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The Proclamation of 1763
The Proclamation of 1763 banned settlement and expansion beyond the Appalachians. This was issued by King George III after the end of the Seven Years’ War. -
The Sugar Act
The Sugar Act was the first tax on the American colonies forced by the British Parliament. Its purpose was to end the smuggling trade in sugar and molasses. The tax also provided revenue to the British Empire since they were in debt after the Seven Years’ War. The colonists did not like the idea and began to protest. -
The Stamp Act
This tax was specifically put in place to support the new military force. The colonists and the British were required to use stamped paper or buying individual stamps as a way to confirm tax payment. However, the people in England would pay a higher stamp tax. This act was the “last straw” for the colonists. They were afraid that they would be stripped away from their freedoms. -
The Quartering Act
The Quartering Act required colonies to house British soldiers. The colonies could not question the soldiers and had to take them in as if they were a part of the family. The colonists had to provide them with drinks, food, and a place to sleep. Some colonies, though, refused to follow the rules of the Quartering Act. They only wanted to supply a fraction of the supplies that were requested. -
Townshend Acts
The Townshend Acts were a set of laws passed by the British government on the American colonies. They placed new taxes and took away some freedoms from the colonists. The new taxes were on imports of paper, paint, lead, glass, and tea. The colonists were upset because they refused to pay “taxes without representation.” They would say this because American colonies were not allowed in British Parliament. -
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre that started off as a riot between American colonists and British soldiers. A colonist threw a a snowball at the soldiers and quickly escalated into rocks. A few blocks down, there was a fire and someone yelled out “fire!” The British started firing their guns because they thought the commander said “fire!” -
Boston Tea Party
The colonists were angry at the British for imposing “taxation without representation.” So they went to the Boston Harbor and dumped chests of tea into the water. The colonists dressed up as Indians to disguise themselves. -
Intolerable Acts
It closed the Boston Ports until the damages were paid. There were also restrictions on town meetings to prevent anything from happening anymore. -
First Continental Congress
They imposed a new set of rules and boycotted British goods to get back at them. -
Battles of Lexington and Concord
The Battles of Lexington and Concord were the first military engagements of the American Revolutionary War. -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration summarized the colonists' motivations for seeking independence and was imposed by the First Continental Congress.
