American Revolution Timeline

  • French and Indian War

    French and Indian War
    War started because British and French Empire was expanding, leading to a fight to control most of North America.The group of people who fought in this war was Britain against France (allied with Native Americans). After the war the French soldiers and their Native American allies won the war that made the British turned and fled. Later in 1763, they officially ended the war by signing The Treaty of Paris where the land is to set a boundaries between the Britain Empire and the New Country.
  • Writ of Assistance

    Writ of Assistance
    The royal governor of Massachusetts authorized the use of the writ of assistance, a general warrant that allowed Britain customs officials to enter and search any colonial ship or building that has smuggled goods. This also allowed the British to barge into people homes having smuggled stuff or not, this made people outraged. This was issued to make sure merchants were not doing business in any French-held territories.
  • Treaty of Paris

    Treaty of Paris
    With this Treaty it was the meaning of the war ending. Following that, Great Britain claimed Canada up to the Mississippi River, took Spain, which allied with France. According o the Treaty, Spain is allowed to keep their lands west of the Mississippi River and city of New Orleans. And France regain control of few islands, small colonies, and other places. With this Britain allowed America to be sovereign and independent.
  • Proclamation of 1763

    Proclamation of 1763
    At the end of the French and Indian War, the British issued a proclamation,mainly intended to conciliate with the Indians by checking the trespass of settlers on their lands. The British did this because the Indians led by Pontiac was taking over the British's Forts for more land. Yet, the Indians were struck by a virus that was from the Britain, made the Indians grew tired of fighting leading to negotiation at the end of the summer of 1766. Where people weren't allowed to cross to their land.
  • Sugar Act & Colonists Response

    Sugar Act & Colonists Response
    The goal of act was to raise revenue to help defray the military costs of protecting the American colonies at a time Britain's economy was saddled with the national debt accumulated during the French and Indian War. George Grenville who prompted this Parliament did three things:was to discourage colonial merchants/manufacturers from smuggling non-British goods to avoid taxes imposed by Parliament. But some colonist didn't like being taxed so they made a cry "No taxation without Representation".
  • Stamp Act & Colonist Response

    Stamp Act & Colonist Response
    This act was to imposed a tax on documents and printed items such as wills, newspaper, and playing cards. A stamp was to make sure that tax was paid.This affected colonist directly and showed goods and service. Merchants, labors and artisans soon rebelled and boycotted this by making a resistance group called Sons of Liberty because it lacked the power to impose taxes on colonies that the colonist weren't represented in Parliament. They boycotted the British's good until Stamp Act was repealed.
  • Sons of Liberty is formed & Samuel Adams

    Sons of Liberty is formed & Samuel Adams
    A group of people filled with shopkeepers, artisans, and laborers made a resistance group called Sons of Liberty to defy the law of the Stamp act. They successfully did it by boycotting the British's good until they get things fixed. 1766 parliament repealed the law. The person who was one of the founders was Samuel Adams who lead a boycott on British's good again for the Townshend Act , that they taxed on tea, paper, glass, paint and lead.
  • Declaratory Act

    Declaratory Act
    Declaratory Act waa made the same day as the Stamp Act was repealed, parliament passed the Declaratory Act, which asserted the Parliament 's full right "to bind the colonies and people of America in all cases whatsoever." Basically this act didn't really raised no new taxes on the people because the Stamp Act just got repealed.
  • Townshend Acts & Colonist Response (Why were they Repealed?)

    Townshend Acts & Colonist Response (Why were they Repealed?)
    1765, Charles Townshend leading the government minister passed the Townshend Act that taxed goods that were imported into colony from Britian, shuch as lead, paint, glass, and paper. Then when this happened, The Sons of Liberty boycotted the British's good. Because of this the British Parliament had to repeal the Townshend Acts.
  • Boston Massacre

    Boston Massacre
    Started when a mob of people gathered in front of Boston Custom House and taunted the British who were standing guard, leading to 5 colonists, including Cripus Attucks, were either killed or morally wounded. Because Paul Revere heard about this he had to send message to the other colonist leading people know what had happened leading to tensions between Britain and the colonists.
  • Tea Act

