Road to Revolution

Sugar Act

1764

Indirect tax
Duties on molasses and sugar

Stamp Act

1765

Tax on all paper products
Official stamp/seal on all paper items
Purchased only with valuable silver coins
If you didn't purchase = fined or jailed
Direct tax

Townshend Act

1767

Taxes on glass, lead, paints, and tea
searched for smuggled goods

Tea act

1773

Passed 1773 and allowed British east India company to sell tea directly to colonists
Lower prices than colonist merchant prices
Tax tea cheaper than smuggled tea
Less smuggling=more tax money

Intolerable Act

1774

Passed to punish Boston for tea party
Boston harbor closed until tea paid for
Massachusetts charter canceled
Royal officials had trial in Britain
Quartering act required colonists to house soldiers
If a soldier comes knocking at the door… you are sleeping on the floor.
General Thomas Gage became the new governor of ma

Quartering Act

1774

If a soldier comes knocking at the door ... you're sleeping on the floor.

Continental Congress meets

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.

first continental congress meets

Sep 5, 1774

All colonies but georgia have representatives
Voted to send a statement of grievances”
Voted to boycott all british trade

1,000's of Redcoats in Boston

1775

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..."

Battle of lexington & concord

Apr 19, 1775

Battle of lexington
1st battle of american revolutionary war
“Shot heard around 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

Second Continental Congress meets

May 10, 1775

Print $$$$
Set up post office
Created continental army led by george washington
Sent olive branch asking king to protect their rights
King hired 30,000 hessian soldiers in response.

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 the 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

The declaration of independence is signed

Jul 4, 1776