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The Navigation Acts
The Navigation Acts were used to restrict the trade of the American colonies solely to Great Britain for Britain's gain. These acts consisted of directly telling the colonies who and who not to trade with. Lasted from 1651 to 1663. -
The Stamp Act
The Stamp Act started when the British Parliament began to gain revenue from the American colonies by taxing newspapers and legal and commercial documents. This was later repealed and influenced a revolt against the British Crown. -
The Townshend Act
The Townshend Act consisted of the English Parliament imposing tariffs (taxes) on glass, lead, paints, paper, and tea for the colonists of America. This was used to collect revenue from the colonies. -
The Boston Massacre
Due to the Townshend Acts that the British imposed, the colonists of America began to harass the British soldiers. On March 5, 1770, British soldiers tried to protect a sentry that was being harassed. The soldiers suddenly let off a volley of shots, killing three colonists immediately and two more died later due to wounds from the altercation. -
The Tea Act
The Tea Act granted the East India Company (a great source of revenue for Britain) a monopoly over the importation and sell of tea in order to save the company. These acts eventually led to the Boston Tea Party in December 16, 1773. -
The Boston Tea Party
After being oppressed with the Tea Act of 1773, colonists plotted out a plan to riot against Britain's decision. On the night of December 16, 1773, Samuel Adams and the Sons of Liberty boarded three ships and threw 342 chests of tea into the Boston Harbor. -
The Intolerable Acts
The Intolerable Acts were a means of Great Britain to punish the American colonies (more specifically, Massachusetts) after the events of the Boston Massacre and the Boston Tea Party. -
The Battles of Lexington and Concord
The Battles of Lexington and Concord kicked off the American Revolution due to the fact that tensions were building between the colonies and Great Britain. These battles consisted of the famous story of Paul Revere when he sounded the alarm when the Redcoats came for an arms cache. -
The Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence is the official document that told Great Britain that America wished to become an independent country. Though America at the time had only 13 colonies, the document worked and America soon became it's own country. -
The Constitution
The United States Constitution was a document that set up the government of the U.S. and created a system of checks and balances to even the powers of each branch. The Constitution also divided the national and state governments, and finally it set up the protection of personal liberty. Though created in 1787, the Constitution is still used today in America.
