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In 1764, the Sugar Act was created. It was the first ever tax given to the colonists because of the British and their mercantilism. The act put a tax on sugar and other imports from non-British colonies. This made the colonists very angry.
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In 1765, the Stamp Act was created. The Stamp Act was a law that puts stamps on everything and the citizens had to pay for it. This made the citizens unhappy, and destroyed their trust of King George the Third. Even though this happened, the king still kept trying to force American obedience.
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In 1774, the British government created a series of acts called the Coercive/Intolerable Acts. These acts closed Boston harbor, made criminal British officials to be tried in British courts, made self-governing impossible, and made it so that British soldiers can live in your house without your permission. A lot of citizens hated these acts, which is why they called them the “Intolerable Acts”.
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In 1776, the Second Continental Congress created the Declaration of Independence. This document declared that the United States wanted to be independent, and it was drafted by Thomas Jefferson. It was influenced by the philosophy of John Locke, and it unfortunately didn’t include the rights of slaves and women.
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In 1777, the war was about to end. It seemed as if the British would win, but fortunately everything started turning around for the Americans. At Saratoga, the American army defeated the British army at Saratoga. This caused France, Spain, and the Netherlands to side with America.
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In 1781, there was a battle that ended the war and caused the Americans to win. That battle was at Yorktown, Virginia, where the Americans and the French trapped the British and caused them to surrender.
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In 1783, the Treaty of Paris was signed, which ended the American Revolution. Benjamin Franklin was the chief negotiator of the treaty. Once the Americans got the land, they had more land than they could ever imagine.
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In 1787, the U.S Constitution was created. This constitution created a federal system, a bill of rights, and three branches(executive, legislative, and judicial). It also added Checks and Balances so everything in the government is fair and balanced.
