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Albany Congress
The British government called a meeting of colonial leaders and the Iroquoi Indians.it took place in Albany,New York.The British wanted the colonies to cooperate in defending themselves against the French.They hoped to form an alliance with the Iroquoi Indians, and with that they refused.Benjamin Franklin believed in success for the colonies, so he came up with a plan called the Albany Plan of Union.that would give colonial representatives authority over urgent matters,like organizing armies. -
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French and Indian War
This war was between the French and the British.The Iroquoi Indians sided with the British,and the Huron and the Algonkin Indians sided with the French.This war started because both the French and British wanted the Ohio River Valley.The British won the French and Indian War. -
Treaty of Paris
Britain and France signed the Treaty of Paris.France lost almost all of its North American possessions.France surrendered,French Canada to Great Britain.Great Britain also gained all of other French territory east of Mississippi, with the exception of New Orleans.Britain also received Spanish Florida.Native Americans also last a great deal without French help, the Native Americans could not stop Britain settlers from moving on their lands. -
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Pontiac's War
The leader of the Ottawa nation,Pontiac, formed an alliance of western Natives.Pontiac and his allies attacked British forts and settlements throughout the area.Nearly half a dozen western British forts were destroyed and back country settlers were killed.They had killed the Native Americans who had not attacked them.The British defeated Pontiac's forces in August.Pontiac started this rebellion because the British fur trappers,and traders were on French and Indian land. -
Proclamation of 1763
Britain wanted to avoid further wars with Native Americans on the frontier.The British government issued the Proclamation of 1763.It banned colonial settlement west of a line drawn along the Appalachian Mountains.Settlers were told they had to move to a location east of that line.Proclamation of 1763 angered many colonists who believed they had the right to reside wherever they wanted.The Proclamation was deeply ignored and was proved impossible for the British to enforce. -
The Sugar Act
The British effort to impose new taxes on the colonies began in 1764 when Parliment passed the Sugar Act,which put a duty or import tax on serval products,including molasses.It also called for harsh punishment of smugglers.Colonial merchants, who sometimes traded in smuggled goods ,protested. -
The Stamp Act
The Stamp Act required that all colonists buy special tax stamps for all kinds of products and activities.The stamps had to be placed on documents.House of Burgess's in Virginia passed resolutions declaring it had the right to tax their people.Patrick Henry made a speech attacking the law.Other colonial assemblies followed Virginia's example.Merchants in NY,Boston,and Philadelphia organized a boycott to refuse to buy certain products.Soon the act was repealed. -
The Quartering Act
One year later,Parliment passed the Quartering Act.The purpose of the Quartering Act was to save money.To enforce th Proclamation of 1763,Britain kept about 10,000 soliders in the colonies.The act required colonists to quarter,or house,British troops and provide them with food and other supplies.The colonists protested angrily.Once again,the colonists complained that Parliament was violating their rights. -
The Boston Massacre
An angry crowd o surrounded a small group of soldiers.They shouted at the soldiers fired at them,killing five and wounding six.Governor Thomas Hutchinson tried to calm things down by having the nine soldiers involved in the shooting arrested and tried for murder.John Adams a lawyer believed everyone accused of crime should have a lawyer and free trial.Two soldiers were convicted.Their punishment was having their thumbs.But the troops were only in Boston to stop acts against the Townshend Acts. -
The Tea Act
Many colonists drank tea.With every cup they drank,they were paying a tax that Parliament had placed on them without their consent.The British Parliament passed the Tea Act.It was intended to help the British East India Company,one of Britain's most important companies..However the colonial boycott of tea seriously hurt the company.The Tea Act lowered the price of tea. Some colonists reacted angrily to the part of the fact that gave the East India Company a monopoly on selling British tea. -
The Boston Tea Party
A group of colonists called the Sons of Liberty to stop the East India Company tea from being unloaded.They threatened ship captains who were bringing in the tea and colonial tea merchants who said they would buy it.In Boston,Governor Thomas Hutchinson decided to make sure the tea would be unloaded.Finally on at night a large crowd gathered in the harbor .Suddenly a large group of men disguised as Native Americans boarded the tea ship.During three hours they threw 342 cases of tea in the harbor. -
Intolerable Acts
The Boston Tea Party outraged the British government.King George the third called for tough action to make examples of the people of Boston and Massachusetts.In response the Parliament passed four laws .The first act was closed the port of Boston . Two others increased the powers of he royal governor, abolished the upper house of the Massachusetts legislature ,and cut the powers of town meetings . Finally the fourth law strengthened the1765 Quartering Act. -
Battles of Lexington and Concord
In the town of Lexington was 77 minute men waiting for the British,the commander told the minutes to leave,they refused.One thing led to another and a shot rang and it turned out to be the first shot of the American Revolution.A larger battle took place in nearby Concord.However this time there were 400 minutemen who fought the British,killing three of them.The British retreated to Boston,4,000 Americans fired at them behind trees and fences.Almost 300 of them were killed or wounded. -
Battle for Fort Ticonderoga
An important battle took place in northern New York.A band of colonists made a surprise attack on Fort Ticonderoga.Ethan Allen and his followers known as Green Mountain Boys were the force of 83 men crossing the lake .42 British troops guarded the force and surrendered quickly.The Fort controlled the main route between Canada and the Hudson River Valley.In addition it held weapons and cannons.The Mountain Boys took the fort and several dozen cannons. -
The Second Continental Congress
This congress included Thomas Jefferson,a young lawyer,Boston merchant John Hancock,and Benjamin Franklin.The Congress was divided,a group of delegates from New England wanted to declare independence.Nearly all the delegates felt the need to prepare for war,first step was an army.The congress chose George Washington as the commander.The Congress also took steps to pay for the army by printing paper money.The Second Continental Congress started to act like a government. -
Battles of the Bunker and Breeds Hill
The British had 6,500 troops.The Americans had 10,000 troops these troops occupied the Breed's Hill,from this position they could fire on British ships.The British General decided they should attack up the Breed's Hill.He knew they did not have much ammunition.The Americans only fired when they were 150 ft away ,the British soldiers ended up dead or wounded.The first two attempts failed for the British,then the third succeeded. -
Olive Branch Petition
This Petition stated were loyal to the king.It asked King George to stop the fighting so all disputes between the colonists and Britain could be solved peacefully.The Congress passed a tougher statement called the Declaration of the Causes and Necessities of Taking Up Arms.The document stated that the colonists were ready.The effort to make peace failed. -
The British withdrawal from Boston.
George Washington arrived and took charge of the American army.Washington had the cannons from fort Ticonderoga brought to Boston.The Americans had the cannons on high ground over Boston and the British could not defend the city.The British withdrew from Boston by sea and never returned. -
Invasion of Quebec
The Americans attacked Quebec during a snowstorm.The attack was turned back Montgomery was killed and Arnold was wounded.The Americans landed new forces in Canada.Weakened by disease and hunger the Americans withdrew Canada ,leaving it to the British -
First Continental Congress
The British government had no intention of meeting the demands of the First Continental Congress.It chose to use force to restore it's authority.The colonists began to arm and form new militia units called minutemen which citizen soldiers ready to fight at any minute.General Thomas Gage sent 700 troops to seize some important colonial leaders.Two men,Paul Revere and William Daws went to warn the minutemen.