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Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris ended the French and Indian War in 1763, a 7 year-long war mainly between Great Britain and France over a territorial dispute near the Ohio River. The result of the Treaty was that the French had to give up all of their lands in mainland North America, and all of their forts and military had to leave too, meaning that there was no military threat to the British either. -
The Stamp Act
The Stamp Act of 1765 was the Parliament's first direct tax that the Colonies had to face. It was created so that the British could repay the large amount of debt that accumulated as a result of the war. It taxed newspapers, pamphlets, playing cards, legal documents, etc. The colonists got really angry with the taxes and didn’t like that they weren’t represented in the decisions of their parent country. -
The Boston Massacre
In 1770 Boston, Red-coat British soldiers panicked when a rioting crowd of colonial protesters started to gather, and shot into the crowd, killing 3 men and injuring 8. This event greatly impacted the relationship between Great Britain and the Colonists because the already rowdy civilians were getting angrier and angrier at their parent country, prompting them to take action. -
The Boston Tea Party
A protest against the Tea Act took place in a harbor in Griffin’s Wharf, Boston, in December of 1773. Colonists were angry at Britain for imposing taxes on tea, and fought for “No taxation without representation,” so they dressed as Native Americans and dumped 342 chests of tea into the harbor. Colonists believed the Tea Act was a tactic to gain support for the tax already enforced, and were outraged. The British had shut down the harbor until all of the 342 tea crates had been paid for. -
The Intolerable Acts
A series of punishing laws in 1774 were enforced in response to the Boston Tea Party. These included the Boston Port Act, the Massachusetts Government Act, the Administration of Justice Act, and the Quartering Act. These harsh acts brought dismay and disaffection to the British government and caused the creation of the First Continental Congress. -
The First Continental Congress
Between September 5th and October 26, 1774, the First Continental Congress, containing delegates from 12 out of the 13 colonies, met in Carpenters’ Hall in Philadelphia. The delegates were able to discuss America’s future under Great Britain and their nagging taxes, planning to boycott British goods going into effect that December. -
The Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress took place on June 14th, 1775, and called on the delegates to vote on more important motions for the movement of the war. Voted to create militia units for the Continental Army, approved making George Washington of Virginia the General of the rebelling army, and approved the Declaration of Independence. -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence officially stated that the colonies were independent of Great Britain. It stated the beliefs of the country, as well as why they one. They regard themselves as “We The People,” to speak from the heart of the citizens. This marked the end of the American Revolution.