-
Period: to
...
-
Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris ended the French and Indian War. In this treaty, Great Britain won much land from France, and France no longer had land on mainland North America. Spain also earned some land for their help. This ended French power in North America. -
Proclamation of 1763
After Great Britain won the French and Indian War, they gained much land past the Appalachian Mountains. This was already Native American land. Colonists thought they earned the right to move there, but it caused problems with the Native Americans living there. Parliament passed the Proclamation of 1763 to ban colonists from moving past the Appalachian Mountains. This angered the colonists and was the first of many problems that would divide Great Britain and its thirteen colonies. -
Sugar Act
England needed a way to pay off debt from the French and Indian War. They believed since they defended the colonies, the colonies should help pay off the debt. The Sugar Act was put into place. Under it, merchants would have to pay a tax on imported goods. It did not directly tax the colonists. -
Stamp Act
Unlike the Sugar Act, the Stamp Act directly taxed colonists. It required a stamp on all legal documents, newspapers, etc. This angered the colonists much more than the Sugar Act. A Stamp Act Congress was formed, and eventually it was repealed by Parliament. -
The Quartering Act
To enforce the Proclamation of 1763, Britain wanted troops in the colonies. The Quartering Act required colonists the house and feed the soldiers. Many refused to do so. They thought it violated their rights as Englishmen. -
The Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre started when some citizens started tormenting a British soldier. Soon it turned to a fight, and some British soldiers fired their weapons. The soldiers were not found guilty, causing the rift between Britain and the colonies to increase. -
Tea Act
The Tea Act was all that was left of the original Townshend Acts. It required a tax on tea imported to the colonies.This upset many colonists. They thought since they had no representation in Parliament, they should not be taxed. It caused the colonists to eventually have the Boston Tea Party. -
Boston Tea Party
Since the Tea Act angered many colonists, the Sons of Liberty decided to have a tea party, the Boston Tea Party. They dressed as Native Americans and went aboard a ship in Boston Harbor. They dumped 342 chests of tea into the ocean showing Britain that they refused to pay a tax on tea. This caused Britain to pass the Coercive (Intolerbale) Acts to crack down on the rebellion. -
Intolerable Acts
After the Boston Tea Party, Britian decided they had had enough of the colonial rebellion. They put into place the Coercive Acts, or as the colonists called them, the Intolerable Acts. These acts were the Boston Port was closed until the tea was repaid, town meetings were banned, allowed Britain to quarter troops wherever needed, and any British official accused of a crime would be tried in Britain. -
First Continental Congress
The First Continental Congress was a meeting of 56 delegates from the colonies. They met to discuss how to deal with the Intolerable Acts. They decided to boycott trade with Britain until Parliament repealed the acts. They also advised the colonies to start training soldiers in case of a war. -
Battles of Lexington and Concord
The Battles of Lexington and Concord were the first battles of the Revolutionary War. British soldiers marched to Lexington to capture John Hancock and Samuel Adams, then Concord to take colonial gunpowder. Midnight riders alerted the colonists. Colonial militia organized, ready. In Lexington, the first shot of the war was fired. Britain then marched to Concord only to be forced to retreat to Boston by the colonists. This event made many people realize that war might actually happen. -
Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress started meeting on May 10, 1775. A few delegates wanted complete independence at this time, but most were not ready. Instead they sent the Olive Branch Petition to the king for one last chance for peace. They also decided just in case to start building the Continental Army with George Washington leading it. The decided then to reconvene at another time. Later, when the king ignored the petition, they decided independence might be the only solution. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
The Americans were camped out at Breed's Hill and Bunker Hill. The British attacked. The British won, but not without a cost. They lost many men in the battle. The Patriots were inexperienced, but they did make a dent in the world's strongest army. -
Common Sense
Common Sense was a pamphlet published in early 1776 by Thomas Paine, trying to inspire people to fight for their freedom from Britain. It was written in a way that people can understand. It was widely-read and influential. After it spread around, independence was a little more widely accepted. -
The Declaration of Independence
Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence and it was oficially drafted on July 4, 1776. In it he expressed the ideas a liberty, freedom, and equality. Once signed by the Second Continental Congress, it was sent all around the world, including Britain, declaring the independence of the 13 colonies from Britain. This meant that the Revolutionary War really had begun. America wasn't fighting for no taxes or a little less authority from Britain, but a complete break away. -
Battle of Long Island
After the British left Boston, the retreated to New York City. Washington decided to try to drive them out of there next. While the Patriots were waiting to attack, they were attacked from behind by the British. The Continental Army lost and barely got out. This was a strong start by the British. -
American Crisis by Thomas Paine
In late 1776, many Americans were getting discouraged. They weren't really winning any battles. Many of the soldiers enlistments ended at the end of the year. Many of them wanted to go home. Thomas Paine then published American Crisis to try to get them to reenlist. He tried to tell them it would be worth it to stay for the love of their country. Washington read it to his troops, inspired by the message. Many men took this to heart and reenlisted just in time for the new year. -
Battle of Trenton
The Patrios had been drove out of New York into New Jersey. Washington and his troops crossed the Delaware River and marched to Trenton, New Jersey to fight the Hessian soldiers. It was Christmas time, so the Hessians were not expecting it at all. They were caught off guard. The Continental Army got a much needed victory. The success made many soldiers reenlist and recruited some new men. -
Battles of Saratoga
The Battles of Saratoga were the turning point in the war. Before these battles, America was not in favor of winning the war. The Americans defeated Burgoyne and his army at Battle of Freeman's Farm and at Battle of Bemis Heights. It was a huge victory for the Patriots. After it, people thought America actually had a chance of winning the war, and France came to the aid of the U.S. officially. -
Winter at Valley Forge
The Patriots went to camp out at Valley Forge during the winter of 1777-1778 expecting to find food and supplies. There were none. The British had taken it all. They were stuck all winter with not much food or many supplies to get by. Many men died, bringing Washington's number of troops even more down. This would weaken the army. -
The Battle of Yorktown
The Battle at Yorktown was the final major battle of the Revolutionary War. Lord Cornwallis and his army were in Yorktown when they were surrounded from all sides by the Americans and their allies, the French. After many days of battle, the British waved the white flag and surrendered. The war was mostly over after this. The Americans had won. -
Treaty of Paris of 1783
The Treaty of Paris of 1783 ended the Revolutionary War between Great Britain and the United States. In this treaty, many things were agreed upon. The United States became independent, they established boundaries, and both agreed to repay debt, such as slaves or property. This treaty marked the start of the United States as its own nation.
