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The French and Indian War
The French and Indian war was fought between the British and the French over land in the Ohio Valley. It is known as the seven year war. The effects of the French and Indian war led to the Revolutionary War. The most important effect of the war was England was in debt and they thought that the colonists should have to pay for the war. England taxed the colonists. -
The Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was a law passed by the British Parliament in 1765. It basically taxed all of the printed paper goods that the colonists used. This made the colonists angry. Not because the tax was a large amount of money, but because it was passed without any input from the colonists and their representatives. After protesting the Stamp Act, the British did remove the law. -
The Declaratory Act
After the Stamp Act was gone, the Declaratory Act went into action. The Declaratory Act said that the British Parliament could make laws anytime they wanted, without having the opinions of the colonists. NO TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION! -
The Boston Massacre
Many soldiers from England were sent to Boston to help control the people. The people did not like having the soldiers there all the time. On March 5, 1770, a riot broke out when a group of citizens started throwing things at the British soldiers. During the chaos, British soldiers fired at the crowd and five men were killed. Many soldiers left Boston after this incidence. The Boston Massacre just one a signal event leading to the Revolutionary War. -
The Tea Act
The Tea Act was another tax placed upon the colonists. It was passed to keep the East India Company out of bankruptcy. The colonists did not want this tea, but ship loads of tea were being sent to the Americas. They wanted the tea to be sent back, but that was not an option. The Tea Act led directly to the Boston Tea Party. The Revolutionary War will start in just two years. -
The Boston Tea Party
After the Tea Act was passed, colonists rejected the English tea being sent to their ports. Cargo started building up in the ports. They wanted the tea to be sent back to England, but they were told no. The Boston Tea Party was organized, and on December 16, 1773, the group boarded the ships and dumped the tea into the harbor. This is known as the Boston Tea Party. -
Revolutionary War starts
The Revolutionary War started because the colonists wanted to be free from England, and they were fed up with all the taxes being passed. Nobody wanted to pay taxes. People who went against the government were called Patriots, and they fought mainly for freedom for America. In 1775 the first real battle of the Revolutionary War began, it was called the Battle of Lexington. It was the start of many battles to come. George Washington led the American armies during these battles. -
The Battle of Bunker Hill
The Battle of Bunker Hill was a battle fought early in the Revolutionary War. They did not actually fight that much on Bunker Hill, but on a nearby hill named Breed's Hill. The British did win this battle, but it was a major confidence booster for the Americans. That fought pretty well, and they showed the British that they were tough and ready to fight. After this war the British realized that the Revolutionary War was going to be a long and costly war. -
The Declaration of Independence
During the War the Declaration of independence was written up, and it stated that the thirteen colonies were independent colonies, and they were no longer part of the British Empire. They literally declared independence from Britain. We now celebrate Independence Day on July 4. -
Revolutionary War ends
The Revolutionary War ended when British representatives and American representatives met together in ' The City of Lights.' The Treaty of Paris was signed, and it ended the War. The Treaty stated that America was Independent from England, and it also gave the Americans land in the Americas. The Treaty of Paris was the final conclusion of the war. -
Bill of Rights
The Bill of Rights was made legal when Virginia accepted them on December 15, 1791, which made it so two-thirds of the states agreed with the Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights, at the time, contained ten amendments that were designed to protect the basic rights of the American citizens. These included freedom of speech, press, religion, assembly, and the right to bear arms. The Bill of Rights is the first ten amendments in the U.S Constitution, and they became the law of the land.
