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Sugar Act
passed by the English Parliament to offset the war debt brought on by the French and Indian War and to help pay for the expenses of running the colonies and newly acquired territories. -
Currency Act
prohibits the colonists from issuing any legal tender paper money. This act threatens to destabilize the entire colonial economy of both the industrial North and agricultural South, thus uniting the colonists against it. -
Stamp Act
Under the Stamp Act, all printed materials are taxed, including; newspapers, pamphlets, bills, legal documents, licenses, almanacs, dice and playing cards. The American colonists quickly unite in opposition, led by the most influential segments of colonial society - lawyers, publishers, land owners, ship builders and merchants - who are most affected by the Act, which is scheduled to go into effect on November 1. -
Boston Massacre
occurs as a mob harasses British soldiers who then fire their muskets pointblank into the crowd, killing three instantly, mortally wounding two others and injuring six. -
Boston Tea Party
as colonial activists disguise themselves as Mohawk Indians then board the ships and dump all 342 containers of tea into the harbor. -
Boston Port Bill
effectively shuts down all commercial shipping in Boston harbor until Massachusetts pays the taxes owed on the tea dumped in the harbor and also reimburses the East India Company for the loss of the tea. -
first continential congress
meets in Philadelphia with 56 delegates, representing every colony, except Georgia. -
Lexington & Concord
After a brief exchange of shots in which several Americans were killed, the colonials withdrew, and the British continued to Concord. -
Provincial Congress
Massachusetts orders 13,600 American soldiers to be mobilized. Colonial volunteers from all over New England assemble and head for Boston, then establish camps around the city and begin a year long siege of British-held Boston. -
Second Continental Congress
convenes in Philadelphia, with John Hancock elected as its president. On May 15, the Congress places the colonies in a state of defense. On June 15, the Congress unanimously votes to appoint George Washington general and commander-in-chief of the new Continental Army. -
Battle of Bunker Hil
The first major fight between British and American troops occurs at Boston -
Declaration of Independence
United States declared independence.