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The Enlightenment
The Enlightenment was a time when people really started to think about life and even challenge important components such as religion. Thinkers like John Locke decided that government should be for the people and by the people. Also, he said that government should exisit to protect a persons natural rights. I rate this as a 5, because although it didn't have a direct effect on the revolution, it sparked these revolutionary ideas of government that would be used in our Constitution and Declaration -
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The French and Indian War
The French and Indian War was a war fought between the French and the Colonists. The French sided with the Native Americans but ended up losing the battle, also called Seven Years' War, and signed the Treaty of Paris. I rate this as a 5, because the war created many debts for Britian which led to many taxes on the colonists, which also led to more unrest amoung the colonists but did not effect the revolution as greatly. -
Proclamation of 1763
This was a proclamation from King George III to the colonists comanding them to not settle past the Appalachian Mountains so they would not cause more discord amoung the Native Americans. I rate this as a 6, because it started to fuel the uprisings that the colonists had started and gave a push to rebel. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was an act by Birtian that required all printed documents to have a stamp. This angered the colonists greatly and they refused to buy goods made in England. I rate this event as a 7 because it was not the most influential in beginning the revolution , but because they were growing more and more angry, it helped gain supporters for a revolution. -
The Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre was a quarral between British troops and the local colonists. There was ongoing tension between the two so some of the colonists approched the British and subjected them to verbel abuse and threats. When this became too much, the troops fired into the crowd killing four instantly and one more from wounds. I rate this as a 9, because this event was all the proof the colonists to fuel a rebellion from thier King. -
Tea Act
The Tea Act was an act that taxed the tea in the colonies to where the people could no longer stand it. The act was designed to help a financially struggling East India Coumpany, but instead it provided the next little spark for the Revolution. I rate this as a 8, because this was what finally drove the colonists to believe in a rebellion. -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party is the one of the most well known acts of rebellion. A group of rebles in Boston, Sons of Liberty, gathered together to stage a protest. Some dessed as Native Americans and together they threw overboard over a hundred cases of tea in the Boston Harbor. I rate this as a 9, because it was such a public display of thier anger and it really started the way to the revolution. -
The Intolerable Acts
The British had grown really upset about the Boston Tea Party and in retaliation, issued three new acts to punish the colonists. Act one was to have no trial by jury in the colonies. Act two was called the Quartering Act which forced the colonists to attend to every need that the English soliders may have (housing, food, etc.). Act three was the Blockade of Boston which stopped any ships from entering or leaving the Boston Harbor. Rate=7, the acts caused hardships which made the colonists fight. -
First Continental Congress
Representatives from 12 of the colones gathered in Philadelphia so they could address the previous acts placed upon them by England. They sent a letter to King George III asking to repeal his terrible acts, but the King never did. I rate this as a 7, because even though it wasn't the most effective thing in starting the revolution, it made the colonists more angry toward thier King. -
The Battle at Lexington and Concord
The British troops had information at weapons were being stored in mass in Concord, Massachusetts, but on the way to investigate, they were faced by a large militia and farmers. The British ended up defeating the colonists. The colonists, on the way back to Boston, used guerilla warfare and despite the loss, the colonists gained many fighters. I rate this as a 10, because this was the event that started the revolution and gathered all the followers. -
Second Continental Congress
At this second meeting, the delegates discussed the battle of Lexington and Concord and while some pushed for independence, some were still unwilling.Most of them finally decided to support the idea and set up a comitee to write the declaration.I rate this as a 10, because the colonists (most) had already been convinced of revolution, and now so had the leaders. -
The Declaration of Independence
The Declaration was a document written by Thomas Jefferson declaring our independence from Englnad. In the document, Thomas Jefferson lists 27 examples of British oppression and states that under the circumstances, not only had they the right to do so, but also it was thier responsibility to. I rate this as a 10 also, because this was the final act of rebellion against the King and it finally separated the two making the 13 colonies finally free.
