Road to Revolution

  • sugar act

    sugar act
    Indirect tax (out of sight = out of mind)
    Duties on molasses and sugar
  • stamp act

    stamp act
    Tax on all paper products
    Official stamp/seal on all paper items (proof tax was paid)
    Purchases only with valuable silver coins
    If didn't purchase= fined or jailed
    Direct tax
    (in your face tax)
  • Declaratory Act

    Declaratory Act
    -Parliament declares it has power to make laws for the colonies "in all cases whatsoever"
    -Parliament passes this to save face
  • townshend act

    townshend act
    Taxes on glass, lead, paints, paper, and tea
    Searched for smuggled goods
  • colonists vs British Troops

    colonists vs British Troops
    -fights between troops and Bostonians were common
    -March 5, 1770:soldier strikes colonist
    -crowd gathers and hassles soldier, throwing snowballs and shouting insults.
    More troops arrive, colonists get more and more angry
    -"Fire if you dare!"
    -This became known as the Boston Massacre
  • Boston Tea Party

    Boston Tea Party
    Members of Sons of Liberty Dump over 340 chests of tea into Boston Harbor
    Caused problems for loyalists/Tories
    -Loyalist/Tory = a person in the Colony who remains “loyal” to the King and Great Britain
  • intolerable act

    intolerable act
    Passed to punish Boston for Tea Party
    -Boston Harbor closed until tea paid for
    -Massachusetts Charter canceled
    -Quartering Act requires colonists to house soldiers
    “If a soldier comes knocking at the door. . . you’re sleeping on the floor”
    - general Thomas Gage became new governor of MA
  • First Continental Congress meets

    First Continental Congress meets
    -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

    1000's of Redcoats in Boston
    General Gage brings thousands of British soldiers to Boston with more on the way.
  • midnight ride of Paul Revere

    midnight ride of Paul Revere
    Paul Revere rides to warn the Sons of Liberty in Lexington and Concord that the "British are coming. . . The British are coming, the British are coming . . . "
  • Battle of Lexington and concord

    Battle of Lexington and concord
    • Battle of Lexington
    • 1st battle of American Revolutionary War
    • "shot heard 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

    capture of Fort Ticonderoga
    -Benedict Arnold and Ethan Allen capture in the fort
    -get all supplies in the fort including cannons
    - AMERICAN Victory
  • the second continental congress meets

    the second continental congress meets
    -they printed money
    -they formed committees
    -created the army led by George Washington
    -sent olive branch asking king to protect their rights
    -king hires 30,000 hessians soldiers in response
  • Battle of Bunker Hill

    Battle of Bunker Hill
    -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

    Washington arrives on outskirts of Boston with Continental troops
    -realizes men are disorganized and need discipline
    -need weapons
  • "Common Sense" published by Thomas Paine

    "Common Sense" published by Thomas Paine
    -Pamphlet inspires more colonists to become patriots
    -Every thing that is right or reasonable pleads for seperation. The blood of the slain, the weeping voice of nature cries, 'TIS TIME TO PART" -Thomas Paine, Common Sense
  • British Surrender Boston

    British Surrender Boston
    -Washington believes his army is ready and weapons arrive
    -Washington puts cannons on Dorchester heights overlooking Boston
    -British retreat- AMERICAN Victory
  • Second Continental Congress meet again

    Second Continental Congress meet again
    -debate on declaring independence
    - Thomas Jefferson is the primary author of the document
  • Second Continental Congress votes for Independence

    Second Continental Congress votes for Independence
    -All 13 colonies vote YES on declaring Independence
  • The Declaration of Independence is signed

    The Declaration of Independence is signed
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