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End of French and Indian War
The end of the French and Indian War marked the beginning of the colonies' path to revolution. If they hadn't won the war, they wouldn't have been angered by the Proclamation of 1763 that prohibited them from settling west of the Appalachians. This fueled the spirit of rebeliion. -
Stamp Act
The stamp act prohibited the colonists from using any paper that didn't have a British stamp printed in the corner. It was used as a way to tax the colonies. This seemed pointless to the colonists, and was imposing on their freedom. Anything that went against freedom made the colonists angry. -
Quartering Act
The Quartering Act required colonies to pay for the housing and food of British soldiers who were there to protect the colonies. The soldiers were to live in barracks, inns, and houses or barns. The colonies were not happy about having to pay for the soldiers that didn't really need to be there. -
Declaratory Act
The Declaratory Act was passed by Parliament when it repealed the Stamp Act. The Act stated that Parliament had the same authority in the colonies as it did in Great Britain. This meant that it could pass laws that the colonists had to follow. The colonists didn't think this was fair because they weren't represented in Parliament. -
Townshend Acts
The Townshend Acts were a series of acts passed by Parliament that imposed taxes on many common imports in the colonies such as lead, glass, paper, and tea. The colonists viewed this as an unfair use of power by the British, and boycotted British imports. -
New York Legislature Suspended
New York refused to comply with Great Britain's Quartering Act by not funding the full amount of supplies that the British had requested, so Parliament suspended their legislature. This angered the colonists and brought them closer to thoughts of revolution. -
Boston Massacre
Some colonists began taunting British soldiers in the streets and throwing snowballs at them. The soldiers turned and opened fire into the crowd, killing 5 and wounding 6 other townspeople. Crispus Attucks was the first African American to be killed. By this time, the colonists were fed up with British occupation. -
Boston Tea Party
Sam Adams and the Sons of Liberty, dressed as Indians, snuck out into the Boston Harbor during the night, raiding three British ships. They dumped 342 chests of British tea overboard, showing their resentment for the tea tax. This infuriated Parliament, causing them to pass more acts to punish Boston. -
Intolerable Acts
Called the Coercive Acts in Great Britain, the Intolerable Acts were a series of Acts passed by Parliament after the Boston Tea Party. They were created to punish Massachusetts. Colonists saw these laws as violations of their freedom, and resisted British authority more strongly. -
Battles of Lexington and Concord
British troops were sent from Boston to take over a colonial store of gunpowder, and to catch John Hancock and Sam Adams. The British killed 8 of the colonial minutemen at Lexington, but the colonists forced the redcoats to retreat by attacking them at Concord. This may have been the first battle of the Revolutionary War.
