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Treaty of Paris
Marked the end of the French and Indian war. Gave English colonists land that the French previously owned. -
Period: to
Revolutionary War
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Proclomation of 1763
Great Britain declared that all land west of the Appalachian Mountains was to not be inhabited by the American Colonists. -
Sugar Act
Law passed by Parliament to raise money for the crown. Increased the tax on sugar from the West Indies. Angered the colonists and sparked protest. -
Stamp Act
Raised revenue for the crown by taxing paper and stamps. Mandated the use of stamped paper or stamps certifying payment for it. Angered colonists even though people in England payed much higher taxes. -
Quartering Act
Required colonists to feed and allow British troops to stay in their house. Once again angered the colonists very much. They did not want to feed and house the troops that looked down upon the colonists. -
Stamp Act Congress
9 colonies represented the colony and stated the right and grievances. Wanted the king and Parliament to repeal the legislation. The crown completely ignored this. This was one of the first signs of unity in the colony. -
Declaratory Act
Britain defined their authority over the colonies. They showed that they had absolute power over them. The colonies wanted to have some power back. -
Townshend Acts
A tax on imported glass, white lead, paper, paint, and tea. The colonists refused to pay the tax without representation in parliament. -
Boston Massacre
The British sent two regiments of troops to enforce order in Boston. 60 town peoples began throwing snowballs at the redcoats in Boston. The colonists were angry over the death of an 11 year old boy who was shot during protests. This lead to the redcoats shooting and killing protesting colonists. The redcoats were let go after being branded on the hand. -
Boston Tea Party
Nearly 100 colonists disguised as Indians boarded British ships and dumped 342 chests of tea into the harbor. This angered Britain very much and they knew that the colonists would have to pay. -
Intolerable Acts
The intolerable acts were put into place to make the colonists pay for the tea that they dumped. Major restrictions were placed on town meetings and officials that killed colonists were not tried in America, but in Britain. They shut down the Boston harbor. -
First Continental Congress
A meeting in Philadelphia between colonial leaders to discuss colony grievances. This was in response to Britain placing the Intolerable Acts on the colonies. -
Lexington and Concord
British commander sent troops to Lexington and Concord to arrest Samuel Adams and John Hancock. They were also there to confiscate any and all weapons from the colonists. The colonial militia refused to leave and fired shots at the British. This marked the start of the Revolutionary War. -
Second Continental Congress
All 13 colonies met in Philadelphia to address new concerns and appeals with the crown. They also worked on raising money and creating an army and a navy. They knew they had to be prepared for war. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
The Americans controlled the hill. Instead of the British retreating, they launched a full attack to take the hill back. The British were mowed down as they tried to attack. The colonists eventually had to give up the hill because of lack of gunpowder. This however was a huge victory for the Americans as they killed many British. -
Olive Branch Petition
The Americans professed their loyalty to the crown. They begged the king to stop the fighting so that there would be no more fatalities. The king shut this down after Bunker Hill. -
Common Sense
Thomas Paine wrote this to convey to Americans that they no longer needed the help of the parent country. He tried and succeeded in convincing Americans that independence was necessary. He swayed many people that were not completely sure they wanted to be independent. -
Declaration Of Independence
The Americans declared themselves independent from Britain. This gave the inalienable rights that all men have, including Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. This inspired the Americans to want to fight to keep their freedoms. -
Battle of Trenton
Washington crossed the Delaware in the freezing weather and surprised and captured 1000 Hessians. This was a huge victory and gained major momentum for America. This was a display of one of Washington's genius moves. -
Battle of Saratoga
The Americans trapped the British army and forced the surrender of General Horatio Gates. Nearly 6000 British troops were captured in the battle. This was a turning point for the Americans in the war. -
Battle of Yorktown
The Americans trapped the British and Cornwallis. The British believed that supplies reinforcements were coming, but they no longer controlled the river. Cornwallis surrendered on October 19th. This marked a huge victory for the Americans as the British lost 7000 men. -
Treaty of Paris
The British now recognized America as an independent nation. The British accepted defeat and ended the war. America was now independent and were on their own.