    Tea Act
    Lord North devised the Tea Act in order to save the bankrupt of the British East India Company. It granted the company the right to sell tea to colonies free of the taxes that the colonial sellers had to pay. This cut the action of the colonial merchants going out for trade by enabling the East India Company to sell directly to them. north hoped colonist would buy the cheaper tea but they protested back hardcore.
  • Boston Tea Party

    Boston Tea Party
    Large group of Boston Rebels disguised themselves as Native Americans and took actions on the British Tea Ships near harbor. These dudes were called Boston Tea Party because they dumped 18,000 pounds of East India Company's Tea into the water of Boston Harbor. This was an act of boycotting taxes.
  • Intolerable Acts-All 3 Parts

    Intolerable Acts-All 3 Parts
    King George III pressed a Parliament to act by passing a series of measures that colonist called Intolerable Acts. One law must shut down the Boston Harbor. The Quartering Act allowing the British commanders to house soldiers in vacant private homes and other buildings. Also General Thomas Gage was appointed new governor of Massachusetts and he put Boston under martial law or rule imposed by military forces.
  • First Continental Congress meets

    First Continental Congress meets
    In response to British's actions, 56 delegates met in Philadelphia and drew the declaration of colonial rights. It defended the colonies' right to run their own affairs and stated that, if the British used force against the colonies, colonies will fight back.
  • Minutemen

    Minutemen were civilian soldiers who pledged to be ready to fight against the British on a minute's notice. They also where under training and secretly stockpiled firearms and gunpowder. This was the idea of the First Continental Congress's idea to make New England to stepped up military preparations.
  • Midnight Riders: Revere, Dawes, Prescott

    These Colonists of Bostons rode out to spread the word that 700 British troops were heading to Concord. The rang of bells and gun shots were pre-arranged signaled, telling town to town that the British were coming.
  • Battle of Lexington

    Battle of Lexington
    King's troop known as ''redcoats" cause of their uniforms, reached Lexington 5 miles away from Concord. 70 minutemen was lined up on the village green. only one British soldier was harmed. 8 minutemen were killed and ten were wounded and it only lasted for 15 minutes.
  • Battle of Concord

    Battle of Concord
    The "Redcoat" finally reached Concord where they only found empty arsenal/ After a little skirmish with the minutemen, they marched back to Boston but it became a slaughter while coming back. About 3,000-4,000 minutemen were assembled and they fired on the British behind stone walls and trees. Redcoats were dropping one by one and humiliated, rest of British made it back to Boston at Night. The colonist became enemies to British and held them and Boston under siege.
  • Second Continental Congress

    Second Continental Congress
    Another debate called in Philadelphia to decide on the next move. The loyalist that divided colonist sparked endless debates. People called for independence and others called on reconciliation with Great Britain. After the argument , they agreed to recognize the colonial militia as the Continental Army and appointed George Washington as its commander.
  • Continental Army

    Continental Army
    A Continental Army was created as their "main army/troop" that was lead by George Washington. This was created in the Second Continental Congress to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in their revolt against the rule of Great Britain.
  • Battle of Bunker Hill

    Battle of Bunker Hill
    General Thomas Gage decided to strike at minutemen on Breed's Hill. On June 17, 1775 he sent 2,400 British soldiers up the hill. At the end he colonist lost 450 men and the British lost 1,000 men. This was a deadliest battle of the war.
  • Olive Branch Petition

    Olive Branch Petition
    Most delegates had loyalty to George III, and blamed bloodshed on the king's ministers. Congress soon sent to the king the Olive Branch Petition, urging a return to "the former harmony" between Britain and colonies. But George III rejected the petition and issued a proclamation and stated that the colonist were in rebellion and urged Parliament to order a naval blockade to isolate a line of ships meant for the American Coast.
  • John Locke's Social Contrast

    John Locke's Social Contrast
    John Locke was one of the enlightenment thinkers during the 1760s-1770s. HE said people had right to life, liberty and property. He based the society in a social contrast meaning an agreement in which the people consent to choose and obey a government so long as it safe guards their natural rights.If the government take their rights, the colonist has a right to overrun the government.
  • Publication of Common Sense

