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Beginning of the French and Indain War
Occured in the Ohio River Valley. The colonists were against the Native Americans and the French. It started when George Washington (a young Virginian) went to investigate the French from coming too far south. He built Fort Necessity against the French fort, Fort Duquesne. Washington eventually lost and surrendered. -
French and Indian War Ends/Treaty of Paris of 1763
The war ended with the Treaty of Paris in 1763. The treaty gave Canada to Britain, who also gained all the land east of the Mississippi River (excpet New Orleans) and Florida from Spain. This treaty is very important because it changed the balance of power in North America, since now Great Britain has claimed more of the land east of the Mississippi, leaving Spain the only other European nation with land in America. -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence is a document that declares the freedom of the colonies and seperated them from England. It was written at the Second Constitutional Congress to declare independence from Great Britain and started the Revolution. The people who helped with this document was Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin (the great inventor), Robert R. Livingston, and Roger Sherman. -
The Sugar Act
This act was placed on the colonists to pay for the French and Indian War by Prime Minister George Grenville. As a result Parliament passed the Sugar Act which set a tax on molasses and sugar imported by colonists. -
The Stamp Act
Prime Minister Grenville proposed this idea as another way to help with the funds. So Parliament passed the Stamp Act in March 1765. This act required the colonists to pay for an official stamp, or seal, whenever they bought paper items. The tax had to be paid on legal documents, licenses, newspapres, pamphlets, and even platying cards. For those who refused to pay, were fined or sen to jail. -
Townshend Acts
Parliament passed this act in June 1767. This act basically placed taxeson imported glass, lead, paint, paper, and tea. The money collected was used to to pay for military costs and the salaries of governors. To enforce this act, British officials used writs of assistance that allowed tax collectors to search for smuggled goods. Many colonists repealed this act by boycotting against British goods -
Tea Act
To relieve some tension with the colonies, Parliament repealed all the Townshend acts except the tax on tea. So the Tea Act was passed in 1773. IT reduced the price of tea, but strill held the same amount of profit. The colonists thought that having cheaper would mean bad business, so they went against it. This led to the Boston Massacre. -
Intolerable Acts
Angry with the Boston Tea Party, Lord North, the new Prime Minister decided to punish Massachusetts. That spring, Parliament passed the Intolerable Acts.
It closed the Boston Harbor until Boston paid for the lost tea.
The Massachusetts charter was canceled and the governor decided when the legislature could meet.
Royal officials accused of crimes were sent to Britain to be trialed.
The Quartering Act forced colonists to house British soldiers.
Thomas Gage was made governor of Massachusetts. -
The American Revolution Begins
The Revolutionary War started in the Battle of Lexington and Concord. The first shot signaled the start of the war. -
Battle of Lexington and Concord
The colonists and minutemen wrere warned that the British was coming to Concord. On the morning of the 19th, the minutemen gathered at Lexington to meet a large group of British soldiers.The first shot rang out, signaling the beginning of the war. Who did it remains unknown, but it's known as the "shot heard 'round the world." The fight began. As the British were retreating back to Boston, they were shot down by the colonists and suffered many casualties. -
Battle of Trenton
George Washinton and his 2,400 troops crossed the Delaware River on Christams day in 1776 and marched to Trenton, New Jersey the next day. Washington's plan was to attack the Hessians and take them by surprise while they celebrated the holiday. The battle lasted less than an hourand the Patriots captured more than 900 Hessians. Unsatified with just one victory, Washington marched to Princeton. The Battle of Princeton resulted in another win for the colonists. (Jan. 3) -
Battle of Saratoga
This battle is a turning point in the war because it was a very big victory for the Patriots.
The British wanted to strike back after their losses at Tenton and Princeton. Three British troops would meet with the Patriots at Albany. Gen. Howe's force and another were both late. Not knowing this, Gen. Burgoyne and his troops arrived at Albany alone, badly outnumbered. He surrendered to Gen. Horatio Gates Oct. 17, 1777. This victory "boosted morale" and increased foreign support for the Patriots. -
Battle at Yorktown
The Battle of Yorktown started when British officer, Charles Cornwallis taking control of the Chesepeake Bay. Meanwhile, George Washignton was in New York preparing a bettle pla. He would trap Cornwallis with the help of the French fleet. They surrounded Cornwallis with twice as many Patiot forces than his own. They held Yorktownunder siege for weeks while the French fleet kept British reinforcements. Finally, after negotiating, Cornawallis surrendered, ending the Revolutionary war. -
Treaty of Paris of 1783
In June, a commitee from the Continental Congress began peace negotiations with the British. After two years, an agreement was made in the Treaty of Paris of 1783. In the treaty, Great Britain accepted the U.S. as an independent country and its bordors: the Great Lakes was the northern bordor, the Mississippi was the western, and a 31 degree north latitude line fomed the southern. The British recognized American rights to settle and trade west of the original 13 colonies.
