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The French and Indian War
A war fought between Great Britain and France that ended with Great Britain winning at the cost of being deeply in debt. This war and the Treaty of Paris made the colonists mad as it limited their ability to take Native American land and led to an onslaught of taxes. -
The Sugar Act
An extension of the Molasses Act which took the power to try colonial smugglers away from the colonists. This annoyed the colonists who were previously letting smugglers go free, but not as much as the upcoming Stamp Act. -
The Stamp Act
Declared that any printed material required a payed stamp. In response, the colonists organized the Stamp Act Congress, which made the decision to boycott British goods. -
The Declaratory Act
A declaration that Great Britain had the ability to tax the colonists just as they could tax their own people. Although this was not necessarily a welcome declaration, it accompanied the repeal of the Stamp Act, which was a cause for celebration among the colonists. -
The Townshend Act
The creation of a new board of customs in an effort to stop smuggling. Led to the colonists, including colonial women, protesting and boycotting British goods, a reaction that merchants from cities like New York and Philadelphia disapproved of. -
The Tea Act
Made the tea from the British East India Company more enticing and affordable to the colonists by offering rebates and exemptions for the taxes on it. This act made is seem like Great Britain could tax anything, which angered the colonists out of principle and prompted the Boston Tea Party. -
The Start of the Revolutionary War
The start of the war can be summarized as the colonial response to the intolerable acts. How did they respond? The colonists disobeyed the acts, stopped paying taxes, and formed the first government of the United States, the Continental Congress.