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French and Indian War
It was a worldwide war between Britain and France because of land. The war was won by the British and by 1760 had taken Canada from the France. All the land west went to Spain. However the war was costly for both sides. The Natives also started attacking because many colonists started to settle in the Ohio River Valley. -
Treaty of Paris
Great Britain claimed all land east of the Mississippi River while Spain claimed all land west of the Mississippi River. -
Proclamation of 1763
The British said that colonists could not go west of the Appalachian Mountains because they wanted to avoid conflict with the Native Americans. -
Sugar Act
It placed a tax on anything that contained sugar or molasses. -
Stamp Act
It placed a tax on legal documents, newspapers, wills, and basically any thing that used paper. -
Writs of Assistance
The British Custom officials could seach ships at will without a warrent. This angered the colonists. -
Townshed Acts
It wasa a tax on various household items such as paper, glass, silk, and tea. -
Quartering Acts
The colonists had to provide shelter and food for the British soldiers. -
Boston Massacre
A war broke out between Britain and the colonists and 5 colonists were killed. Samuel Adams used this event to persuade the colonists to join the Rebellion, calling it a "massacre". -
Tea Acts/Boston Tea Party
The Sons of Liberty dropped 90,000 pounds of tea into the Boston Harbor. The British responded with the Intolerable Acts. -
1st Continental Congress
The Congress met in Philadelphia as a result of the Intolerable Acts. The delegates decided to ban trade with Britain until the Acts were repealed. Each colony also decided to train colonists for the army. -
Intolerable Acts
The King said that colonists could not hold town meetings and closed the Boston Harbor. As a result, the First Continental Congress met and the colonies began to unite. -
Battles of Lexington and Concord
The first shots were fired at Lexington. There were 700 British troops and 70 militiamen waiting. Despite being outnumbered, only 8 were dead. The British marched to Concord and destroyed military supplies along the way. When they arrived, 4000 militiamen were waiting and shot and the redcoats. -
2nd Continental Congress
They met in Philadelphia and created the Olive Branch Petition to declare their loyalty but ask for the Intolerable Acts to be repealed. They also established the Continental Army with George Washington as Commander. -
Bunkerhill
The battle took place on a hill outside of Boston. The colonies fired at British Ships and the British wanted to capture the Continental Army. The colonies were low on gunpowder and were ordered “Don’t shoot until you see the whites of their eyes”
They retreated. -
Bunkerhill
The militia built forts and were ordered "Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes." The British won but had over 1400 deaths. -
"Give Me Liberty" Speech
This became their battle cry because they wanted representation in the Parliament. -
Common Sense Published
Common Sense was published by Thomas Paine. It was written to support the Revolution. -
Declaration of Independence
A committee was formed Thomas Jefferson was chosen to write the draft. It is based on the philosophy that people have unalienable rights that the government can't take away. -
Battle of Trenton
Washington launched a surprise attack and captured over 800 Hessian prisoners (German soldiers hired by the British). -
Battle at Princeton
Washington captured another 300 British soldiers at Princeton New Jersey. -
Fort Ticondoroga
The British wanted to capture New York because it was the center of the colonies' economy. The British attacked and inflicted heavy casualties, but Washington avoided capture. The British occupied New York for the rest of the war. -
Battle of Saratoga
The British planned to cut off New England from the rest of the colonies, but the colonists decided to block the roads. The British were outnumbered and Burgoyne surrendered his entire army to the Americans. Saratoga was a turning point in the war because Benjamin Franklin helped negotiate the Treaty of Alliance with France and Spain -
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Valley Forge
The colonists spent the long cold winter of 1777-1778 in Valley Forge Pennsylvania.The American troops were in desperate need of food and warm clothing -
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Winter at Valley Forge
The Continental Army spent the long cold winter of 1777-1778 in Valley Forge Pennsylvania. The American troops were in desperate need of food and warm clothing. -
Yorktown
The British moved to Virginia. James Armistead (a slave) was a double spy and gave Washington information British general Cornwallis was going to go back to New York, but a fleet of French battleships sailed into the Bay and Cornwallis was now trapped. He later surrendered. -
Treaty of Paris (1783)
It said the following:
*Great Britain recognized the United States as an independent nation
*United States gained all land east of the Mississippi River from Canada to Florida
*U.S. agreed to return all property taken from Loyalist