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French/Indian War
Starting in 1754 and lasting 9 years, the French/Indian war was between France and Great Britain, and was over land competition in North America. The war ends in favor of Great Britain, but not without cause: they ended eight million dollars in debt and with the blame entirely on the colonials. The directly leads to increased taxes in America, in an attempt to repay the war debt. These taxes include the sugar tax and the stamp tax. -
Sugar Act (1764) and Stamp Act (1765)
Resulting from the French and Indian War, G.B started imposing taxes on the colonists. The Sugar Act had the goal of taxing the colonists covertly, as an indirect tax. It issued the Writs Of Assistance which allowed the government to search your property without a warrant. Then came the Stamp Act, which added an additional tax, leading colonists to feel their rights were violated and therefore, was met with resistance. This directly lead to the revocation of the Stamp Act, the Townshend Acts. -
Quartering Act
Leading from the Townshend Acts, the Quartering Act (1766) required all colonists to house and feed british soldiers that were stationed there. this was an effort to cut costs and help repay their war debt. This increased the colonists' anger and lead to G.B establishing their dominance with the Declaratory Acts. -
Townshend Acts
The Townshend Acts (1766) both followed and revoked the Stamp Act. These acts also used money to finance troops in the colonies (to ensure that colonists are paying their taxes). As you will see, this leads to the Quartering Act, which has colonists house and feed these troops to save money but remain enforcement. -
Declaratory Acts
Leading from the Quartering Act, the Declaratory Acts stated that the laws by the British overruled the laws by the Americans, taking away even more power from the colonists. -
Tea Act
Resulting from the Declaratory Acts, the Tea Act was simply a tax on tea, and allows The British East India Co. to gain a monopoly on tea, to all out of bankruptcy. This leads to the famous Boston Tea Party, which was a direct resistance against the Tea Act. -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea party was a direct result of the Tea Act. After Great Britain established the Tea Act, the colonists showed resistance by dumping one to three million dollars of tea. Great Britain saw this as a "threat to British rule" .This exclusively lead to the Intolerable Acts, which isolated Boston as to not allow something like this to happen again. -
Intolerable Acts
As a result of the Boston Tea Party, the Intolerable Acts were established to isolate Boston and reduce the colonies to a state dependence. -
1st Continental Congress
As a result of the Intolerable Acts, the 1st Continental Congress was established. This congress was to determine the rights of the colonists, and how to protect those rights. This lead to boycotts and the Committees of Correspondence, which inspected custom houses and blacklisted those who still supported Great Britain. -
2nd Continential Congress
After the 1st Continential Congress, came the 2nd Continential congress, which focused on reconciliation vs. independence. Great Britain fought back with the Battle of Bunker Hill, and the Olive Branch Petition was the final shot at staying with G.B and having them rewvoke their unfair laws. the king sees the Olive Petition as a joke and declares the colonies as in a state of rebellion, John Adams organizes a plan to become independent.