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The Sugar Act is Issued
Prime Minister George Grenville issued the Sugar Act, which taxed the colonists on foreign sugar. This was the first such law created by Parliament to raise funds from the American Colonies. However, the colonists were outraged and England was forced to lower the tax. -
The Stamp Act is Passed - But Never Implemented
In March of 1765, the British Government passed the Stamp Act. This was basically a tax on all paper goods, and, once paid, it was stamped. This is one of the first direct taxation methods used, but caused much uproar in the colonies. The colonists were adamant about not paying this, and showed their frustration through non-importation agreements, tar and feathering, etc. While it was never implemented in the colonies, the British have been paying a heavier tax for two generations. -
The Townshend Acts are Put Into Effect
The Townshend Acts are enacted by Prime Minister Charles Townshend. These acts were hated by the colonists and wanted the colonists to pay light dues on tea, paint, lead, and paper payable at the ports (indirect tax). Enraged, the colonists felt as if they were being taxed without representation again. In addition, they had just "won" against Great Britain by making them repeal the Stamp Act. Hence, the colonists retaliated once more. The taxes were lessened, but a tax on tea remained. -
The Boston Massacre
Redcoats were in Boston to help keep the order, and to stop any smuggling that took place at the ports. However, none of the colonists liked having them in Boston. On March Fifth, a rowdy crowd was throwing snowballs and shouting insults at a battalion. Nervous, some redcoats fired into the crowd, killing five. This outraged Americans in all the colonies, but when placed on trial, John Adams successfully defended the Redcoats. Only two were charged with manslaughter, the rest acquitted. -
The Boston Tea Party
The British East India Company was sitting on 17 million pounds of tea, and asked Parliament for assistance. Parliament gave the company a monopoly on the American colonies, and was going to try and break even by selling their tea so cheap, nobody could refuse. The price, even with the tax, would be cheaper than smuggled or foreign tea. However, the colonists saw this as a scheme to make them pay more taxes, and angrily threw tea overboard in protest in many port cities along the coast. -
The Quebec Act is Passed
The Quebec Act, along with the "Intolerable Acts" (which restricted town meetings, put trials in an admiralty court, etc.), frustrated the colonists. It gave the Quebec people all the land West of the Ohio Valley (land that the British fought for and weren't allowed to settle on), allowed them to practice their Catholic faith (something that the Protestants of America hated), and let them keep old practices, like not having a trial by jury (which the colonists took as a threat to their society). -
The Battle of Concord (and Lexington)
After a quick victory in Lexington, British troops moved towards Concord. However, the Concord militiamen were ready to fight. The small force of Minutemen held off the Redcoats, who were sent to seize gun powder and other supplies. In fact, the Redcoats were forced to retreat, and headed all the way back to Boston. This was the "shot heard 'round the world" and showed that the colonists were ready to fight. Revolution was imminent.
