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George Washington's Defeat at Fort Necessity
The French marched on Fort Necessity. Realizing his defeat, he surendered after fighting the whole day. This is the unofficial beginning of the French and Indian War. -
Albany Plan Of Union
The Albany Plan of Union, proposed by Benjamin Franklin during the Albany Congress in 1754, was meant to get all of the colonies together and create a federation, reform colonial-imperial relations, and address colonial interests more effectively. -
Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris ended the French and Indian War or the Seven Years' War between England and France. The treaty said France was to give up all of their territory in North America's mainland. -
The Proclamation of 1763
After the French and Indian War ended, the colonists were overjoyed they could go further to the west, but the proclamation kept them from doing so. They passed it becuase, since England was already in debt from the French and Indian War, they (the Parliament) didn't want to start another war with the Natives that were settled on the land. The colonists were furious with this and completely ignored the act. -
The Sugar Act
The Parliament passed a new version of a law from 1733 that made merchants in the Colonies pay six pence per gallon for foreign molasses and sugar. They passes the Act so that they could recover from the debt that came from fighting in the French and Indian War. Colonists were not so upset with the laws, but more so by the way they were enforced, the government being able to enter without a warrent of any kind when they suspected sumggling. -
The Stamp Act
The Stamp Act taxed colonists on anything with print on it, such as playing cards and newspapers. Britain passed the Act because they needed money from debt resulting after the French and Indian War. They had used this taxing method in England, so they tried it here. Colonists reacted differently; they started protests and riots and they began the Stamp Act Congress. -
The Quartering Act
The Quartering Act forced colonists to allow British soldiers to live in their house and care for them. Parliament passed this to give soldiers to rest. Colonists obviously saw this as a major invasion of privacy. -
Sons of Liberty
The Sons of Liberty was a group of colonial men, Patriots of course, that was formed to defend the Colonies and their rights. They fought against the British's Acts of taxtation without representation. They met at an elm tree in Boston called the Liberty Tree. -
Daughters of Liberty
The Daughters, like the Sons of Liberty, defended colonial rights. They participated in and began boycotts. Although they began in 1765, they did the most when the Townshend Acts were passed. Unlike the Sons of Liberty though, the group was made up of women. -
The Stamp Act Congress
The Stamp Act Congress was the Colonies' first congress. Representatives from every colony came together (in New York) to discuss the Stamp Act that was about to go into effect. A petition was addressed to George III and the Stamp Act was repealed. -
The Declatory Act
The Declatory Act was the Parliament's response to the colonists' response to the Sugar Act, asking them to stop with the whole "no taxtation without representation" deal. It said that Parliament has equal power over America as in Britian. Although most colonists didn't see this as a major problem, but others kept shouting about the taxtation and saw this as a hint that more acts were coming. -
The Townshend Acts
The Townshend Acts were a series of acts that taxed things such as glass and paint, which had to be imported into the Colonies. These acts were passed to make tax revenue in America. Colonists boycotted, not buying anything that the Act taxed, and colonial women created the Daughters of Liberty. -
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre took place in Boston, Massachusetts. A group of colonists began instagating with some British soldiers and it sooned turned into a riot. The redcoats called backup and the mob began throwing heavy objects and sharp things at the soldiers, and taunting them to shoot. Eventually, confusion made a redcoat shoot without order and some of the other soldiers fired. The colonists saw this as an opportunity for propaganda in favor of the Patriots. -
The Tea Act
Britain's main tea company, the East India Company, needed to sell tea and get more profit. The Parliament gave them this by allowing them to ship their tea without cost, giving the East India Company a huge advantage over colonial merchants. -
The Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was protest that had the Sons of Liberty (dressed as Mohawk Natives) hijack an East India Tea Company ship and throw the tea over the sides into the Boston Harbor. This resulted in the Parliament punishing Massachusetts with the Coercive Acts (Intolerable Acts). -
The Committee of Correspondence
For the first time, all of the colonies decided to join together to decide how they would deal with England. The Committee of Correspondence met in Philidelphia, Pennsylvania. -
The Coercive Acts
The Intolerable Acts were the Parliament's way of telling the Colonies to stop. After the Boston Tea Party, the other Colonies were obviously riled up, so they had to end it. In Massachusetts, the Acts took away basic rights for the colonists there and shut down the Boston Harbor. Colonists were even angrier at Britain and revolution got closer. -
The Quebec Act
The Quebec Act expanded the land above the Colonies (Quebec) West, taking over much over the land fought over during the French and Indian War, including the Ohio River Valley. It also gave France the right to use its enforcement along with England's basic rules and made Catholic the offical religion. -
The First Continential Congress
The First Continential Congress was a meeting of representatives from all of the Colonies (except Georgia). It was brought together to discuss the Coercive Acts (the Intolerable Acts) and problems with Natives on the Frontier. -
Battle Of Lexington and Concord
Lexington and Concord was the first battle of the American Revolution. Britain got word that there were weapons in Boston, so they sent redcoats to take the arms. When the Colonists found out about the plan and they decided to set up defense. Minutemen were warned by Paul Revere and other nightriders. The British won Lexington, but the Colonists won Concord. -
The Second Continential Congress
Preceeded by the First Continential Congress, the Second Continential Congress dealt with the Revolutionary War. They fought for independence of the Colonies from England and they brought together the Declaration of Independence. -
Battle at Bunker Hill
The Battle at Bunker Hill, which was actually fought on Breed's Hill, was the battle that showed the British that the Americans actually had a chance of winning against them. The British won, but Colonists retreated only becuase they ran out of ammo and supplies. -
Signing the Declaration of Independence
The Second Continential Congress got together on July 4th of 1776 to sign the document that would free the Colonies from England to make a new country: the United States. The Declaration of Independence was signed by the 56 delegates. John Hancock signed the Declaration the largest; he supposedly did this so that King George III could see it without his glasses.
