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The French and Indian War Begins
The French and Indain War was a conflict between the French allied with the Indians in North America and the British. The Indians allied with the French because the French were more likely to want to trade with them, unlike the English who wanted to expand their colonies and control the land. The beginning of the war didnt go well for the British, but eventually after help from the colonists, they won.
French and Indian War -
The Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris of 1763 was the offiial end of the French and Indian War. The document stated that France had to give up all of its land in North America along with other countries gaining territory. This eliminated the threat of an attack on the colonists. The Treaty of Paris was supposed to make the British Empire stronger, instead it led the colonists towards a revolution against Britain.
Treaty of Paris(1763)The -
Royal Proclamation (1763)
The Royal Proclamation was an attempt by Parliament to prevent conflict between the French/Indians residing in the newly conquered land west of the Appalachians and colonists. However, this caused the first major conflict between the colonists and Britian. The colonists wanted to expand west into the land that they helped conquer and many blatently disregarded the proclimation. The disregard of the proclamation caused tension.
Royal Proclamation -
Sugar Act
The Sugar Act was an act imposed by the British on the colonists. It taxed the importation of sugar and molasses along with other products. The colonists found a way to avoid the taxes and/or import from the French. This caused the British to refine the Sugar Act and enforce it more strictly. The conflict between the British and the colonists increased the tensions which led to the Revolutionary War.
Sugar Act -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was an act made by the British Parliament in 1765 in attempt to raise money to repay the debts created from the French and Indian War. This act taxed the colonists on all types of paper they used. It taxed newspapers, legal documents, and even playing cards as well as many other printed documents. This angered the colonists because they felt they weren't being taxed evenly and weren't being represented.
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Stamp Act Congress
The Stamp Act Congress was an 'intercolonial conference' that was proposed when the colonists realized that Parliament was going to ignore the individual colonies repeals of the Stamp Act. The majority of representatives from each colony had completely different ideas. However, the formation of the Congress proved that the colonists could all sit together and communicate their ideas fairly civily.
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Townshend Acts
The Townshend Acts were yet another act passed to tax the colonists. These taxes paid the British army and judges salary that were in the colonies. The act taxed imported goods like lead, paint, paper and tea. Again the colonists wanted representation and boycotted these British goods. British troops were stationed in Boston to enforce the act leading to the rise of tensions.
Townshend Acts -
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre occured when a British soldier stationed in the colonies to imposed the Townshend Acts was taunted by a group of colonists and fired shots into the crowd. Five colonist were killed during the massacre. This was one of the major casues of the start of the revolution. The civilians that were killed were viewed as martyrs which ignited the colonists want for independence.
Boston Massacre -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party exemplified Boston's rebellion towards the British. When the East Indian Tea Co tried to import and tax Bostonians for cheap tea, the citizens refused to pay for it and demanded the tea to return to Britain. The ship stayed in port. So the colonists stormed the ship at night dressed as Indians and dumped 342 chests of tea into the harbor. Britain responded by closing the port, enraging colonists.
Boston Tea Party -
First Continental Congress
The First Continental Congress was created to deal with the Parlaiments decision to punish Boston after the Boston Tea Part. The Congress was a group of represenatives from all of the colonies except Georgia who chose not to attend. The decided to stop all trade with Britian until the Intolerable Acts ceased. They also me to talk about the future of the colonies.
First Continental Congress -
Patrick Henry "Give Me Liberty"
Patrick Henry proposed to the 2nd Virgina Convention to form a militia for defense purposes. Three days later, Henry suggested that there should be a volunteer militia in all parts of Virginia. He ended his speech with the famous words "Give me liberty or give me death!" Henry's ideas encouraged the start of a military body to protect themselves against the British.
"Give Me Liberty" -
Midnight Ride of Paul Revere
Paul Revere was ordered to ride to Lexington and warn Sam Adams and John Hacock that the British were coming. Revere set up a signal across the river to tell him how the British were traveling. After recieving the signal, Revere rode through the countryside waring everyone that "The Regulars are out!" Revere's warning allowed the militia to be prepared to fight the British at the Battle of Lexington and Concord.
