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Sugar Act
A law that was designed to end the smuggling of sugar and molasses from French and Dutch West Indies and to increase funds for the British Empire. This law placed heavy taxes on sugar and molasses imported from non-British Caribbean colonies. -
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Cuases of Revolutionary War
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The Stamp Act
An act that imposed a tax on all paper documents in the colonies. All documents and printed goods needed to have a stamp distributed by a commissioner. The tax applied to all legal documents, newspapers, pamphlets, and even playing cards. This act raised issues about taxation without representation. This was repelled after violent demonstrations from the colonists. -
The Quartering Act 0f 1765
The Quartering Act required colonist to provide barracks for British soldiers. If the barracks were not big enough for the soldiers than other accommodations were required to be made. -
The Stamp Act Congress
First Congress of the American Colonies. The Stamp Act Congress met between October 7-25 of 1765 and was made up of representatives from nine of the colonies. The representatives drew up a "Declaration of the Rights and Grievances of the Colonists." In all this Congress was more of a symbolic gesture than anything else. It showed that the colonies could unite if they needed to. -
Townshend Acts
Named for Charles Townshend the chancellor of the treasurer. The Townshend Acts were a series of taxes on glass, lead, paints, paper, and tea. The colonist reacted with violent protest and the taxes were repelled except for the tea tax. -
Boston Massacre
Shooting of five American Colonist by British soldiers on March 5, 1770. This was a street fight between a mob and British soldiers. Several colonist were killed by British soldiers. -
Boston Tea Party
American colonist calling themselves the Sons of Liberty dressed up as Mohawk Native Americans boarded three British ships and dumped crates of tea into Boston Harbor. -
Intolerable Acts
Four measures enacted by British Parliament in response to colonial acts of defiance. The Boston Port Bill closed the cities harbor until the destroyed tea was payed for. Second was the Massachusetts Government Act which turned the colony into a military government. The Administration of Justice Act allowed British officials charged with crimes to be tried in England or another colony. The last was a new Quartering Act it allowed the British military to take any unused building to house troops. -
First Continental Congress
The first assembly took place between Sept. 5 to Oct., 26 1774. This was right after the Intolerable Acts. The purpose of the Continental Congress was to discuss different options concerning British offenses. The First Continental Congress created a version of American Rights. The congress also created a petition listing the American complaints and asked him to reconsider the wrongs that were committed against them. -
Battle of Lexington and Concord
The first military battle of the American Revolution. British troops marched from Boston to Concord to seize arms. Paul Revere and William Dawes warned the militiamen. A ragtag group of colonial militiamen were able to intercept the British and forced the redcoats to retreat. -
Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress met a month after the Battles of Lexington and Concord. The purpose of this congress was to avoid a war with Great Britain but after the Olive Branch Petition was ignored and Hessian soldiers were sent to suppress the colonists the congress turned to planing a war. This congress created the Declaration of Independence and organized the war effort. -
Olive Branch Petition
The final attempt by the Second Continental Congress to avoid war with Great Britain. This was a letter sent to King George the Third that had a full list of grievances that they wanted the king to address. The letter stated that the colonist were still loyal to the king and were not seeking independence. King George refused to receive the letter. Two days latter stated that the colonies were going into full scale rebellion. This fueled the desire for independence.