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The Sugar Act
The British Parliament taxed sugar and molasses sold by non-English merchants to raise more money for the British Crown. -
Sons of Liberty Formed
The Sons of Liberty, an organization founded by Samuel Adams, was a group founded with the purpose of fighting for the colonists' rights and to bring an end to taxation from the British government. -
The Stamp Act
The British Parliament's first direct tax on the colonies in America. It taxed products such as newspapers, pamphlets, legal documents, dice, and playing cards. Britain issued stamps attached to these documents or packages. -
The Townshend Acts
Acts passed to help pay for the expenses used in governing the colonies. Many everyday items were taxed, such as glass, lead, paint, paper, and tea. -
The Boston Massacre
A mob of colonists began attacking a group of British soldiers on the night of March 5, 1770, resulting in the soldiers shooting at the colonists. As a result, five died and the event became a source of propaganda supporting independence from Britain. -
The Boston Tea Party
Protesting British taxation on tea, the Sons of Liberty, disguised as Native Americans, boarded three ships in the Boston Harbor and dumped 342 chests of tea into the sea. -
The Tea Act
The Tea Act reduced the tax on imported tea, but gave British merchants an advantage in the American market. -
Coercive/Intolerable Acts
Angered by the Boston Tea Party, the British Parliament passed many acts to reprimand Massachusetts. Boston Harbor was closed off, protection was offered to royal officials, and election of government officials was given to the Crown. -
First Continental Congress
The First Continental Congress was a group comprised of delegates from the thirteen colonies who met in retaliation to the Intolerable Acts. It served as the governing body that planned the resistance against the British during the American Revolutions' first two years. -
The Battles of Lexington and Concord
The Battles of Lexington and Concord were the first battles that began the American Revolution. -
Declaration of Independence
American colonists, tired of the injustice of taxes and laws imposed by the British, sent delegates to form a committee with the purpose of drafting the Declaration of Independence. -
The Battle of Saratoga
Victory at the Battle of Saratoga won the alliance of the French. Benjamin Franklin was sent to France to negotiate an alliance, but the French were hesitant. However, news of the colonists' victory convinced the French to join the war and form a relationship of trade and friendship. -
The Battle of Yorktown
The colonists and the French attacked the British on land and sea. Key British points fall under the control of the colonists and French, forcing British General Cornwallis to surrender, effectively ending the war. -
Treaty of Paris Signed
Representatives from the U.S. and Britain met in Paris to sign a treaty that would end the American Revolution. From this point forward, the U.S. would be recognized as its own nation. -
George Washington Elected as the 1st President
George Washington served two terms from 1789 to 1797. During his presidency, he enacted upon a foreign policy of neutrality, at least until the United States could grow stronger. -
Bill of Rights Ratified
The Bill of Rights, composed of the first ten amendments of the Constitution, was a document that listed the rights of individuals and limitations on the federal and state governments. -
Elit Whitney Patents the Cotton Gin
The cotton gin made the process of removing seeds from cotton fiber much quicker. As a result, it increased U.S. cotton exports and the expansion of slavery. -
John Adams Becomes the 2nd President
John Adams served one term from 1797 to 1801 during the war between the French and British and his administration focused on France. Under his presidency, acts such as the Alien and Sedition Acts were passed to stop foreign agents in the country.
