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Proclamation of 1763
The Proclamation of 1763 illegalized colonization west of the Appalachians, which enraged many colonists who wished to settle. This boundary blocked off the rich and coveted Ohio Valley, and the land from the Ohio River to the Mississippi. It was put in place to make sure relations between the Native Americans and English did not worsen, but it was perceived to be simply disallowing anymore colonization, which annoyed those who wanted more land. -
Sugar Act of 1764
The Sugar Act of 1764 placed a tax on all foreign sugar and molasses. This was previously in place as a duty of sixpence per gallon of molasses since 1733, but it was not enforced. The Sugar Act reduced the duty to threepence, but it was actually enforced. This reduced the trade with the West Indies very much, which harmed the markets of all the colonies. -
Stamp Act 1765
The Stamp Act in 1765 placed a tax on parchment, paper, and skins that were printed or written on, with 54 different categories of types and different duties. This was the first large attempt by Parliament to assert authority over the colonies. As a result of the Proclamation of 1763 and the Sugar Act of 1764, many were already angered, and this drove them to start to act. Some in violence, others not. This also led to the Stamp Act Congress. -
Quartering Act 1765
The Quartering Act of 1765 was passed by Parliament which said that the colonial families and households were to provide food, shelter, and living quarters for the British soldiers. This caused a fair bit of mistreatment of both families and soldiers, the former of them with hostile feelings toward the fact that they had to house a random person with a gun. -
Stamp Act Congress
The Stamp Act Congress was a grouping of colonial delegates from 9 in New York City, which eventually adopted the Declaration of Rights and Grievances, which in turn consisted of a petition, address, and memorial. This was sent to Parliament to essentially try to make them repeal the Stamp Act by using flattery and economic examples of how it would worsen the state of the colonies. -
Declaratory Act of 1766
The Declaratory Act of 1766 was passed at the same time as the Stamp Act was repealed. Some would say this was a wise time for Parliament to make this action, because many colonists were too busy celebrating the repealment of the Stamp Act that they may not have noticed this one. This Act stated Parliament had the power to make laws and statutes over the colonies in any cases whatsoever, which is a lot of power. -
Townshend Acts of 1767
The Townshend Acts of 1767 were proposed by Charles Townshend, who thought that the colonists didn't like the Stamp Act only because it required them to pay in their towns. He proposed that they pay at ports and docks, and this convinced Parliament. This Act aroused the same anger the colonies had at the Stamp Act, and the colonists started non-importation agreements, which destroyed British merchant trade, which in turn caused protests from both sides of the Atlantic. -
Boston Massacre 1770
The Boston Massacre was the killing of 5 colonists, who were at the time protesting outside of a stamp agents house. The soldiers were sent there to keep them under control, but the colonists were too rowdy. They eventually pushed the soldiers quite literally with their backs to the walls, and the soldiers had to do something in order to not be almost trampled. They fired, and this caused a huge colonial uproar and protest. Two soldiers were convicted of manslaughter. -
Tea Act of 1773
The Tea Act in 1773 was not actually intended to raise money, but rather to save the East India Company, who had 18 million pounds of unsold tea, from ruin. However, this was perceived as an attempt to gain support for the acts, when ships came to sell the tea at a bargain price. Most colonies rejected the tea when it came. This also led to the Boston Tea Party. -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was the dumping of 342 pounds of tea into the Boston Harbor as a protest. This was a result of all the East India Company's tea just lying in the harbor ships, while other ships which came for business couldn't dock. The Sons of Liberty dressed as Native Americans, boarded the ships, and threw chests of tea overboard. -
Coercive Acts of 1774
The Coercive Acts, or the Intolerable Acts, were made first and foremost as a response to the Boston Tea Party, effectively closing the harbor until the Bostonians paid for the lost tea. It also allowed Parliament to be more or less in control of Massachusetts, and it allowed accused Royal officials to have trial in a different colony or even Great Britain. This last act angered colonists who believed the soldiers in the Boston massacre had had a fair trial. -
Quebec Act of 1774
The Quebec Act of 1774 extended the territory of Quebec into Connecticut and Massachusetts, which angered the colonists who wanted the land. Also, it completely allowed practice of the Catholic faith, which angered many of the colonial Protestants. -
1st Continental Congress
The First Continental Congress was the meeting of delegates from all colonies except Georgia in Philadelphia. Many of those who came arrived with different views and opinions on what to do, and what to try to get. They came up with a Plan of Union, involving a Grand Council as the colonial equivalent of Parliament, and a President General appointed by the Crown in America. However, this was discarded by a narrow margin. They did send Parliament information on the colonial grievances. -
Battles of Lexington and Concord
The Battles of Lexington and Concord were the first battles of the Revolutionary War. The British were trying to destroy supplies held by the Massachusetts Militia, but the militia knew the supplies were in danger so they already moved them to different locations. The first shot was known as the shot heard round the world. -
Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress was essentially a reconvening of the first a year later, after the beginning of the American Revolution. They agreed that a Continental Army had to be formed, and that George Washington of Virginia would be the supreme commander. They also sent the Olive Branch Petition, which declared loyalty to the crown and pleaded for peace, but the king rejected it. -
Olive Branch Petition
The Olive Branch Petition was a petition drafted by the Second Continental Congress, which pleaded for peace with the crown and declared loyalty to the king. However, this was rejected by the king, and he declared the colonies to be in a state of rebellion and to be treated as such. -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was a document adopted by the Continental Congress in 1776, which stated that the thirteen colonies identified themselves as independent states, and not a part of the British Empire anymore. Thomas Jefferson wrote the original draft, which the congress then edited. It was ratified on July 4.
