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French & Indian War
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Washingotn's Defeat at Fort Necessity/Fort Duquense
Washington, sent by British commands, barged onto Fort Duquense asking the French to leave. French did not and with Geaorge Washington vastly outnumbered he surrendured. This was the first battle of the French & Indian War. -
Albany Plan of Union
Benjamin Franklin proposed a plan of action to unite the colonies and to collect taxes, raise troops and regulate trade, under a single government. -
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Post War Events
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Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris signaled the end of the French & Indian War. It was signed by Great Britain, Spain, & France. It gave Great Birtian all previous land controlled by France. They also gained Florida. -
Proclamation of 1763
This new law forbade settlements west of the appalachian mountains. Parliament was looking to prevent further conflict with the Native Amercians. The law angered many colonists who had fought in the war. -
Committee of Correspondence
The Committee of Correspondence were a group of people who communicated messages such as newspapers, pamphlets, and important documents throughout the colonies. These served an important role in the Revolution, by disseminating the colonial interpretation of British actions between the colonies. -
Sugar Act
The sugar act was meant for 2 purposes: to decrease smuggling of molasses in the colonies and to increase tax revenue in Great Britain. It reduced the tax on molasses but colonists were angered because of unfair tax. The tax created special courts to prosecute smugglers. This was the first attempt by Parliament to tax colonists to fill debt. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act placed a tax on all printed material. This included newspapers, playing cards, legal documents, etc. This showed another example of taxation without representation. In response the colonists created the Stamp Act Congress. In 1766 parliament repeald the act. -
Quartering Act
The Quartering Act enforced colonists to provide housing, food, and other basic needs to British needs. This was at the time of the French & Indian War. Also listed in the Coercive Acts was another Quartering Act enforced even heavily this time around. The Quartering ACt was repealed in 1776. -
Sons of Liberty
The Sons of Liberty were established to protect the rights of the colonists. They conducted the Boston Tea Party in response to the Tea Act. -
Stamp Act Congress
Delegates from 9 colonies sent to meet in New York to discuss the Stamp Act. Congress sent a resolution to the king stating they were still loyal to the king, parliament could pass laws for the colonies but only colonial legislatures could tax the people of the colonies. -
Declaratory Act
The Declaratory Act stated parliament had the right to tax and make decisions for the colonies "in all cases what so ever". This was passed to regain control over the colonies after the repeal of the Stamp Act. -
Townshend Act
The Townshend Act was a series of tax laws passed on imported goods. Special courts were set up to enforce these rules. Colonists responded with signing non-importation agreements which stated that they would not take in any British goods. -
Daughters of Liberty
The Daughters of Liberty were a group of women in favor of independence for the colonies. In response to the Townshend Act they boycotted many British goods and made their own clothing. -
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre was a killing of 5 colonists. The British troops responsible for killing the colonists claimed to be acting in self defense as the colonists were throwing clubs, and snowballs filled with ice at the soldiers. The Sons of Liberty used this situation as propaganda for the liberty cause with Paul Revere's engraving. -
Tea Act
The Tea Act gave the East India Shipping Company an advantage by allowing them not to pay for certain taxes colonial merchants had to pay. This allowed the Company to gain a monopoly over the trade buisness. The colonial response was the Boston Tea Party. -
Boston Tea Party
Members of the Sons of Liberty dressed as Mohawk Indians and dumped tea into the Boston Harbor. This was in response to the Tea Act. -
Coercive Acts
This was in response to the Boston Tea Party. The acts took away Massachusetts self-government and historic rights. It also closed the Boston Harbor and forbade town meetings. The colonial response was to form the Continental Congress to coordinate protests. The colonial name was the Intolerable Acts. -
Quebec Act
It gave the French Canadians complete religious freedom and restored the French form of civil law. Also it instituted a permanent administration in Canada replacing the temporary government created at the time of the Proclamation of 1763. The colonists considered this of the Intolerable Acts because it canceled out many of their claims for western land. -
First Continental Congress
Delegates from 12/13 colonies (excluding Georgia) met in Philadelphia. They met in response to the Coercive Acts. This organization showed the colonies were united and willing to take a stand together against the British. -
Battle of Lexingotn &Concord
These were the first battles of the Revolution. The phrase "The shot heard around the world" was coined from the first shot at Lexington. Paul Revere warned Minutemen of the British arrival. Captain John Parker and his men were fired upon by British troops. The British then moved towards Concord for supplies and gunpowder. A group of Americans then fired upon the British. This ended in colonial victory. -
2nd Continental Congress
The 2nd Continental Congress managed the colonial ware effort. They acted as the national government of what was to become the United States. They also adopted the Declaration of Indepence. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
First major battle of the war. The fight was actually fought on Breed's Hill near Boston. This is one of the largest battles of war. The British won but suffered heavy losses which showed determination of both sides. -
Signing of the Declaration of Independence
A statement announcing that the thirteen American colonies then at war with Great Britain were now independent states, and thus no longer a part of the British Empire. Thomas Jefferson wrote the D.O.I.
