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Sugar Act
This was an unfair act passed by the British Parliment unto the colonists. The excuse the Parliment used was to raise their revenue in the Kingdom. They also said it was for the protection of all the townspeople. -
Stamp Act
This act put a tax on all paper in Britain. The actual cost was small, but with all the other acts added, it was just another unecessary tax to pay. -
Townshend Acts
The Townshend Acts put taxes on glass, lead, paints, paper and tea. Many Americans saw the taxes as an abuse of power. They soon repealed all the townshend acts, except the tea, and this was the only time there was truce between Britain and the colonists before the revolutionary war. -
Boston Massacre
This was a fight between a patriot mob and British soliders. The patriots were throwing snowballs, sticks, and rocks at the soliders. To stop them, the British fired at them, killing five people. The massacre title was an exaggeration made by John Adams, in order to get people's attention. -
Tea Act
This was one of the first acts passed that led to the Revolutionary War. The colonists were extremely angered, because tea was their main beverage. This eventually led to the Boston Tea Party, in protest. -
Paul Revere
Paul Revere was the person who rode through Lexington, Massachusetts yelling "The British are coming!" over and over again. He was told to do this by Dr.Joseph Warren in order to warn Samuel Adams and John Hancock the British were going to arrest them. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
This battle actually happened on the hill next to Bunker hill, Breed's hill. This was a British victory, but a small one for the Americans due to the large British casualties. This was a confidence boost for, they believed they could win. -
Thomas Jefferson
On this day, Thomas Jefferson and five other people were chosen to be on a comittee to write the Declaration of Independence. He was chosen to write this, because he was not a very good speaker but a very good writer. He came up with all the ideas and rights people had. -
Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin on this day set sail for Fance. He traveled all the way from philadelphia to negotiate and form an alliance. He was successful in his mission, and the French were on our side during the revolution. They helped us to victory. -
John Hancock
John Hancock used his inherited wealth and shipping business to help move along America's independence. He used his boats to smuggle in weapons and extra supplies. He was also a signer of the Declaration of Independence, and the governor of massachusetts. -
Battle of Trenton
General George Washington and his men crossed the Delaware, and headed for the Hessian garrison at Trenton. The Hessians heard of Washington's approach, but the men were too exausted to get prepared for his attack. The leader, Colonel Johann Rall, was shot and fataly wounded. This was a victory for America. -
Battle of Brandywine
This battle was between American General George Washinigton and British General Sir William Howe. General Howe sent a full on attack to the American troops. The Americans were defeated, and were forced back to the capital os philadelphia. -
Battle of Saratoga
This battle was a turning point in the war. The british troops, under the command of General John Burgoyne, achieved a small victory over the American troops, but in the process lost over 75% of his troops. The British were defeated in the next attack, and this convinced the French to America as their ally. -
Battle of Yorktown
On this day 17,000 troops, under the command of George Washington, trapped British troops in Yorktown. Leaving him with no other choice, British General Lord Charles Cornwallis surrenderd to the colonial and french troops. This battle ended the war. -
George Washington
George Washington was mainly elected president because he played a huge role in the revolution. The Constitution was just ratified and there was no official political parties, so instead of having a long election process between two people, he was unanimously elected.
