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This treaty ended the French and Indian War between the French powers and Native Americans in North America. -
The Stamp Act of 1765 was a direct tax imposed upon the colonies from Britain with the intention of paying off debt accrued from the Seven Years War. It was not approved by the colonies, it was a strange and inconvenient tax, and it was widely disliked due to its improper nature. This act inspired the Stamp Act Congress- the first time the colonies truly unite in opposition against the British Parliament. -
The Boston Tea Party was a protest against the Tea Act in which colonists hurled 342 chests of tea into the Boston Harbor. This unruly disobedience later invites British punishment, but it is, in the moment, a show of colonial strength and uprise. -
The Intolerable Acts were the cracking British whip that followed the rowdiness of the Boston Tea Party. It was a punishment in four main acts. The Boston port was closed; a military governor was appointed in place of their colonial mayor; British officials essentially gained criminal immunity; and forcing colonials to house soldiers. All of these only tightened brewing tensions between Britain and burgeoning America. This also led to the first Continental Congress, another big step. -
The first military engagement with British armies marks the start of the American Revolution on Lexington Green after Paul Revere's iconic hollering horse ride. -
The Declaration of Independence is adopted by the Second Continental Congress, and the United States of America officially declare themselves an independent nation. Yay! Fireworks! -
The Battles of Saratoga consist of two key parts: a loss (9/19), and a win (10/17). The difference? In the second battle, British strength was dwindling, and American forces were able to exhaust them, then send in a second wind of fresh-faced fighters. The Brits were forced to retreat. This battle boosted morale for the troops, but it also proved to France the legitimacy of American independence. It would be a key point in their official alliance with our nation. -
France and the U.S. officially ally! France offers to provide military and financial support to the American revolutionary government and they...promise to fight really good for them just in case. This alliance is the one which carries America to a far more formalized victory against England, as opposed to the ragtag armies which they'd been working with before. Without French support, its unlikely our sovereignty would have been secured. -
These articles, though imperfect and not entirely sustainable as the outline for a new country, were baby's first attempt at a constitution. As a nation, it formalized our unity and gave an initial structure of our government. Ultimately it would collapse of course, but this confederation of states was an intensely important step to take. -
The Battle of Yorktown was the final major battle of the war. Together, France and America cornered the British army on the Yorktown Peninsula. General Cornwallis had no other choice but to surrender. It was an American victory, and little did they know, it would be the last one involving guns in this war. -
This treaty formally ended the Revolutionary War, recognizing the United States as its own country.