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Treaty of Paris
This treaty ended the French & Indian War, ceding the formerly French-colonized North American lands to the British. The English colonists, however, were not allowed to use this land, and were taxed greatly to account for the war debt. This led to general resentment in the colonies. In addition, the war had weakened the British military, removing the sense of invincibility with which the Americans viewed England's forces. -
Sugar Act
The Sugar Act reduced the tax from six pence to only three on molasses per gallon, though the tax was lessened measures were now taken so it would be strictly enforced. The rum industry immediately declined as result of this act. Coffee, wines, pimiento, and ome furs were also taxed, as well as the the institution of a regulatory system for the export of iron and lumber. -
The Currency Act
Great Britain tells the colonists they cannot print their own money so as to curb inflation. This further angers the colonists, because Parliament didn’t know how the colonies worked. -
The Quartering Act
Makes the colonies pay for the troops who have protected them. It is another example of how Parliament doesn’t understand the wants of its people, causing further resentment in North America. -
Stamp Act Congress
The Stamp Act Congress conviened in 1765 in the colony of New York. Only nine colonies were present with a total of twenty-seven delegates. They discussed their grievances but had little to no impact. -
Declaratory Act
In the same session, Parliament passes the Declaratory Act. This represents that Parliament doesn’t want to give in to the colonists, as they feel they are well within reason to tax the colonists for their protection and goods. -
Townshend Acts
These acts were acts that were made to get Revenue for Britain after the French-Indian War. The colonists did not like it, since it taxed them. -
Boston Massacre
Colonists stood in Boston to protest British taxes (such as the Townsend Act). British soldiers came and told the colonists to leave. Colonists threw the first rock and British men opened fire, killing seven colonists. -
Tea Act
The 1773 Tea Act gave monopoly of tea sales to the East India Company. Though it did not impose any taxes per say on the tea, it did raise the cost immensly. The colonists believed this to be the most insulting act, it sparked the Boston Tea Party. -
Boston Tea Party
After officials in Boston, Massachusetts refused to give taxed tea back to Britain, colonists boarded the ship and destroyed the tea by dumping it into Boston harbor as a form of protest against the Tea Act. This was their way to fight back against the British, which started the Intolerable Acts. -
Intolerable Acts
The Intolerable Acts were the American Patriots' term for a series of punitive laws passed by the British Parliament in 1774 after the Boston Tea Party. They were meant to punish the Massachusetts colonists for their defiance in throwing a large tea shipment into Boston Harbor -
Boston Port Act
This was a direct response to the Boston Tea Party with Britain taking punitive measures against the colonists in hope to discourage and punish the colonists. This outlawed the use of the Boston harbor. The colonists argued that they were not allowed to use their harbor and were not allowed to argue their case, even though they were 'represented'. -
Olive Branch Petition
This document, drafted by John Dickinson, was an attempt by the colonies to reconcile with the King of England. It called, specifically, for a ceasefire in Boston, the repealment of the Intolerable Acts, and the granting of clearly defined rights to the Americans. The radicals in the Continental Congress were angered by its being sent to the King, particularly when he mocked it and decided to "put the colonists in their place". -
Common Sense
This pamphlet, written by Thomas Paine, a British man recently moved to America, stated that it was "common sense" to rebel. Roughly 75% of all American colonists either read the piece or had it read to them, and its message was therefore spread extremely quickly. This, coupled with other Patriot propaganda circulating the colonies, stirred up the already powerful feelings of resentment towards royal rule, and was particularly effective because of its being readable by people of any social class -
Declaration of Independence is Adopted
This was a statement adopted by the continental congress stating that the thirteen colonies in America were now seperated from Britain and were now Independent States.
