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The Enlightenment
There were four main philosophers during the Enlightenment that wrote about ideal governments. Thomas Hobbes wrote about a social contract theory the government should enforce. John Locke's main idea was the natural rights life, liberty, and property. Montesquieu wrote about a seperation of powers. Rousseau believed all men were created equal. I would rate the Enlightenment as an 8 because the ideas that came from it greatly influenced the Declaration of Independence. -
French and Indian War
England and the American colonists fought the French in America in the late 1750's. This became known as the French and Indian war and soon led to the Proclamation of 1763. On a scale of 1-10 I would rate this event as a 3 because England and the colonists were working together and independence was not a big arguement then. -
Proclamation Line of 1763
After the French and Indian War, colonists were not allowed to settle anywhere west of the Appalachian Mountains. This was done in order to avoid conflict with the Native Americans. In order to pay for the war, England began to tax the colonists. I would rate this event as a 4 on a scale of 1-10 because it was not a major event but still limited the colonists' freedom. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act of 1765 was a direct act. Any printed document was required to have a stamp. This included newspaper, fliers, and mail. In response, the colonists boycotted the Bristish goods and the act was repealed because of this. The Stamp Act did influence the movement toward revolution but it did not have a very strong influence. On a scale of 1-10 i would give it a 4 because it does not compare to the influence of the major events that occured. -
Boston Massacre
After the Stamp Act was reapealed colonial protesters ran into some British troops. They fought and this resulted in the deaths of five colonists. The colonists then used this event as propaganda for independence and called it the Boston Massacre. I would rate this event a 5 on a scale of 1-10 because it was not one of the major events but it did help gain supporters for independence. -
The Tea Act
In 1773 there was new tax on tea. This became known as the Tea Act. In response to the Tea Act, a group of people known as the Sons of Liberty dressed up as Mohawk Indians and threws thousands of pounds of tea off British boats into the Boston Harbor. This event had a great influence on the road to revolution. On a scale of 1-10 I would rate this as a 6 because it really showed how angry the colonists were with the monarchy. -
Boston Tea Party
As a protest to the Tea Act of 1773, a group of colonists known as the Sons of Liberty dumped hundreds of cases of tea off Bristish Boats and into the Boston Harbor. I would rate this event as a 6 on a scale of 1-10 because the colonists were outraged and they were sure to let the Bristish know. -
Intolerable Acts
After the Sons of Liberty threw the cases of tea into the Boston Harbor, the British were very mad. To punish the colonists, they created three new acts. The first one was no trial by jury. The second one was the Quatering Act which meant the colonists had to house and feed English soldiers. And lastly, the third was a Blockade of Boston which meant no ships were allowed to leave or enter the Boston Harbor. I would rate this event a 7 because it gave the colonists more reason for independence. -
First Continental Congress
Once the Intolerable Acts had been issued, delegates from 12 of the colonies met in Philadelphia. Hoping King George III would repeal the acts, they sent him letter. He did not repeal the Intolerable Acts. I would give this event a rating of 7 on a scale of 1-10 because the colonies came together to do what they could to repeal the acts. It also showed that the colonists were angry with the monarchy and would do whatever they could to protect their rights. -
Lexington and Concord
The British troops were tricked into thinking there were weapons being piled in Concord, MA. On their way there they were confroted by farmers and militia at Lexington. The farmers and militia were defated by the British troops and they defeated more at Concord. But, the colonists were not done fighting, They used guerilla warfare againts the British on their way back to Boston. I would rate this event a 9 on a scale of 1-10 because it marked the beginning of the revolution. -
Declaration of Independence
Thomas Jefferson was the author of the Declaration of Independence and was influenced by Locke and Rousseau. When writing it, he listed examples of British tyranny and stated that the colonists had a right to become independent. This event had a very strong influence of the movement toward revolution. On a scale of 1-10 I would give the Declaration of Independence a 10. -
Second Continental Congress
After the battles in Massechusetts, delegates met again. They discussed becoming independent but the votes were half and half. After Thomas Paine published "Common Sense", the delegates decided to set up a commitee to write a delcaration. I would rate this event as an 8 because the colonists are taking action and writing a declaration of independence from England.
