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Proclamation of 1763
Britain issued the Proclamation of 1763 after winning the French and Indian War. This was issued to limit settlement of the territory they had gained with the Treaty of Paris. However, the colonists saw this as a limit to their freedom. -
Sugar Act passed
Parliament passed the Sugar Act when George Grenville tried to increase tax revenue after a law to stop smuggling was passed. The act lowered tax on molasses imported by the colonists. They hoped the lowered tax would get the colonists to pay the tax instead of smuggling. However, the colonists were angered by this. -
Stamp Act passed
In an effort to raise money, Parliament passed the Stamp Act. This act placed a tax on almost all printed material in the colonies. All printed material was required to have a stamp applied by British officials. So many items were taxed that it affected almost everyone in the colonies. The colonists were convinced that they needed to take action. -
Stamp Act repealed. Declaratory Act passed.
Parliament gave into the colonists' demands and repealed the Stamp Act. However, that same day, they passed the Declaratory Act. This act stated that Parliament had the right to make decisions for the colonies in ALL cases. -
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Townshend Acts passed
Parliament passed a series of laws that came to be known as the Townshend Acts. These acts made new taxes applied only to imported goods, taxes being paid at the port of entry. However, the colonists were outraged by any taxes passed by Parliament. -
Boston Massacre
Tensions between the colonists and the British reached a peak and a fight broke out between the two sides. The townspeople picked up any weapon they could find and pushed forward towards the customshouse on King Street. The British fired, killing five colonists. -
Boston Committee of Correspondence Revived
Samuel Adams revived the Boston Committee of Correspondence in 1772, an organization used in earlier protests. The committee calculated writings about the colonists' grievances against Britain. Other committees of correspondence sprang up throughout the colonies. -
Tea Act passed
To save the East India Company, Britain passed the Tea Act of 1773. This measure gave the company the right to ship tea to the colonies without paying most of the taxes placed on tea. It also allowed the company to bypass colonial merchants and sell directly to shopkeepers at a low price. -
Boston Tea Party
In November 1773, 3 ships arrived with many chests of tea.The royal governor refused to let the ships turn back, no matter how much the colonists protested. On December 16th, 1773 at midnight, men dressed as Mohawks threw 342 chests of tea overboard. This act of defiance was talked about in the colonies. They celebrated the bravery of the Sons of Liberty. London received the news and then knew that they were losing control of the colonies. -
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Coercive Acts passed
In reaction to the Boston Tea Party, Parliament passed a series of very harsh laws known as the Coercive Acts or Intolerable Acts. They closed Boston Harbor until the colonists paid for the ruined tea, which prevented the arrival of food. The laws also took away certain rights, such as town meetings. They also permitted royal officers to be tried in the colonies or Britain when accused of crimes. -
First Continental Congress meets.
In September 1774, 55 men arrived in the city of Philadelphia. The men, which were delegates from each colony except Georgia, came to establish a political body to represent American interests and challenge British control. The people called this organization the Continental Congress. -
Battles of Lexington and Concord
When the Redcoats approached Lexington, they discovered a group of about 70 minutemen who were alerted by Paul Revere and William Dawes. Shots were fired and eight minutemen laid dead. British soldiers continued their march to Concord, discovering that most of the militia's gunpowder was removed. They destroyed the remaining supplies. The colonists were waiting at Concord's North bridge