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The French and Indian War (The Seven Years War)
It started in the early 1750s when France expanded into the Ohio River valley. This brought some conflict with the British colonies, especially Virginia. After 4 years the French built Fort Duquesne where the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers joined to form what is the Ohio River today. This made it hard for the British to attack because the French base was so strong. In 1756 the British declared war. The war ended because of the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1763. -
Proclamation of 1763
The proclamation closed off the frontier to colonial expansion. This was created because the King was trying to calm the Indians' fear, for the colonists were trying to expand into their lands. The colonists felt that the King was just trying to pin them along the Atlantic seaboard where they would be easier to regulate. The proclamation made it so the heads of all rivers which flowed into the Atlantic Ocean from the west or northwest were off-limits to the colonists. -
The Sugar Act
The Sugar Act is a modified version of the Sugar and Molasses Act that was passed in 1733. This act hurt the British West Indies market in molasses, sugar, and rum. The rum industry in the colonies almost caused an immediate decline on molasses. The Sugar Act also made it so more foreign goods were taxed. Those goods were sugar, certain wines, coffee, pimiento, Cambridge and printed calico. There were many bitter protests which caused the duties to lower substantially. -
The Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was one of Parliament’s first serious attempts to assert government authority over the colonies. Its main focus was to support the new military force. The Stamp Act was not only stamps being taxed but all paper goods. Some of those items were stamps, paper, playing cards, board games, etc. The people of England had to pay higher Stamp tax, which didn’t go well with them. -
The Stamp Act Congress
The congress stated the rights and grievances of colonists. They tried beseeching the king and parliament to repeal the repugnant legislation. England completely ignored their request to get rid of the Stamp Act. It did end up being significant because it took a step toward inter colonial unity. -
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre was a street fight between a patriot mob and British soldiers. The mob were throwing snowballs, rocks, and sticks at the soldiers. There was a fire in town and someone screamed fire which caused the British soldiers to start firing. The British commander said that he wasn’t the one who yelled fire. The soldiers ended up killing several colonists. It is also known as “The bloody Massacre.” -
Boston Tea Party
The Governor, Thomas Hutchinson, thought it would be a good idea to sneak three ships carrying tea into the harbor at night. The townspeople heard about this and weren’t so happy about it. That night they stormed onto the ships and tossed 342 chests of tea into the harbor. They did it disguised as Native Americans, so they wouldn’t be identified. Because of the colonists, not a single British East India Company chest reached its destination. -
Intolerable Acts
Those acts include Boston Port Act, Administration of Justice Act, Massachusetts Government Act, Quartering Act, and Quebec Act. After the French and Indian War the British Government needed more money. They decided to press greater taxes on the colonies. Because of the British Government, it led to the Boston Tea Party. This then caused Britain to pass several of the acts to bring the colonies back into submission of the Kind, which didn’t go over well with the colonies. -
Lexington and Concord
These two battles were what started off the American Revolution. The Battle of Lexington, the redcoats had the upper hand against the colonists who didn't have enough people. The Minute Men refused to disperse and Britain ended up taking the victory. After taking the victory at Lexington, they moved towards Concord. The American militia ended up killing tons of redcoats, causing them to retreat.
