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The French and Indian War Ends
One of the first events leading to the American Revolution. This war was part of the much larger Seven Years' War between Britain and France. The French and Indian War, as well as the much larger Seven Years' War ended today with the Treaty of Paris (1763). -
The Stamp Act
Now every newspaper, pamphlet, or other document whether it were public or legal in nature needed to have a Brittish stamp on it. As one can imagine the Colonists didn't take too kindly to this. After all they had been publishing documents for years, for free, without such a stamp. -
The Townshend Acts
Further taxes upon the Colonists, these covered a wide array of goods such as paper, glass, and tea. Much as before, the Colonists were outraged. The fires of Revolution were beginning to burn brighter. -
Boston Massacre
On this day in Colonial history five Colonists were shot, one was killed. The story is muddy at best, but one thing is clear, there was no going back--the march to Revolution had begun in earnest. -
The Boston Tea Party
The now infamous pre-Revolution event. Angry Colonists banded together, fead up with the continued Townshend Acts' tax on tea went to Boston harbor under cover of night dressed as Mowhawk Indians, dumping over 300 crates of tea into the harbor. -
The Intolerable Acts
In retribution for what the Colonists, now calling themselves the Sons of Liberty, had done the British government put several laws into action. The first closed the port at Boston until such time as law and order could be re-established, it also forced the Bostonians to pay back the East India Company for all the tea that was thrown into the harbor. The second and third laws took away all government control of Massachusetts from the people. The final law allowed quartered in people's homes. -
The First Continental Congress
By this time the Colonists had had enough. In secret 56 representatives from twelve of the Colonies met in Philadelphia to determine what they would do next. Atendees included many famous Colonists, such as George Washington, Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Ben Franklin. The result: the Colonists were going to war...
