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Benjamin Franklin proposed the formation of an annual congress of delegates from each of the 13 colonies. They would have the power to raise military and naval forces, make war and peace with Native Americans, regulate trade with them, tax and collect custom duties. It was turned down by the colonies and the crown.
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Shortly after King George took the throne Britain began to deal more firmly with the colonies. Restrictive trade acts were expanded and enforced. New taxes were imposed mostly to support the British troops in America. The colonist saw little need for the expensive presence of the British troops since the French had been defeated and their power broken with the French and Indian wars
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Three Major players fought over North America. The British Empire, the French and the American Indians. This lasted for seven years 1754-1763 with Britain gaining significant territory of North America
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Parliament passed the Stamp Act in 1765, this law required the use of tax stamps on all legal documents, on certain business agreements and on newspapers. The colonists thought this tax severe and "taxation without representation". In October 1765 nine colonies sent delegates to the Stamp Act Congress in New York. They formed a strong protest called the Declaration of Rights and Grievances against the new British policies and sent it to the King.
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The Stamp Act, a tax place on all paper goods led to uprising and protest by colonist. The Stamp Act was repealed, but new polices were put in place. The colonist boycotted English goods. Mob violence erupted at many ports. On March 5, 1770 British troops fired upon a jeering crowd, killing five people.
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Organized resistance was carried out by Committees of Correspondence, which had grown out of a group formed by Samuel Adams. On December 16, 1773 a group of men disguised as Native Americans boarded three tea ships in the Boston Harbor and threw cargo overboard to protest the British control over tea trade. In response to this the British passed new laws, these were denounced by the colonists as the Intolerable Acts
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In the Spring of 1774 Parliament passed another set of laws. The Coercive Act to punish the colonists for the Boston Tea Party and other acts of defiance. The colonists called these the Intolerable Acts. The Boston Port Bill, which closed Boston Harbor. The Massachusett Government Act, which replaced the elective local government with an appointed one. The Administration of Justice Act, which protected British officials and the Quartering Act, allowing for British troops to be housed
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Parliament passed another set of laws to punish colonists for the troubles in Boston and elsewhere. The Americans denounced these laws and called them the Intolerable acts. This led to a widespread call for meeting of all colonies. Delegates from every colony except for Georgia met in Philadelphia on September 5, 1774. They sent a Declaration of Rights protesting British Colonial policies to King George. The delegates urged colonists to boycott British goods.
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The first military engagements of the American Revolutionary War.The British set out to capture Samuel Adams and John Hancock as well as destroy Americans store of weapons and ammunition. Paul Revere is most famous for alerting colonial militia British invasion before Lexington and Concord.This battle started with the "Shot heard around the world" and was the beginning of the American Revolutionary War
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The Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia on May 10, 1775. All 13 colonies were represented, they were called to take charge of the war and were considered the first government of the United States. The Second Continental Congress created the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation.
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A 47 page pamphlet written by Thomas Paine in 1775 - 1776 advocating independence from Great Britain.
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A committee of five were appointed to draft the Declaration of Independence, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Roger Sherman, Robert Livingston and Thomas Jefferson. This had three parts, a general declaration of rights, a list of grievances against the crown and the declaration of independence from England.
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The Articles of Confederation was the written document that established the functions of the national government of the United States and stemmed from wartime urgency. John Hanson was the first president under the Articles of Confederation. They could declare war, make peace and sign treaties and borrow money. They could not draft soldiers, they couldn't raised taxes to pay back money and had no national court system.
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Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and John Jay negotiated the peace treaty with representatives of King George III. The British crown officially recognized America's independence and ceded most of the territory east of the Mississippi River to the United States.
