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Albany Plan
The British Board of Trade called a meeting of northern colonies at Albany. They wanted to discuss the problems of trade between the colonies, but Ben Franklin proposed the Albany Plan of Union, which said that there should be a creation of an annual congress of delegates from each of the 13 colonies. The plan was turned down by the colonies and by the Crown, but eventually it happened and we still use that system today with Congress. -
The Stamp Act
In 1765, Britain enacted The Stamp Act, which required the use of tax stamps on all legal documents, on certain business agreements and on newspapers. The colonies did not take this very well, calling it "taxation without representation." The colonies protested with the Declaration of Rights and Grievances, sending it to the king. They thought it wasn't fair to tax so much on the colonies which didn't want to be connected to Britain. -
Boston Massacare
During a mob attack, British soldiers shot and massacred a group of people. This was very controversial and was used in newspapers and prints to show how cruel Britain's rule could be. -
Boston Tea Party
A group of men, disguised as Native Americans, boarded three tea ships in Boston. They broke open the chests and dumped the ship's cargo into the sea to protest British control of the tea trade. This was controversial and iconic and was one of the more famous acts of rebellion against the King's rule. -
Intolerable Acts
The Intolerable Acts, named by the colonies, were laws sent by Britain which included closing the port of Boston until colonists paid for the tea dumped during the Boston Tea Party, restricting town meetings, and allowed for British soldiers to just enter people's homes at will. The colonies called these "intolerable" because obviously the rules were unfair and biased, and made life harder for the innocent colonists. -
First Continental Congress
Spring of 1774. When colonists were angry over the Intolerable Acts, delegates from almost every state met in Philadelphia. Together, they were all called the First Continental Congress. This was important because it was very organized and was the beginning of a very important group. -
Start of the American Revolution
The American Revolution against Britain began, where the colonies wanted to have freedom and independence. The Shot Heard Around The World happened at the Battle of Lexington and Concord, and is considered the real start of the Revolution. -
Battles of Lexington and Concord
The Battles of Lexington and Concord were the first major fights of the Revolutionary War. They started the violent conflicts between Britain and the Colonies. -
Second Continental Congress
The British Government refused to accept The Declaration of Rights and continued to be strict and oppressive, so the colonists once again got together as the Second Continental Congress. Many of the delegates believed that a compromise was no longer possible, because The Revolutionary War had begun and blood had been shed already. -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was the product of Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Roger Sherman, Robert Livingston, and Thomas Jefferson, which declared the colonies' freedom and independence from Great Britain. It is one of the most famous pieces of writing ever because it showed that the colonies were really fed up with the King, to the point where they were declaring complete independence. -
End of the American Revolution
The American Revolution ended with a peace treaty and Britain agreeing to end all offensive operations in North America. The colonies were free from Britain and operated on their own going forward, without taxes or oppression from the King.
