Road to Revolution

Sugar Act

Apr 5, 1764

Indirect tax(out of sight=out of mind)
Duties on molasses and sugar.

Stamp Act

Mar 22, 1765

Tax on all paper products.
Official stamp/seal on all paper items (proof tax was paid)

Declaratory Act

Mar 18, 1766

Parliament declares it has power to make laws for the colonies "in all cases whatsoever"
Parliament passes to this safe face.

Townshend Act

Jun 29, 1767

Taxes on glass, lead, paint, paper, and tea.
Searched for smuggle goods.

Boston Massacre

Mar 5, 1770

The crowd gathers and hassles soldiers, throwing snowballs and shouting insults.
More troops arrive, colonists get more and more angry.
"Fire if you dare!"

Tea Act

May 10, 1773

Passed in 1773 and allowed the British East India Company (BEIC) to sell tea directly to colonists.
Lower Prices than colonists merchant price.
Tax Tea cheaper than smuggled tea
Less smuggling = more tax money

Boston Tea Party

Dec 16, 1773

Members of Son of Liberty Dump over 340 of tea into Boston Harbor.
Caused problems for loyalist/Tories
-Loyalist/Tory is a person in the Colony who remains "royal" to the King & Great Britain.

Intolerable Act

1774

Passed to Punish Boston for Tea Party
Boston Harbor Closed until the tea is paid for
Massachusetts Charter cancelled
General Thomas Gage became the new governor of MA.

Quartering Act

1774

Required Colonist to house soldiers
"If a soldiers come knocking on the door you are sleeping on the floor."

First Continental Congress

Sep 5, 1774

All colonies but Georgia have representatives.
Voted to send a "statement of grievances".
Voted to Boycott all British Trade.
Patrick Henry-VA rep. urged colonists to unite against Britain.

1000's of Redcoats in Boston

Apr 1, 1775

General Gage brings thousands of British soldiers to Boston with more on the way.

Midnight ride of Paul Revere

Apr 18, 1775

Paul Revere rides to warn the Sons of Liberty in Lexington and Concord that the "British are coming... The British are coming.."

Battles of Lexington & Concord

Apr 19, 1775

Battle of Lexington - 1st battle of the American Revolutionary War.
"shot head round the world" - Ralph Waldo Emerson
BRITISH Victory. Battle of Concord - Americans Stop British and force them to retreat back to Boston.
AMERICAN Victory.

Capture of Fort Ticonderoga

May 10, 1775

Benedict Arnold & Ethan Allen capture the fort.
Get all supplies in the fort including cannons.
AMERICAN Victory.

The Second Continental Congress

May 10, 1775

Print money
Set up post office
Created Continental Army led by George Washington
Sent Olive Branch asking King to protect their rights
The King reject the offers, he hired and sent more than 30,000 German troops, called Hessian, to fight alongside the British troops.

Battle of Bunker Hill

Jun 16, 1775

Fought on Breed's Hill
"Don't Fire until you see the whites of their eyes" - William Prescott.
BRITISH Victory (Americans ran out of ammunition) British learn defeating Americans would NOT be easy.

Washington arrives on outskirts of Boston with Continental troops

Jul 15, 1775

Realizes men are disorganized & need discipline
Need weapons

"Common Sense" published by Thomas Paine

Jan 10, 1776

Pamphlet inspires more colonists to become patriots
"Everything that is right or reasonable pleads for separation. The blood of the slain, the weeping voice of nature cries, 'TIS TIME TO PART"- Thomas Paine, Common Sense

British Surrender Boston

Mar 17, 1776

Washington believes his army is ready & weapons arrive
Washington puts cannons on Dorchester Heights overlooking Boston
BRITISH retreat - AMERICAN Victory.

Second Continental Congress meet again

Jun 15, 1776

Debate on declaring independence
Thomas Jefferson is the primary author of the document

Second Continental Congress votes for Independence

Jul 2, 1776

All 13 colonies vote YES on declaring independence

The Declaration of Independence is signed!

Jul 4, 1776