle resulted in more casualties for the British, it is considered a British victory because the colonists ran out of supplies and were forced to retreat. -
Olive Branch Petition
The Olive Branch Petition was drafted by John Dickinson on July 5, 1775 and submitted to King George of Britain on July 8. The petition was the colonists attempt to remind Britain of their rights while maintaining their loyalty; the colonists stated they were only defending themselves against the British and they had the right to open arms if necessary, but they would like to end the war following the submission of the petition. King George refused to even read the petition and the war raged on. -
Common Sense
Common Sense, written by Thomas Paine, was written in order to inspire the colonists to declare and fight for independence from Great Britain. -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was written during the Second Continental Congress. The declaration was a list of complaints against King George and the colonists' final announcement of their independence and freedom from British rule. -
The Crisis
Written by Thomas Paine, Paine's purpose was to unify the colonists against the injustices put upon them by Britain and to get excited for the war and ready to fight for independence. -
Battle of Princeton and Trenton
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Battle of Saratoga
This was the turning point in the war and considered the biggest victory yet for the American forces. In October 1777, Burgoyne’s troops surrender to Gates at Saratoga. -
Battles of Camden, Kings Mountain, and Cowpens
During the wars of the south, the Loyalists did much of the fighting for the British. The british took Savannah, GA, in 1778 and Charleston, SC, in 1780. -
Battle of Yorktown
British troops and British General Cornwallis set up camp on a peninsula in Yorktown while waiting to resupply their materials. Shortly after, American reinforcements arrive and troops are positioned by Marquis de Lafayette. Lafayette and George Washington have twice the number of troops as the British and they hit British troops with heavy artillery. This leaves Britain with no choice but to escape from Yorktown, and on October 19, 1781, Cornwallis surrenders at Yorktown. -
Treaty of Paris (1783)
After the American victory at Yorktown, British leaders realizes they had lost the war and America had gained their independence. The Treaty of Paris between the British and the colonies determined the Northern Border, declared the Mississippi River the western boundary, returned Florida to Spain, withdrew British troops from the United States and gave Loyalists the rights to property recommended by Congress.
