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Treaty of Paris (ending French and Indian War)
Treaty that officially ended the French and Indian War. The British gained control over the area west of the 13 British Colonies to the Mississippi River. The French agreed to no longer support any colonies in North America, including all of Canada. Since Spain had joined the war on the side of the French, the Spanish were also forced to give up their claim to Florida. The area of North America to the north and east of the Mississippi River was now under British rule. -
The Sugar Act
1764 Act that put a three-cent tax on foreign refined sugar and increased taxes on coffee, indigo, and certain kinds of wine. It banned importation of rum and French wines. These taxes affected only a certain part of the population, but the affected merchants were very vocal. Besides, the taxes were enacted without the consent of the colonists. This was one of the first instances in which colonists wanted a say in how much they were taxed. -
Stamp Act of 1765
The Stamp Act was passed by the British Parliament on March 22, 1765. The new tax was imposed on all American colonists and required them to pay a tax on every piece of printed paper they used. What made the law so offensive to the colonists was that in the past, taxes and duties on colonial trade had always been viewed as measures to regulate commerce, not to raise money. The Stamp Act, however, was viewed as a direct attempt by England to raise money in the colonies without colonial approval. -
Boston Massacre
The tension between the British soldiers and colonists in Boston exploded on March 5, and it occurred in the formation of a mob of people and then several shots rang out, and five colonists were killed. It was propagandized into a merciless massacre when it really wasn't. Either way this so called massacre greatly angered and outraged the colonists and fueled the rebellion against Great Britain. -
The Tea Act
1773 Act that gave a monopoly on tea sales to the East India Company. The Tea Act lowered the price on this East India tea so much that it was way below tea from other suppliers. But the American colonists saw this law as yet another means of "taxation without representation" because it meant that they couldn't buy tea from anyone else (including other colonial merchants) without spending a lot more money. Their response was to refuse to unload the tea from ships and the Boston Tea Party. -
Boston Tea Party
Colonists disguised as Indians snuck out in the night on December 16, 1773 and dumped over 340 chests of tea into the Boston Harbor. The colonists paid dearly for this with the British enforcement of the Intolerable Acts. -
First Continental Congress
Was a gathering of Colonial leaders who conferred on the trouble in the relationship between Britain and the colonists. They argued between fighting or trying to gain peace. The argument wasn't resolved, so they compromised and encouraged the boycotts and told militias to prepare for war. While they did this they wrote the Declaration of Rights. They also agreed to meet again in 1775 if things weren't resoloved. -
The Declaration of Rights
The Declaration of Rights was a statement adopted by the First Continental Congress in response to the Intolerable Acts passed by the British Parliament. The Declaration outlined colonial objections to the Intolerable Acts, listed a colonial bill of rights, and provided a detailed list of grievances. It was similar to the Declaration of Rights and Grievances, passed by the Stamp Act Congress a decade earlier.The Declaration concluded with an outline of Congress's future plans (to boycott). -
Battles of Lexington and Concord
When the British troops sent by Thomas Gage, the British appointed governor of Massachusetts, arrived in Lexington on April 19, 1775 they found 70 armed minutemen waiting for them. Gage's plan was to march to Concord and seize a stockpile of arms stored there and prevent any armed revolts. Once British arrived in Lexingon, they were disappointed to find no arms. The British were forced to retreat back to Boston after the Patriots attacked, and suffered many casualties. -
Second Continental Congress
Colonial delegates met in Philadelphia to form the Second Continental Congress. King George the Third had just refused to address the concerns listed in the colonists Declaration of Rights, and the colonists were uncertain about what they should do, should they fight Britain or work for peace? Instead of deciding one over the other the delegates compromised. They allowed an army to be fromed under Washington, and gave last bid at peace, the Olive Branch Petition. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
In the night the Colonists placed themselves at the top of Bunker Hill in Boston, when British awoke they found them, and in order to protect themselves they fought up the hill. The British victory was a costly one, as they lost nearly double the amount the Patriots did. Despite the loss, this battle proved to the colonists, and to Great Britain, that they really could take on the British. -
The Olive Branch Petition
John Dickinson drafted the Olive Branch Petition, which was adopted by the Second Continental Congress on July 5 and submitted to King George on July 8, 1775. It was an attempt to assert the rights of the colonists while maintaining their loyalty to the British crown. King George refused to read the petition and on August 23 proclaimed that the colonists had
decided to rebel. -
Common Sense by Thomas Paine
Common Sense is a pamphlet written by Thomas Paine that spread ideas of economic freedom and right to military self-defense. It was printed and written in Philadelphia in January 1776. It's message was that Great Britain's government was faulty and that the people should be able to make the laws. The pamphlet spread widely throughout the colonies selling around 500,000 copies. It changed the way some colonists viewed the government they were under and it cried out against the tyranny. -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence is the document that declared the American Colonies freedom from Britain. The message of the document was that the Colonies were tired of the tyrannical oppression of British rule, and believed that if a government infringed upon the peoples unalienable rights, as Britain's had, then the people had the right to change it. The impact of it was that the rebellion in the colonies was now a full-fledged revolt. -
Battle of Trenton, New Jersey
On Christmas night, 1776 Washington made the brash decision to attack the Hessians camped in Trenton, New Jersey. Washington and his men crossed the frozen Delaware and attacked the unsuspecting Hessian troops camped there. The Patriots captured over 900 troops. This was an important victory, not only because it majorly boosted the morale of the Continental Army, but also because it caused more men to join the cause. -
Battle of Saratoga
This was a turning poutn in the war for the Patriots. The victory caused them to gain morale and showed France and Spain that they could invest in an American victory. Without this help, the Patriots may have lost the war. -
Winter at Valley Forge
During the winter of 1777-78 Washington settled his troops at Valley Forge. This time was one of horrible cold and starvation for the troops of the Continental Army. There were many threats of mutiny, and times were desperate. Despite this, many troops stayed and through drills and marches, lead by von Steuben, that made them better soldiers. This would later help in battles against the British that otherwise might have been lost. -
Siege of Charleston
In early 1780 British general, Clinton surrounded the port city of Charleston. After several weeks of the siege, the patriots surrendered to the British, on May 12, 1779. They lost about 5,000 troops to the British, the greatest loss the Patriots suffered during the war. -
Battle of Yorktown
Cornwallis, in order to stay in contact with the British naval fleet, was forced to move his troops to Yorktown, Virginia. Washington saw the chance to trap him, and in order to have a large enough army to take on the British troops, he then combined forces with French. The Patriots surrounded Cornwallis and the siege began, and on October 19 they surrendered. This was the last major battle of the war and without this victory America might have lost. -
Treaty of Paris (ending Revolutionary War)
The Treaty of Paris officially ended the Revolution and declared America free from Great Britain. The treat set the borders of america and Britain accepted the right of the Americans to settle beyond the original thirteen colonies. Finally the war was over and everyone could go home.
