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Period: to
The American Revolution
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The French and Indian War Begins
- Also known as the Seven Years War.
- The war was between France and Great Britian over colonial territory and wealth.
- For the first three years, the French dominated the war with the help of the Indians.
- In 1758, the tide turned in favor of the British.
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The French and Indian War Ends
- Treaty of Paris ends the war.
- Under the Treaty of Paris, France was forced to surrender all of their American possessions to the British and Spanish.
- The French and Indian War helped played a major role in the worsening relationship between Britian and its colonies.
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Proclamation of 1763
- The proclamation declared all land transactions made to west of the Appalachian Mountains would be governed by the British government instead of the colonies.
- The colonists saw this an unjust action against their expanasion rights.
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The Stamp Act
- This act was passed to help with Great Britian's money troubles.
- This act forced colonists to buy and use a special type of paper for newspapers and all legal documents.
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The Quartering Act
- This act required colonial legislatures to pay for certain supplies for British troops stationed in each colony.
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The Stamp Act Congress
- The colonial legislatures sent representatives to New York, where they agreed broadly that Parliament had no right to tax the colonies or to deny colonists a fair trial.
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Boston Massacre
- Troops in Boston squared off with a crowd of sailors. When the crowd knocked one soldier to the ground, the soldiers fired and killed 5 men.
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The Tea Act
- The Tea Act was not to raise money, but to boost the East India Company and sell all their extra tea.
- This act said that the colonists could only buy their tea directly from the British.
- The Tea Act was not to raise money, but to boost the East India Company and sell all their extra tea.
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Boston Tea Party
- In response to the Tea Act, sixty men (including some members of the Sons of Liberty) dressed up as Native Americans snuck aboard a ship at night and dumped the tea into the harbor.
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The Intolerable Acts
- Also called the Coercive Acts.
- These acts were punishment for the Boston Tea Party. They stopped all trade with the colonies, only Great Britain could import and export with the colonies. It closed the Boston Harbor and Massachusetts Bay.
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The First Contential Congress meets in Philadelphia
- Took place from September 5 - October 26 at Carpenter's Hall in Philadephia.
- Delegates were sent from 12 of the colonies, and the Congress was just discussion about how awful Great Britain was treating the colonists.
- The resolution that the men came to was that they were going to inform the King about the grievances that the colonists had, and that they were going to show the world that they were all united as one.
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The Rides of Paul Revere and William Dawes
- Paul and William ride through towns to warn people of the British's arrival.
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Battles of Lexington and Concord
- The battles at Lexington and Concord were the first battles of the American Revolution.
- British soldiers were told to find and destroy weapons that were stored by the colonists at Concord.
- Due to Paul and William's ride the night before, the Patriots won both battles.
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The Second Contential Congress meets in Philadelphia
- Convened a few weeks after the Battles of Lexington and Concord to decide just how to handle the situation.
- Delegates from all thirteen colonies gathered once again in Philadelphia and discussed options.
- The colonists really wanted to avoid a war and appealed to the King of Great Britian. They pledge loyalty to Britian, but the King ignored their appeals.
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George Washington is named Commander in Chief
- The Second Contential Congress elects him to command the Contential Army.
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Battle of Bunker Hill
- Was actually fought on Breed's Hill, but it got confused with Bunker Hill at the time.
- Overnight, American forces occupied the Hills so when the British woke the next morning they would be taken by surprise. After a long fight the Continentals were forced to retreat.
- Even though it was a victory, the British suffered heavy losses.
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Declaration of Independence
- Declared the U.S.'s indepedence to the world.
- Drafted mainly by Thomas Jefferson between June 11 and June 28.
- It stats that the colonies were officially seperating from Great Britain and it lists reasons why and what the King did wrong.
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Articles of Confederation adopted
- The Articles of Confederation are ratified, formally establishing the first government of the United States.
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Cornwallis surrenders at Yorktown, Virginia
- His surrender ends the war between the United States and Great Britian.
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The United States and Great Britian sign the Treaty of Paris
- The U.S. is recognized by Great Britian.
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U.S. Consitution signed
- Replaced the Articles of Confederation as the governing document of the United States.
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George Washington becomes the First President
