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Great Awakening
People began losing faith in their religions. It was important because it helped the colonies to begin communicating with each other, and bridging some of the differences they had. The Great Awakening was a movement where ministers held Christian sermons. The meetings changed religious, social and political life. The colonists got back into their religion and gave them a better understanding of it. The Great Awakening lasted until the 1940s. -
French and Indian War
The ritish wanted land across from the Appalachian Mountains, which the French had already claimed. This led to the French and Indian war. Both the French and the British had Indian allies. They fought until the French surrendered. Britain gained control of almost all of America. The French and Indian war caused tension and hostility between the British and Native Americans. -
Proclamation of 1763
The French and Indian war and the Pontiacs Rebellion led up to the making of the Proclamation of 1763. The Proclamation banned settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains. It divided colonial and Indian lands. Most colonists hated the Proclamation and ignored it. The Proclamation of 1763 showed people that the British had different ideas about what was best for the colonists. -
Sugar Act
Parliment still had to pay off their debt from the French and Indian war and the government decided to use the colonies to help. So, they started the Sugar Act which set taxes on sugar and molasses imported by colonists. The colonists were upset about the sugar act. Samuel Adams said it was not legal because the decision should have been up to the people. Colonists began to boycott, which eventually convinced the British to end the Sugar Act. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was the first time Parliment put a tax on the colonists. It was a new plan for paying for military expenses. Also, the British needed money to pay of their debt. Colonists had to pay for stamps whenever they bought paper items. The colonists were angry because they had to directly pay for the tax. They began to protest and use violence to end the Stamp Act. -
Townshend Acts
The Townshend Acts created trade. Parliment still had to pay for their military and their government officials' salary. The Townshend Acts created taxes on imported glass, lead, paints, paper and tea. The colonists became angry and protested against the British and attacked lawmakers homes. Also, they boycotted British goods. -
Boston Massacre
The Bostonians hated the British, they argued, fought, and called each other names. All the tension explded on March 5, 1770. A British sentry got into an arugement with a civilian and struck him. Word spread and mobs of angry colonists gathered around the soldiers. Six people were killed and they referred to their deaths as the Boston Massacre. A trial was held which convicted the killers, and Thomas Preston was found guilty. The trials prevented further violence. -
Tea Act
The Tea Act reduced tension in the colonies. The Townshend Acts led to the Tea Act. The British East India Company gained a monopoly and raised the price of tea. The colonists refused to pay and stopped buying tea. They held boycotts, destroyed tea shipments and held the Boston Tea Party, which helped to end the Tea Act. -
Boston Tea Party
The Tea Act led to the Boston Tea Party. The colonists got free tea. They dumped 90,000 pounds of tea into the Boston Harbor. The Boston Tea Act was important because the colonists got free tea. The Colonists had a tea party at the Boston Harbor. They were happy because they got free tea. The tea party ended that night. -
Intolerable Acts
The British hoped the Intolerable Acts would restore royal authority. Lord North, the new prime minister, became angry as he heard about the Boston Tea Party. So, in 1774 Parliment passed the coercive acts, or the Intolerable Acts. The four laws were: The Boston Harbor had to shut down until they paid for the tea, they canceled the Massachusetts charter, thry moved the royal colonial officials' trials to Britain and lastly each colonist had to house British soldiers. The colonists were furious -
Intolerable Acts
and criticised the British's actions. Representatives from each colony would discuss problems with the British about about abusing their rights. -
Battle of Lexington/Concord
Because of this battle, by the time the British reached Boston they had lost 250 soldiers and people of Concord did not have to move. On April 18, 1775 Paul Revere and William Dawes had discovered that the British were coming to Concord. The next day the British arrived and later retreated back to Boston. Once the colonists found out the British were coming they sent out minutemen to fight against the British and won. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
When the British retreated back to Boston from Concord, the colonial forces had Boston under a siege. In June 1775 the British were prepared to take over Charlestown, but were shocked when they saw colonists were already there, but the British still won the Battle and gained control of Bunker Hill. -
Common Sense
Thomas Paine was a common man writing to the common people. Thomas Paine wrote a pamphlet about breaking away from the British. He wrote that the monarch system of Britain was wrong and that laws should be made by the people. The colonists bought about 500,000 copies. After colonists read "Common Sense" they fought until congress decided to make independence a reality. -
Declaration of Independence
Henry Lee stood up to Congress and asked that the colonies be free. Congress voted on July 2, 1776 that the Declaration of Independence be written to declare the colonies' independence from the British. The colonists were happy to be getting their freedom. The Document was signed on July 4, 1776. -
Battle of Saratoga
General Burgoyne didn't know that General Howe was bogged down in Pennsylvania or that the army from Canada had been delayed. When he reached NewYork his troops were outnumbered as they battled at the Battle of Saratoga. Burgoyne suffered a defeat to the patriots and surrendered. Saratoga was one of the biggest victories for America. -
Battle of Yorktown
British General Charles Cornwallis made an uexpected move to Virginia where his troops planned an attack. Generals had followed Cornwallis and informed George Washington. On September 28, French and American troops arrived at Yorktown forcing Cornwallis to surrender. The British Prime Minister resigned after their defeat at the Battle of Yorktown. Britains' new leaders ended the revolution by signing the Treaty of Paris. -
Treaty of Paris
Britains defeat at Yorktown led to the signing of the Treaty of Paris. The Treaty of Paris ended the American Revolution. Officials from the United States, Britain, France, Spain, and the Netherlands signed the peace treaty. The British would have to give the U.S. indepepndence. The treaty was signed September 3, 1783.
