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)
    Legal documents.
    Licenses.
    Newspaper.
    Pamphlets.
    Playing cards.
    Purchased only with valuable silver coins.
    If didn’t purchase=fined or jail.
    Protested Stamp Act, feeling rights were violated.
    Direct Tax
    -(in your face tax.)
  • Declaratory Act

    Declaratory Act

    Parliament declares it has power to make laws for the colonist “in all cases whatsoever.”
    Parliament passes this to save face.
  • Townshend Act

    Townshend Act

    Taxes on glass, lead, paints, and tea.
    Searched for smuggled goods
    Sons of liberty start to do violent acts
    -British Soldiers arrive to protect tax collectors.
  • Bloody Massacre

    Bloody Massacre

    Fights between troops and Bostonians were common.
    March 5, 1770: soldiers strikes colonist.
    Crowd gathers and hassles soldiers, throwing snowballs and shouting insults.
    More troops arrive, colonists get more and more angry.
    “Fire if you dare!”
  • Tea Act (not a tax)

    Tea Act (not a tax)

    Passed in 1773 and allowed BritishEast India Company (DEIC) to sell tea directly to colonists.
    Lower Prices than colonist merchant prices.
    Tax Tea cheaper than smuggled tea.
    Less smuggling=more tax money.
    Colonial Merchants feared BEIC would put them out of business.
  • Boston Tea Party

    Boston Tea Party

    Members of Sons of Liberty Dump over 340 chests of tea into Boston Harbor
    “Boston harbor is a teapot tonight!”
    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
    Royal officials had trial in Britain
    Quartering Act required colonists to house soldiers
    “If a soldier comes knocking at the door…. You’re sleeping on the floor.
    Large amount of land given to Quebec
    General Thomas Gage became new governor of MA
  • First Continental Congress

    First Continental Congress

    All colonies but Georgia have representatives.
    Voted to send a "statement of grievances".
    Voted to Boycott all British Trade.
    Patrick Henry-VA rep. urged colonist to unite against Britain.
  • 1,000’s of Redcoats in Boston

    1,000’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..”
  • Battles of Lexington and Concord

    Battles 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.
  • Capture of Fort Ticonderoga

    Capture of Fort Ticonderoga

    Benedict Arnold and Ethan Allen capture the fort.
    Get all supplies in the fort including cannons.
    AMERICAN Victory
  • Second Continental Congress meet

    Second Continental Congress meet

    Print $$$$.
    Set up post office.
    Created Continental 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 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

    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 meets again

    Second Continental congress meets 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

  • The declaration of independence is signed

    The declaration of independence is signed