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Treaty of Paris, 1763
The treaty marked the end of the French and Indian war. The British gained control of the Ohio River Valley. -
Proclamation of 1763
The British issued a proclamation that prohibited the colonist ability to expand western. This was done to prevent another attack from the natives but the colonists saw it as a way to oppress them. -
Sugar Act of 1764
The Sugar Act was a tax put upon the colonists that directly affected all sugar products. This tax revenue was then sent directly to the crown in Britain. Many colonists thought this was unjust. -
Stamp Tax of 1765
Yet another tax was laid upon the colonists in the same year as the Quartering Act. The Stamp Tax was was a stamp signifying you had paid your taxes on any one of these items: bills of sale for about fifty trade items, certain types of commercial and legal documents, playing cards, pamphlets, newspapers, diplomas, bills of lading, and marriage license. -
Quartering Act of 1765
Along with the sugar act, the quartering act of 1765 was another major event that enraged the colonists. This act required certain colonies to provide food and quarters for the British troops -
Stamp Act Congress of 1765
The short-lived congress brought together twenty seven delegates from nine colonies. They drew up a statement of their rights and grievances and presented them to the king and parliament in hopes of them releasing the legislation. To no luck right away they would however become more united as a nation with this colony. -
Townshend Act
A new tax passed in 1767 that affected items such as glass, white lead, paper, paint, and tea being the most important since they colonist drank loads of tea. -
Boston Massacre
Boston troops open fired and killed or wounded eleven citizens during the Boston massacre. This happened because the red oats were being taunted that day, with the Bostonians still upset over the death of a young boy ten days earlier. -
First Committee of Correspondence
Samuel Adam was the first creator of a Committee of Correspondence in the colonies. After he formed the first one in 1772, around 80 towns in the colony also made similar organizations. Their goal was to spread the spirit of resistance against British policy. -
Boston Tea Party
On December 16, 1773 many Bostonians dressed up as native Americans and boarded dock ships in the Boston harbor. They then proceeded to smash open 342 chests of tea and dump them into the Atlantic Ocean. This was done to show their discontent with the British with the tax against tea. -
Intolerable Acts
The Intolerable Acts were Britain’s answer to the Boston tea party that was executed months earlier. The Boston Port Act, an act that was among the intolerable acts, states that the tea stained harbor would be closed until the damages were paid off. Other rules were that many chartered rights were taken away from the colonists, restrictions were placed on town meetings, and enforcing officials who killed colonists to be sent to Britain for trial. -
First Continental Congress
This was a meeting set up to respond to the newly placed Intolerable Acts. It met in Philadelphia and considered ways of redressing the dreaded policies. 12 out of 13 colonies, Georgia missing, sent 35 men and this alone helped the disunity of the colonies a little bit at the time. -
The battles of Lexington and Concord
These battles were really the unofficial start to the Revolutionary War , the British troops were only sent to seize gunpowder and the rebels leaders Samuel Adams and John Hancock. As the Minute Men refused to give in eight Americans were then shot and killed and several wounded while the British had about 70 deaths and hundreds more wounded afterwards. -
The Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress met roughly a month after the events of Concord and Lexington, this time all 13 colonies were there to participate. The colonists still didn’t have a massive desire to become independent, instead looking to make peace with the British if not then to fight for their rights and for acts to be redressed by them. Money was raised for the colonist to recruit an army and a navy in preparation for the worst. -
The Olive Branch Petition
The Olive Branch Petition was the colonies way of giving into the British games, they formed a petition stating their loyalty to the crown and begging the king not to endure any consequences. The king declined this petition and had announced that the colonies were now rebels of the crown. -
Common Sense
The best selling pamphlet named “Common Sense” was a wide awakening for the colonists. Thomas Paine had wrote in this piece about how it seems illogical for the smaller Britain to be controlling the much larger colonies. It also consisted of some good ways to run the government as well. -
The signing of the Declaration of Independence
On July 4, 1776 the Declaration of Independence was signed. A month prior Richard Henry Lee made a motion to become independent from the British which was passed in July 2, 1776. Thomas Jefferson was chosen to write the motion on paper as he was one of the greatest writers of their generation. -
Battle of Long Island
The battle of Long Island did not look to be in favor the colonists at first. They were being outgeneraled and out maneuvered until a favoring wind and fog came their way. Washington and his troops escaped to Manhattan then crossed the Delaware river to escape. Then at Trenton Washington surprised around a thousand hessians then defeated a small British detachment at Princeton, which proved to be a key victory. -
Armed Neutrality
Catherine the Great of Russia organized what was known as the Armed Neutrality which was an agreement many European neutrals to take down the British. This is what really marked the end for the British and victory for the colonies as the British now had to worry about several other countries to defend against while also defending against the colonies. -
Treaty of Paris of 1783
The Treaty of Paris was a document signed by the British that formally recognized the independence of the United States. The United States were granted boundaries from Mississippi to the Great Lakes and Florida in the south.