    Publication of Common Sense
    Publication of Common Sense was made by the ideas of Thomas Paine who basically was an immigrant that declared independence wooed allow America to trade more freely. Also stated that independence would give american colonist the chance to create better society. Common Sense sold nearly 500,000 copies in 1776 and was widely applauded. Later George Washington wrote, "I find Common Sense is working a powerful change in the minds of many men."
  • Declaration of Independence

    Declaration of Independence
    The author of this Declaration of Independence would be Thomas Jefferson who was appointed to prepare the final draft. Because of this they wanted to make this with the United Colonies to be free and independent states. It made "men are all equal" to stop cruelty and injustice of the slave trade and etc. The date of adoption was July 4th, 1776.
  • Redcoats push Washington's Army across the Delaware River into Pennsylvania

    Redcoats push Washington's Army across the Delaware River into Pennsylvania
    This war too place in New York on the August of 1776 with 32,000 soldiers. The British won because they were able to seize New York that is filled with poorly trained and equipped people.
  • Loyalists and Patriots

    Loyalists and Patriots
    Loyalist where those who opposed independence and remained loyal to the British King that also included judges and governors as well as people of more modest means. Patriots were the supporters of independence that drew their numbers from people who saw political and economic opportunity. Which many stayed neutral. Many people like Africans Americans and Native American joint loyalist because Britain granted slaves freedom and the Indians saw the settlers as a bigger threat.
  • Washington's Christmas Night Surprise Attack

    Washington's Christmas Night Surprise Attack
    Because Washington was desperate for an early win, he risked everything on one bold stroke set for that night. He sent his men through the ice river with a fierce storm and defeated them in Trenton, New Jersey by defeating the garrison of Hessian in a surprise attack.. With this they were successful with this surprise attack but later i 1777 of September, Britain regrouped and took over the American Capital of Pennsylvania.
  • Saratoga

    Saratoga
    Burgoyne's plan was to lead an army down a route of lakes from Canada-Albany, where he would meet British troops as they arrived from New York City. Then 2 regiments would then join forces to isolate New England from rest of colonies. It failed because his British officers was preoccupied with holding Philadelphia and weren't coming to meet them. Then Americans finally surrounded him at Saratoga. The outcome is that October he surrendered and the french decided to take side with the Americans.
  • French-American Alliance

    French-American Alliance
    Because of the American Victory at Saratoga, the French decided to aid them because their belief is that American could actually win the war. Although France did secretly aided the Patriots since early 1776. The French signed an alliance with the Americans in February 1778, and openly joined them into the fight.
  • Valley Forge

    Valley Forge
    Took place in Paris, where Washington and his Continental Army where desperately low on food and supplies. With this they fought to stay alive in the winter camp. About 2,000 soldiers died, yet the survivor didn't desert.
  • Friedrich Von Steuben and Marquis de Lafayette

    Friedrich Von Steuben and Marquis de Lafayette
    in February 1778, He was a foreign military leader that arrived and offered help to Washington at Valley Forge. He was from the French reinforcement and led command in Virginia in the last years of the war. With his European military leaders America became an effective fighting force.
  • British Victories in the South

    British Victories in the South
    They took place in Savannah, Georgia in 1778. Under the control of Henry Clinton and Charles Cornwallis they captured Charles Town, South Carolina in May 1780. Clinton left for New York, while Cornwallis continued to conquer land throughout South. Cornwallis though he lost some battles, he chose to fight to Virginia, he led an army of 7,500 onto peninsula between James and York River and camped at Yorktown. He wants to fortify Yorktown, take Virginia then join Clinton's Forces.
  • British Surrender at Yorktown

    British Surrender at Yorktown
    This happened at September of 1781 i believe, Washington and Lafayette learned about Cornwallis' whereabouts and travel towards Yorktown. While France Navy Fleet defeated Britain's fleet, they blocked Chesapeake Bay. Later American and French Armies surrounded the British at Yorktown Peninsula and bombarding them day and night. In October 19, 1781 Cornwallis surrendered. Americans won.
  • Treaty of Paris

    Treaty of Paris
    The peace talk begin in 1782. The American negotiating team included John Adams, John Jay of New York, and Benjamin Franklin. In September 1783, the delegates signed the Treaty of Paris. This confirmed U.S independence and set boundaries of the new nations. This stretched United States from Atlantic Ocean to Mississippi River and from Canada to Florida border.