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Albany Plan of Union
Because of the French attacks on the frontier, Benjamin Franklin proposed a plan for uniting the colonies, the Albany Plan of Union. the colonies rejected the plan, however, because it gave too much power to an assembly made up of representatives. from all thirteen colonies. -
George III becomes kimg of Great Britain
He had different ideas about how the colonies should be governed. -
French and Indian War
Started as a struggle between the French and British over lands in western Pennsylvania and Ohio. By 1763, several other European countries became involved. Great Britain won the war in 1763 and gained complete control of the eastern third of the continent. -
Satmp Act Congress
Nine colonies sent delegates to a meeting in New York. It was the first meeting organized by the colonies to protect King George's actions, Delegates to the Congress sent a petition to the king, arguing that only colonial legislatures could impose direct taxes like the Stamp Act. -
Bosten Tea Party
A group of colonies, dressed as Mohawk Indians, dumped 342 chests of British tea into Boston Harbor. -
Coercive Acts
Colonist called it the Intolerable Acts. One of these acts closed the Boston Harbor. Another of the Coercive Acts withdrew the right of the Massachusetts colony to govern itself. -
Committees of Corespondence
Urging resistance to the British. These committees consisted of colonies who wanted to keep in touch with one another as events unfolded. Samual Adams established the first committee in Boston. The idea spread quickly, and within a few months, Massachusetts had more then 80 committees. -
First Continental Congress
Key colony leaders Patrick Henry, Samuel Adams, Richard Henry Lee, and George Washington attended. The delegated debated about what to do about the relationship with Great Britain. The imposed an embargo on Britain and agreed not to use British goods. They also proposed a meeting the following year if Britain didn't change its policies. -
Second Continental Congress
Delegates from all Thirteen colonies gathered in Philadelphia. the Continental Congress immediately assumed the powers of a cetral government. It chose John Hancock of Massachusetts as president. Hancock was a well-known colonial leader, but he was also a wealthy merchant and thus well-placed for helping to raise funds for an army. The next critical step were to organize an army and navy, to issue money, and to appoint George Washington as commander of the Continental Army. -
Lexington and Concord
British redcoats clashed with colonial minutemen at Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts. This skirmish was the first battle of the Revolutionary War. -
Declaration of Independence
Congress approved Lee's resolution. The colonies officially broke with Great Britain. the congress then turned its attention to Jefferson's draft. After considering debate, a few passages were removed and some editorial changes were made. On July, 4, the congress approved the final draft. John Hancock, the president of the congress, was the first to sign the document, which held all the 56 delegates. it explained the reasons for declaring independence. -
Resolution of independence
After Lee's resolution, the congress promptly named a committee of John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Robert Livingston, and Roger Sherman to prepare a written declaration of independence. The committee asked Thomas Jefferson, a Virginia planter known for his writing skills, to write the draft. On June 28 the committee submitted the edited draft to the congress. -
Stamp Act
Imposed the first direct tax on the colonists. It required them to pay a tax on legal document, pamphlets, newspaper, and even dice and playing cards. Parliament also passed laws regulating colonial trade in ways that benefited Great Britain but not the colonies.
