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The United States Declares Independence

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    Taxes and Laws

    Various taxes are levied, and laws are passed affecting the Colonies. The Colonists have no representation in the English government.
  • The Sugar Act

    England passes the Sugar Act, enforcing a tax on molasses and sugar.
  • The Currency Act

    England passes the Currency Act, taking control of Colonial currency.
  • The Stamp Act

    The Stamp Act increased taxes on a wide range of paper products.
  • The Quartering Acts

    The first Quartering Act was passed by England, requiring Colonists to house British troops in their homes.
  • The Declaratory Act

    This Act restated England's claim to create laws and the levying of taxes in the Colonies.
  • The Townshend Acts

    These were yet more taxes levied on the Colonies for various imported goods.
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    Violence Breaks Out

    Violence begins to spread between the Colonists and the British soldiers.
  • Boston Massacre

    British soldiers shoot and kill several protesters who, they claim, were harassing the soldiers.
  • The Tea Act

    England passed the Tea Act in an attempt to help the struggling East India Trading company by taxing tea.
  • The Boston Tea Party

    In response to the tax on tea, protesters in Boston began throwing tea into Boston Harbor.
  • The Intolerable Acts

    A series of four laws were enacted by the British government as a punishment for the Boston Tea Party.
  • The First Continental Congress

    The First Continental Congress was convened to discuss how the Colonies should respond to Great Britain's intolerable acts.
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    Fighting for Independence

    As battles are fought, Colonists begin to seek independence from England.
  • Lexington and Concord

    The British soldiers stationed in Boston attempt to seize weapons and gunpowder from the Colonists. Fighting begins in earnest.
  • The Battle of Bunker Hill

    The first major battle of the American Revolution.