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The Proclamation Of 1763
Scared of how much it cost to defend the colonies, George III prohibited all settlement west of the Appalachian mountains without guarantees of security from local Native American nations. The colonies were really mad and didn't really follow the rules because of how hard they had fought to win that land. -
Sugar Act
This was the first time that the British had tried to place an indirect tax that taxed the colonies. In order to deter smuggling and to encourage the production of British rum, taxes on molasses were dropped. The colonies didn't like this at all because the mother country was indirectly taxing them for England's benefit and taking money from the colonies. The colonies decided to boycott and it worked. (kind of) -
Currency Act
The colonist basically had no money system of their own and this was a disadvantage to the colonies so the British took over the paper money industry and that created tension between the mother country and the colonies. -
Stamp Act
England trying to reduce their tax decided to tax the colonies by requiring all legal documents, newspapers, and pamphlets required to use watermarked, or 'stamped' paper on which a heavy tax was placed. This caused very high tension between England and the colonies and was also the cause of more boycotts, petitions, and violence. -
Quartering Acts
The quartering act basically stated that all colonial citizens had to let a soldier into their houses and give the beds and food. This made the colonies mad because it limited their freedom and the soldiers were drunk and rowdy all the time. -
Stamp Act Repealed and Declaratory Act
Parliament decided to nullify the stamp act after all of the protests, hoping to stay on good terms with the colonies. Also, now that they had done a good deed, they figured they could say the declaratory act, which essentially said the colonies have to listen to whatever parliament said. The colonists rejoiced over the appeal of the stamp act, thinking they finally got the justice they deserved, and didn't bat an eye at the declaratory act, because they didn't want their freedom taken away -
Townshed Acts
Taxes on tea, glass, paper, and paint to help pay for the administration and welfare of the colonies, named after Charles Townshend. John Dickinson sent a Letter from a Philadelphian Farmer in protest. Colonial assemblies don't allow taxation without representation. -
Tea Act
In an effort to help the ailing East India Company, Parliament exempted its tea from import duties and allowed the Company to sell its tea directly to the colonies. Americans didn't like what they saw as a tax form a British company. They also thought it was limiting their freedom. The deal, in general, was actually a good deal due to the tea being cheaper but the colonies resented it. -
Intolerable or coercive acts
The intolerable acts were Britain's response to the Boston Tea Party as well as Colonists' refusal to obey other acts put in place. They became super strict, put soldiers everywhere, and started controlling port cities. The colonists interpreted this as an obvious breach of liberty, and so they resorted to resistance and even hostility against the British soldiers. -
Lexington and Concord
First engagements of the Revolutionary War between British troops and the Minutemen, they had been warned by the famous Paul Revere. The British hadn't intended to have a fight they had come for gunpowder but ended up fighting. -
Second Continental Congress
After the battles of Lexington and Concord, American politicians decided to meet up in Philadelphia to discuss how to handle the war. This congress was the start of America as a country, eventually writing the Declaration of Independence as well as the articles of confederation. The first time it met, however, it made and sent the olive branch petition (which was rejected, starting war) and appointed Washington as army leader-A decision that would eventually lead to won war for the colonsists. -
The Battle of Bunker Hill
In June of 1775, the Battle of Bunker Hill was fought in Breed's hill in Massachusetts. This was the first major battle of the war, and despite the English troops winning the battle, they suffered way more casualties than the Americans, so this felt like a win for the colonies. Winning this battle (although not literally) brought confidence to the hearts of many Americans, and was quite possibly an important factor to the eventual victory of the war -
Declaration of Independence
Signed in 1776 by the second continental congress in Pennsylvania, the declaration signified that America now declared itself free from britains rule, and was an individual nation. Words of the declaration were used as rallying calls throughout the war, and overall it brought a surge of unity and confidence to the American colonists, which would remain there until the end of the war. -
The Battle of Saratoga
This battle, fought in Saratoga, New York, was the turning point in the American Revolution. Prior to this battle, the British were winning handily, but this defeat had many negative repercussions for them. France saw potential in the colonists after this victory, and agreed to join the fight against their enemies in the British. With France joining, the path to success was paved, and the colonist s were ready to win the war. -
Battle of Yorktown
The final major battle of the revolution, Nathaniel Greene and his colonist army managed to trap general cornwallis' troops in Yorktown, Virginia while keeping her under siege. Cornwallis' surrender was essentially the end of the British in the war, as soon after the surrender the treaty of Paris was signed and America was free
