Road to Revolution Timeline

Sugar Act

1764

Indirect tax (out of sight = out of mind)
Duties on molasses and sugar

Stamp Act

1765

Tax on all paper products
Official 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)

Repealing Stamp Act

1766

Boycott
Parliament agrees to repeal (get rid of) the Stamp Act

Declaratory Act

1766

Parliament declares it has power to make laws for the colonies "in all cases whatsoever". Parliament passes this to save face.

Townshend Act

1767

Taxes on glass, lead, paints, paper, and tea
Searched for smuggled goods

Boston Massacre

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!

Tea Act

1773

Passed in 1773 and allowed British east India company BEIC 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

Dec 16, 1773

Members of Sons of Liberty Dump over 340 chests of tea into Boston Harbor.

Intolerable Acts

1774

Passed to punish Boston for the Tea Party
Boston Harbor Closed until tea paid for
Massachusetts Charter canceled
Quartering Act required colonists to house soldiers
If a soldier comes knocking at the door you’re sleeping on the floor
General Thomas Gage became new governor of MA

First Continental Congress meet

Sep 5, 1774

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

1,000 of Redcoats in Boston

Apr 1, 1775

General Gage bring thousands of British soldiers to Boston and more on the way

Midnight ride of Paul Revere

Apr 18, 1775

Paul Revere rides to warn the Son of Liberty in Lexington and Concord that the "British are coming... the British are coming.."

Battles of Lexington & Concord

Apr 19, 1775

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

May 10, 1775

Benedict Arnold & Ethan Allen capture the fort.
Get all supplies in the fort including cannons.
AMERICAN Victory.

The second Continental Congress meet

Jun 10, 1775

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

Jun 16, 1775

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

Jul 15, 1775

Realizes men are disorganized & need discipline
Need weapons

"Common Sense" published by Thomas Paine

Jan 10, 1776

Pamphlet more colonists to become patriots
"Every things that 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

Mar 17, 1776

Washington believes his army is ready & weapons arrive
Washington puts cannons on Dorchester Heights overlooking Boston
BRITISH retreat - AMERICAN Victory

Second Continental Congress meet again

Jun 15, 1776

Debate on declaring independence
Thomas Jefferson is the primary author of the document

Second Continental Congress votes for Independence

Jul 2, 1776

All 13 colonies vote YES on declaring independence

The Declaration of Independence is signed

Jul 4, 1776