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Battles of Lexington & Concord
The Battles of Lexington and Concord were the first bloodshed of the Revolution. The colonists lost 8 men at Lexington, but had a much better success in Concord. The British retreated from Concord, not acheiving their goal. These two batlles caused an increase of patriotism from the colonists and tension between Britiain and the Colonists
Lexington and Concord -
Fort Ticonderoga
Fort Ticonderoga was caputred during a surpise attack by the Green Mountain Boys and Ethan Allen. This success for the colonists provided hope for some of the colonists and proved the colonists shouldnt be messed with. Ticonderoga also provided the colonists with weapons, especially canons during the first year of the war.
Fort Ticonderoga -
Second Continental Congress Meets
The Second Continental Congress was formed because the colonists realized they needed a formal army to fight the British. The Congress formed the Continental Army led by George Washington to strike back at the British and protect cities such as Boston who were being attacked. The Congress proposed the Olive Branch Petition to try to prevent conflict. However, the King refused and the two armies came into conflict.
Second Continental Congress -
Battle of Bunker Hill
The Battle of Bunker Hill started when the milita tried to prevent the British from capturing Bunker and Breed's Hill by occupying the m before the British attacked. The British attacked the hills 3 times before successfully gaining control of them. However, the British suffered many deaths.
Battle of Bunker Hill -
"Common Sense" published
Common Sense was published by Thomas Paine in 1776. The pamphlet was published in simple English so that all of the Colonists could understand it. It encouraged the colonists to chose independence over loyalty to the King and Paine backed up his thoughts with many sensible reasons. Common Sense was published to rally the colonists behind indepedence, and that's just what it did.
Common Sense -
British Evacuate Boston
The British were forced to evacuate Boston after Washington took an offensive stand on the top of Dorchester Heights. The Continental Army transported cannons from Fort Ticonderoga during the winter of 1775-76. The cannons were a huge threat to the British, so they tried to attack but it had no effect. About a week or two later the British left the city and sailed away from Boston.
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Declaration of Independence is Anounced
The Declaration of Independence signified the colonies breaking away from Britain. The document explains why the colonies are splitting with Britain, it establish's mans unalienable rights, and explains the social contract on which America was built upon. The Declaration of Independence anounced the colonies separation, but the British troops stayed.
Declaration of Independence -
"The Crisis" was published
The Crisis was written by Thomas Paine in an attemt to rally the colonists' spritis. Similar to Common Sense, Paine writes in common language and uses truth. Paine admitted that things weren't going well but then said that that was all the more reason to support the soldiers. The Crisis was successful in joining a lot of the colonists in the fight for independence
The Crisis -
Washington Captures Trenton
Washigton's capture of Trenton boosted the moral of his soldiers and shocked the British generals. Washington chose to cross the Delaware River and attack the Hessians. The Hessians put up little resistance and the colonists captured Trenton. This raised colonist's spitirs and many enlisted in the army.
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British Defeated at Saratoga
The colonist victory at Saratoga was extremely important for the colonist. This victory gave may of the colonists inspiration to join the army or help gain their independence in some way. Saratoga also showed the French that the colonists were a good ally to have. The French had been secretly been helping the colonists, but after this battle, they openly allied themselves with the colonists.
Saratoga -
Winter at Valley Forge, PA
During the winter at Valley Forge, the Continental Army lost many soldiers who either died, or didnt reenlist. However, Baron Von Steuben trained the remaining soldiers to be more disciplined. After the winter at Valley Forge, the Continental Army had a stronger fighting base and they were also allied with France thanks to Franklin.
Valley Forge -
John Paul Jones defeats the Serapis
John Paul Jones served as a Lt. in the Continental Navy. In 1779 he attacted the Serapis. The captain of the Serapis inflicted a lot of damage to Jones's ship but he refused to give up. Eventually, Jones won and defeated the Serapis.
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Benedict Arnold plans found out
Benedict Arnold was one of the biggest traitors during the Revolution. He was a continental general, but he didnt think he was getting enough recognition. In 1780, Arnold made a deal with a British general to hand over West Point in exchange for power and money. His plans were discovered and he became possibly the biggest traitor in the Revolution.
Benedict Arnold -
Cornwallis Surrenders
After backing himself onto a peninsula, Cornwallis was trapped. He assumed his navy would be able to come and rescue them, however the French navy who were allied with the colonists prevented this. The French cut off Cornwallis' escape by sea and Washington and Marquis de Lafayette surrounded Yorktown forcing Cornwallis to surrender.
Cornwallis Surrenders
