-
House of Burgesses
This elected body was the first local government in the 13 British colonies, started in Jamestown, Virginia. By creating a template for self-governance, the House and Burgesses, as well as other local governments, would should the 13 colonies could be self-sufficient and prosperous without the need of support or interference from the British. Burgesses were elected by white male landowners, which would later set the template for representative government in the United States. -
Navigation Acts
The Navigation Acts were a set of laws meant to help the British control all trade made by the 13 colonies. By forcing the colonists to use American or British ships for all trade, they prevented other countries from participating in free trade with the colonies. Additionally, by forcing all trade to be made through England, the British formed a monopoly on colonial trade. This practice of mercantilism angered many colonists. -
French and Indian War
As European colonies grew in the New World, conflict over land became inevitable. A dispute between the British and French over land in the Ohio River Valley erupted, the French and Indian War began. While the French won many early battles, the British would defeat the French and expel them from North America. Unfortunately, the money borrowed by William Pitt to pay for the war would cause the British to increase taxes on Americans after the war. The Treaty of Paris officially ended the war. -
Albany Plan of Union
At the start of the French and Indian War, Benjamin Franklin created a political cartoon encouraging the 13 colonies to join together against the French. The colonies rejected the Albany Plan, leaving the British with little choice but to send their own troops to fight the French. Even though the Albany Plan failed, later the political cartoon was reused successfully to encourage the 13 colonies to unite against the British during the American Revolution. -
Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris officially ends the French and Indian War.
With the British victorious, they expelled the French from North America, taking control of all land east of the Mississippi River. American colonists immediately began moving into the newly gained land. This mass migration increased tensions between the colonists and Native Americans living in the area. The war had been expensive and the British lacked the money and resources to protect and defend this large area of new land. -
Proclamation Line of 1763
After signing the Treaty of Paris, American colonists began moving into the newly gained lands. In what became known as Pontiac's Rebellion, Native Americans fiercely fought against this westward expansion by the colonists. The British, lacking the resources or money to fight another war, created the Proclamation Line. Americans were not allowed to settle west of the Appalachian Mountains. Colonists were angered they were not allowed to move into the land they had helped fight for in the war. -
Stamp Act
In order to pay back the money borrowed during the French and Indian War, the British began taxing the 13 colonies. The Stamp Act was one such tax. All paper products including newspapers, marriage licenses, diplomas, legal papers, and playing cards were taxed. Stamps were offered as proof that the tax had been paid. The law was extremely unpopular leading to many protests. Patrick Henry led the House of Burgesses in one major protest. The British eventually repealed the Stamp Act in 1766. -
Quartering Act
After colonial protesting of the Stamp Act and violence directed at tax collectors, the British sent more British soldiers to the colonies. The Quartering Act required the American colonists to provide housing and food for these soldiers. Many colonists saw this as a violation of their rights. The soldier's presence in their homes led to resentment and hatred for the British. The soldiers themselves became a police force tasked with enforcing the unpopular taxes placed on the colonies. -
Townshend Act
In order to pay back the money borrowed during the French and Indian War, the British began taxing the 13 colonies. The Townshend Act was named after Charles Townshend who drafted the law. Many imported goods coming from England were taxed including lead, glass, paper, paint, and tea. Smugglers were strictly punished if caught. These taxes were equally are unpopular as the Stamp Act and also resulted in in many protests. The British eventually repealed the Townshend Act in 1770. -
Writs of Assistance
After the passing of the Townshend Act, smuggling goods illegally into the colonies became a major problem for the British. In order to stop this, the writs of assistance were passed. British soldiers could use the writs to search private homes or businesses for smuggled goods. Many colonists protested the law as a violation of their rights. After the revolution, the 4th Amendment to the U.S Constitution outlawed illegal search and seizure without a warrant. -
Boston Massacre
Anger spilled over into violence when British soldiers opened fire on a crowd killing 5 men in Boston. The soldiers were put on trial and defended by future 2nd President, John Adams. Attempts were made to demonize the soldiers using propaganda, including Paul Revere's Bloody Massacre. This failed and the final verdict found them not guilty of murder. Still, anger towards the British was at a boiling point and all British troops were removed from Boston and all taxes repealed after the event. -
Tea Act
Following the Boston Massacre, all taxes were repealed and all British troops removed from Boston. This calmed tensions temporarily between the British and colonists. 3 years later, the Tea Act was passed requiring colonists to buy tea from only the British East India Company. This created a monopoly on the sale of tea and again led to anger towards the British. In the largest act of defiance yet, members of the Sons of Liberty participated in the Boston Tea Party in protest of the law. -
Boston Tea Party
After the Tea Act was passed, colonists would often protest the law by refusing to unload shipments of tea. One merchant in Boston refused to leave until his shipment was unloaded. In the largest act of protest yet, members of the Sons of Liberty planned to send a message to the British. Dressed as Mohawk Indians, the men boarded the ship and unloaded all 342 chests of tea...into Boston Harbor! The British were furious with the latest act of defiance and signed the Intolerable Acts in response. -
Intolerable Acts
The British infuriated by the blatant act of defiance in the Boston Tea Party, felt Boston should be punished. The Coercive Acts, also called the Intolerable Acts, declared that the port of Boston would remain closed to all trade until the tea from the Boston Tea Party was paid for. Additionally, all town meetings and local governments were banned from meeting and Massachusetts lost its charter from the king. Tensions between the colonists and the British were near a breaking point once again. -
First Continental Congress
After the Intolerable Acts were passed, the colonies decided to unite in resistance to the British. The Congress drafted the Declaration of Rights expressing their loyalty to England but also arguing against unfair taxation. The colonists declared that trade with England would be stopped until the Intolerable Acts were repealed. The British never officially responded to the demands of the Congress. The situation continued to get worse as the colonies consider open rebellion against the British. -
Lexington and Concord
Tensions had finally reached the boiling point. The British get news that the colonists are stockpiling weapons in nearby Concord. They march from Boston to take the weapons and arrest the leaders of the Sons of Liberty. The colonists, hearing of the British plans, arms themselves and plan to make their stand on Lexington Green. When the two sides meet, shots are exchanged. This small skirmish, later called "The Shot Heard Round the World", changes everything. The American Revolution had begun!
