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The Proclamation Line of 1763
After the British won the French and Indian War, British officials refused to allow the colonists to settle in the land west of the Appalachian Mountains, thought they put their lives on the line for it. The colonists rejected this doctrine and settled anyway. This is the first evidence of protest in the colonies. -
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The causes of the revolutionary war
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The Sugar Act
The British Parliament passed a tax that put a 6 pence tax on every gallon of molasses. The colonists were very unhappy. -
The Stamp Act
A tax was placed on all written publications including stamps for letters, newspapers, documents, etc. This increased the tension between colonists and British officials. -
The Quartering Act
This act forced colonists to house, feed, and keep British soliders at any given time without consent. -
The Townshend Act
This act put duties on lead, glass, paint, tea, and oil. All of these supplies were used frequently by the colonists and the outrageous taxes enraged them. Colonists began to act violently towards British officials and boycott British goods. -
Boycott
The colonists agreed to boycott all British goods so that the British would suffer financially. -
The Boston Massacre
A fight broke out between British soldiers and colonists who were protesting and criticizing the British on the streets. Several colonists died. This event was significant in leading up to the Revolution because the rebellious groups of colonists armed themselves after the British sent their troops back to England. -
The Tea Act
The East India tea company had many pounds of unsold tea that the British directed them to sell to the colonists at a bargain price, however the Townshend acts were still in place and the new supply of tea would hurt local businesses. Ultimately this act would financially harm the colonists. -
The Boston Tea Party
Colonists known as the Sons of Liberty attack three ships carrying tea and dump all of the tea overboard into the Boston Harbor. This cost the British and East India Company a fortune. -
The Intolerable Acts
In response to colonial protest and as punishment the British enact the Intolerable Acts which put even more sanctions on the colonies. The colonists were not happy with these acts. -
The First Continental Congress Meets
56 delegates from all of the colonies except for Georgia meet in Philadelphia to unite against Britain, however some of the colonies did not agree with the others. All of the delegates decided to write a letter to King George III about their grievances. He did not pay the letter any attention. -
Paul Revere Rides
Paul Revere rides on his horse shouting "The British are coming!" in Boston. -
Battle at Lexington and Concord
This is the first battle of the revolutionary war. Minutemen lined up for battle on a bridge at Lexington and Concord while the British came ready to attack. The colonists ended up winning the battle although it is unknown who fired the first shot.