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The French And Indian war
In the 1750's, a feud began between France and Britain over the Ohio River Valley. They both wanted the land. George Washington was sent to tell the French to leave. When he gave the letter to St. Pierre, he brushed aside the order. When Washington came back and reported to Governor Dinwiddie, he sent him with a group of 160 men, where he fought in what were to be the opening battles of the French And Indian war. -
The Proclamation of 1763
Following the French and Indian War, the British Parliament establishes a border aligned with the Appalachian Mountains that separates the colonists from the unhappy natives in the West. In order to control war debt, it became illegal for the colonists to cross this border. This proclamation made the colonists very angry because they couldn't go into the land they had just won and fought for. -
The Sugar Act
On April 5th, 1764, the British Parliament passed the Sugar Act. The reason for passing the Sugar Act was to put England out of debt. The Act required colonists to bay a three cent tax on sugar, and raised the existing tax on, coffee, indigo, and certain kinds of wine. The act also banned some wines and rums. Although the colonists weren't happy about paying taxes, they were even more enraged about being taxed without representation. -
The Stamp Act
Parliament passed The Stamp Act so that the colonists would pay for the British soldiers protecting there newly won land from Native American attacks and from the French trying to reclaim the land. The Stamp Act required a stamp to be placed on all important documents. The colonists were outraged that the British soldiers were stationed in the colonies AND that they had to pay for their upkeep. The Stamp Act was repealed in 1766. -
The Townshend Acts
The Townshend Acts were designed to not only help England raise money to cover the costs of the French And Indian War, but also a way to show that they still have power over England. The Townshend Acts put taxes on items imported from England. Colonists protested by holding public demonstrations, boycotting, and smuggling in imports from England. Parliament repealed The Townshend Acts in 1770 do to pressure from the colonists and from British merchants losing money daily. -
The Boston Massacre
At night around 9:00, a group of colonists and British soldiers on the streets of Boston. The colonists provoked and threatened the soldiers by throwing snowballs, sticks, and stones. They also called them names, such as, "lobster scoundrels". One of the soldiers fired his musket. No one knows if it was an accident or not. After, more shots were fired into the crowd. When the smoke cleared, five colonists lay dead and many more were left seriously injured. -
Committees of Correspondence
Sam Adams founded the 1st Committees of Correspondence. The aim of these committees was to share information about each new issue in the developing crisis with England. The Committees of Correspondence was the first attempt of the American colonies to maintain communication with one another and they helped form bonds between the colonies. -
The Tea Act/ The Boston Tea Party
The Tea Act was passed by Parliament to help The East India Company with their financial difficulty. They had 18 million pounds of unsold tea. England gave the East India Company a Monopoly on the tea sales in the colonies. The colonies were infuriated and refused to buy the tea. On December 16, 1773, a group of around 60 colonists dressed as Mohawk Indians boarded the tea ships docked in the Boston Harbor and tossed 342 crates of tea into the water. -
Coercive (intolerable) acts
The Coercive Acts were set as punishment of the Boston Tea Party in a series of 4 laws. The Boston Port Act closed the Boston Harbor to all shipping until the tea that was dumped was paid for. The Administration of Justice Acts banned town meetings. The Quartering Acts said required the colonist feed, pay for, and house British troops. The Massachusetts Government Act put the colony under control of an appointed Governor. The colonists lost the right to govern themselves. -
The First Continental Congress
A group of men (representatives) discussed the problems in the colonies, including the Coercive Acts. They sent a petition to King George III that expressed their beliefs that it was unfair for parliament to tax the colonies without representation. They urged the colonies to boycott all British goods if the Coercive acts weren't repealed. They also said that if the English government didn't address their complaints soon they wouldn't export goods to England. -
Battles of Lexington and Concord
The Battles of Lexington and Concord marked the start of the Revolutionary War. Around 900 British soldiers were on their way to Concord. Paul Revere found out and warned the militiamen. Even though there were only around 60 militiamen, soon the British were retreating under intense gunfire.
