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Sugar act
Indirect tax( out of sight= out of mind)
- Duties on molasses and sugar
Parliament’s taxes upset colonists
James Otis-Local leader in Boston
*** Colonists had no representatives in Parliament, BUT they had to follow their rules.***
They believed that Parliament could not tax without the colonies permission -
Stamp Act
Tax on all paper products
Offical stamp/seal on all paper items(proof tax was paid)
Purchased only with valuable silver coins
If didn’t purchase=fined or jailed
Direct tax
-( in your face tax) -
Townshend Acts
Taxes on glass, lead, paints, paper, and tea
Searched for smuggled goods
Colonist vs troops
March 5, 1770: soldier strikes colonist
Crowd gathers and hassles soldier, throwing snowballs and shouting insults
More troops arrive, colonists get more and more angry
“Fire if you dare!”
This became known as the Boston Massacre
Committees of Correspondence
Shared idea+ info about the new British laws -
Tea Act
Passed in 1773 and allowed British East India Company to sell tea directly to colonists
Lower Prices than colonist merchant prices
Tax tea cheaper than smuggled tea
Less smuggling= more tax money
Boston Tea Party
Members of Sons of Liberty Dump over 340 chests of tea into Boston Harbor
Caused problems for loyalists/tories
Loyalist/Tory= person who remains loyal to the King and Great Britain -
Intolerable Act
Passed to punish Boston for Tea Party
Boston Harbor closed until tea paid for
Massachusetts charter canceled
Quartering Act required colonists to house soldiers
General Thomas Gage became new governor of MA -
Boston Tea Party
Member of Sons of Liberty Dump over 340 chests of tea into Boston Harbor
Caused problems for loyalists/ Tories
-Loyalist/Tory= a person in the Colony who remains " loyal to the King & Great Britain -
First Continental Congress meets
All colonies but Georgia have representatives
voted to send a " statement of grievances"
voted to Boycott all British Trade
Patrick Henry- VA rep. urged colonists to unite against Britain -
1000's of Redcoats in Boston
General Gage brings thousands of British soldiers to Boston with more on the way. -
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 & 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
American victory -
Capture of Fort Ticonderoga
Benedict Arnold & Ethan Allen capture the fort
Get all supplies in the fort including cannons
American Victory -
Second Continental Congress meet
Print money
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
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
Realizes men are disorganized and need discipline -
" Common Sense" published by Thomas Paine
Pamphlet inspires more colonists to become patriots
" Every thing that is right or reasonable pleads for seperation. The blood of the slain, the weeping voice of nature cries, 'TIS TIME TO PART"- Thomas Paine, Common Sense -
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 meet again
Debating on declaring independance
Thomas Jefferson is the primary author of the document -
Second Continental Congress votes for Independence
All 13 colonies vote YES on declaring independence -
The declaration of independence is signed