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The Enlightenment
John Locke PictureThis was also called "The Age of Reason." It was when philosophers started questioning the old and starting to use reasoning and apply it to the government. Some of these philosophers were John Locke, Thomas Hobbes, Jean Jaques Rousseau, and Baron de Montesquieu. I rate this a 2 because it influenced their ideas, but it didn't directly cause them to want to have independence. -
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French and Indian War
French and Indian War pictureEngland and the colonists fought against the French in America. I don't think that this affected the American Revolution very much, so this event would be a 2. -
Proclaimation Line of 1763
PictureThis was a decree that England made that prohibited colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains to prevent conflicts with Native Americans, but the colonists ignored this. I would rate this a 4 because it started to take away colonists's rights, but it didnt' heavily influence their decision to become independent. -
Stamp Act
newspaper pictureBritain set taxes on anything printed and had to have a stamp. Examples of this are newspapers, fliers, mail, and playing cards. The colonists didn't like this and boycotted British goods, so the act was repealed. I rate this one a 6 because it helped contribute to the Revolutionary War, but it didn't influence greatly. -
Boston Massacre
boston massacre pictureThe protestors of the colonists had a disagreement with the offduty British soldiers in Boston and ended with 5 deaths of colonists. I rate It was not truly a massacre, but the Sons of Liberty called it that to outrage the people. I rate this an eight because the colonists started to get truly outraged and wanted independence even more. -
Boston Tea Party
Boston Tea Party PictureIn 1773, England set a new tax on tea, which made the colonists mad. The Son's of Liberty protested by dressing as Mohawk Indians and throwing 15 thousand pounds of tea into the Boston Harbor off of British boats. I rate this a 7 because it is when the colonists really started getting tired of being under English control and were showing rebellion. -
Tea Act
PictureThis was a new tax that England put on tea which outraged the colonists and caused the Boston Tea Party. I rate this a 6 because the colonists got mad enough to throw 15 thousand pounds of tea into the Boston Harbor, and caused England to make the Intolerable Acts. -
Intolerable Acts
Intoerable Acts cartoonThese were 3 ways that the British punished the colonists after the Boston Tea Party. They didn't allow trial by jury, colonists had to house and feed English soldiers, and they shut down the Boston Harbor. This is an eight because they were one of the last straws before the Revolutionary war, and it made the colonists very angry. -
First Continental Congress
PictureDuring the First Continental Congress, people from 12 of the colonies met in Philadelphia to discuss what to do about the Intolerable Acts. They asked King George III to take away the repeal the acts in a letter, but he didn't. -
Lexington and Concord
PictureLexington and Concord happened when British troops had reason to believe that some weapons were being stockpiled in Concord, Massachuesetts. Militia and farmers confronted the troops at Lexington. Although they were defeated, many colonists still volunteered to fight. I rate this a 10 because this was the start of the Revolutionary War and our quest to independence. -
Second Continental Congress
Second Continental CongressThe delegates met a second time to discuss the battles in Massachuesetts, but they still weren't sure if they wanted to be independent. Thomas Paine then wrote "Common Sense" in which he asks for independence. This changed the delegate's mind, so they made a group to write the Declaration of Independence. I rate this a 10 because it is when they decided that they definitely wanted to be independent from England and out of their rule. -
Declaration of Independence
declaration pictureThis was written by Thomas Jefferson and included the ideas of Jean Jaques Rousseau and John Locke. It told of the 27 ways that England had been tyrant. Jefferson argued that it was our responsibility to become independent because of these things. I rate it a 10 because it was the final straw before the American Revolution.
