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French and Indian War
A war that started over who gets to occupy the Ohio River Valley. First battle came out with the French defeating the Virginians and their leader George Washington. Second battle happened the next year using the Native Americans as allies and in turn made the British soilders flee from the battle field of Fort Duquense. -
Writ of Assistance
A warrant that was passed that allowed British officials to search any building or ship that was believed to have smuggled goods inside. This included the homes of merchants since many worked out of their houses. -
Treaty of Paris
To end the French and Indian war, this treaty was signed by Great Britain, Spain, and France as an agreement over who got which land. Great Britain received Canada and all North American land east of the Mississippi River and Florida. Spain was able to keep all its land west of the Mississippi River along with the city of New Orleans. France was able to keep control of a few islands and colonies near Newfoundland -
Proclamation of 1763
To prevent further possible conflicts with Native Americans, this proclamation was signed that states that no colonists may settle west of the Appalachian Mountains or let alone cross the border line. -
Sugar Act and Colonists Response
The Sugar act made the duty tax on molasses lower to discourage colonists from smuggling anymore. Certain imports that wernt taxed before had duties placed on them. Lastly those accused of smuggling were to have their case presented in front of a single judge rather than a fellow colonists jury.
Merchants complained they were losing money while both traders and merchants belived they shouldnt be taxed because they wernt represented. -
Stamp Act and Colonists Response
A tax that was put on any printed items including documents like newspapers, wills and playing cards. A stamp was placed on items after it was paid for to show the tax was paid. A resistance group named " Sons of Liberty" united and convinced others to protest and boycott British goods until the tax was finally removed in March 1766. -
Sons of Liberty is Formed & Samuel Adams
A secret group of merchants, artisans and laborers who came together to help protest the Stamp Act. The group was led by multiple men including Samuel Adams who was a key contributer. -
Declaratory Act
Passed the same day the Stamp act was repealled. Gave Parliament complete control over the colonies. -
Townshed Acts and Colonists Response
Acct that passed a tax on all British imports including the most popular tea. Colonists boycotted British goods again. -
Why the Townshed Acts were Repealed
They were losing more money than making it. -
John Locke’s Social Contract
An agreement where people choose to follow a government as long as it protects their rights and if the government goes agaisnt their rights the people can choose to overthrow and disobey the government. -
Boston Massacure
Confrontation between British soilders who killed 5 colonists after a mob formed in front of the British Customs house. -
Tea Act
Allowed the British East India tea company to sell tea to the colonists free of taxes. -
Boston Tea Party
A group of protesters dressed as Indians ambushed 3 British tea ships and dumped over 18,000 pounds of tea into the Boston Harbor. -
Intolerable Acts
- Shut down the Boston Harbor
- Allowed British commanders to house soilders in homes and buildings
- General Thomas Gage was commander in chief.
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Minutemen
civilian soldiers who ledged to be ready to fight against the British on a minute’s notice. -
First Continental Congress Meets
A declaration of colonial rights was made during a meeting of 56 delagates in Philidelphia. -
Midnight riders: Revere, Dawes, Prescott
Horse riders who warned the town that the British were coming. -
Battle of Lexington
A fight between the British redcoats and minutemen. 70 vs. 700 British troops. The battle only lasted 15 minutes. -
Battle of Concord
After leaving the Battle of Lexington, British soilders were ambushed by 3,000 to 4,000 minutemen wh oslaughtered them by the dozens. -
Second Continental Congress
Another meeting of colonial leaders in Philidelphia over wether to call for independence of reconciliation with the British. -
Continental Army
An agreement to call the colonial militia the Continental Army with George Washington as its Commander. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
A battle between British Soilders and Colonists on Breed's hill. After the colonists mowed down gunfire on the advancing British, the redcoats retreated. Colonists lost 450 while the British lost 1,000 making this the most deadliest battle in the war. -
Olilve Branch Petition
Congress sent the King the olive branch petition asking for the former harmony between the British and Colonies. -
Publication of Common Sense
50 page protest pamphlet that calls out King George and the monarchy. And discusses independence as an option for a better society. -
Loyalists and Patriots
A division between the colonies. Loyalists were those who didnt want independence and were still loyal to British rule. Patriots were those who supported independence. Although there was a separation many Americans still decided to remain neutral. -
Redcoats push Washington’s army across the Delaware River into Pennsylvania
British entered the New York harbor in an attempt to claim it but Washingtons army soon approached. They were poorly equiped and therefore had to end up retreating back across the Delaware River and into Pennsylvannia. -
Declaration of Independence
A document that states the colonies have independence from British rule and gave rights to everyone in the colonies. -
Washington’s Christmas night surprise attack
On Christmas night washington led troops in small rowboats across the river and marched to Trenton, New Jersey and defeated the British but the British regrouped and were able to capture Philidelphia. -
Saratoga
A miscommunication between the officers caused General Burgoyne to be surrounded by colonial troops and therefore surrender to them. -
French-American Alliance
The French secretly aided with the Patriots but were hesitant to officially fight with them because it may seem like they would lose but because of the Saratoga surrender the French relized the potential of the colonial troops and signed an alliance with them to help them in the war. -
Friedrich von Steuben and Marquis de Lafayette
Friedrich von Steuben, who is a Prussian captain and a drill master helped train the Continental army while Marquis de Lafayette also came to help aide the army and train. -
Valley Forge
A camp where Washington and his army stayed at while they were low on food and supplies and were fighting to stay alive leading to over 2,000 soilders deaths. -
British victories in the South
After their devastating defeat at Saratoga, the
British began to shift their operations to the South. At the end of 1778, a British expedition easily took Savannah, Georgia.
Generals Henry Clinton and Charles Cornwallis captured
Charles Town, South Carolina, in May 1780. -
British Surrender at Yorktown
By late September, about 17,000 French and American troops surrounded the British on the Yorktown peninsula and began bombarding them day and night. Less than a month later, on October 19, 1781, Cornwallis finally
surrendered -
Treaty of Paris
Delgates signed the treaty to decalre independence and to set the Nations. The United States now stretched from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi River and from Canada to the Florida border.
