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Treaty Of Paris
Summary: The Treaty of Paris was signed on February 10, 1763 and marked the end of the long, Seven Year War. The terms of the treaty stated that the French would relinquish all mainland east of the Mississippi to Britain. Britain then gave back islands in Guadelupe.
Effect: The Treaty of Paris ended the French and Indian War and pretty much kicked the French out of North America. The treaty also took away foreign threats to the colonies, allowing them to have many more land opportunities. -
Proclamation of 1763
Summary: An order by King George III that forbids Americans from settling west of Appalachian Mountains. Created after the end of the French and Indian War.
Effects: One of the main goals of the war was to capture land, specifically the Ohio River Valley, an area with numerous natural resources. After seven years of warfare, the Americans believed that they had earned the right to settle and harvest this land. However, the proclamation forbids it, which Americans took as a violation of rights. -
Sugar Act of 1764
The Sugar Act was an indirect tax that taxed all sugar products in the colonies. The tax was created because the French and Indian War was a very expensive war and they needed to pay back debts. Another goal was to end smuggling in colonies.
This was met with outrage from colonists as they had just fought a war for Britain and now they were being asked to pay for it. The tax didn't complete either of Britain's goals and was met with boycotts and resistance from colonists. -
Stamp Act of 1765
The Stamp Act was a direct tax placed on all of the colony's printed goods such as newspapers, letters, playing cards, etc. This was again passed to try to pay back the debts of the French and Indian War.
The colonists again felt like their rights were being violated as they had no say in the process of this tax being made. The colonists again boycotted, held meetings, and formed mobs to try and resist these taxes. These worked and the Stamp Act was repealed in 1766. -
Quartering Act of 1765
The Quartering Act said that the colonists must house and feed British soldiers. The goal was to stop colonial resistance and raise revenue in the colonies. The act was also passed to lower morale in colonies.
The colonists were again angered by the Quartering Act because they had to pay to feed British soldiers when they could barely feed themselves. The colonists also felt like the soldiers had become enemies and were there to completely control them. This act led to a large rise in tension. -
Boston Massacre of 1770
The Boston Massacre was a skirmish between the British soldiers and a group of colonists in Boston. Rising tensions from previous acts passed by Britain caused soldiers and colonists to get into a fight, and shots were fired, killing 5 colonists.
This event showed how bad things were between soldiers and colonists, and proved that both sides were seen as enemies. The soldiers were found innocent, further angering colonists. Colonists also started creating mobs and confronting soldiers more. -
Tea Act of 1773
The Tea act was one of the Townshend Acts but was kept even after the Townshend Acts were repealed. This was to show that Britain still had power over the colonists. This was a tax on tea imports and exports in colonies.
This act led to even greater tension between Britain and the colonies. It also eventually led to the Boston Tea Party, where a small group of colonists dressed up as natives and dumped a million dollars worth of the king's tea into the Boston Harbor. -
The Intolerable Acts of 1774
The Intolerable Acts were a set of laws passed by the British in response to the Boston Tea Party, meaning the laws punished the colonies. The laws shut down Boston Harbor, repealed the colonies charter of 1691, allowed British soldiers to go back to England for trial, and made new arrangements for British soldiers to live in colonists' homes.
The colonists felt that this was super unfair because only a small group of people were involved in the Boston Tea Party yet they were all being punished. -
Quebec Act of 1774
The Quebec Act of 1774 preserved the French civil code. This was used to deal with questions between Britain and the French on whether or not the French colony of Canada was to become a province of the British in North America. It also put the territory between Ohio and the Mississippi River under the French government.
This scared and angered the colonists because Britain and France were making deals on their own, and Britain had just given land back to the French that was won in the war. -
Lexington and Concord 1775
The battles of Lexington and Concord pretty much set off the Revolutionary War. The king heard that a militia was forming in Massachusetts and decided to seize land and munitions. Because of the militias spy network, the colonies knew this was coming and were prepared for battle. The militia successfully slowed down the British from invading.
This made tensions between colonies and Britain no longer secretive. It also raised colonies morale and showed they could win battles against Britain.