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7 Years War between France and England. In the colonies, it was called the French Indian War because the colonists fought with British soldiers against France the Indians who were on side of France. Because of the war, England had a massive war debt began to tax the people in the 13 colonies. -
Beginning in 1763 economic policy England followed when it came to the 13 colonies. England saw the colonies as a market for English goods wanted to get money (taxes) natural resources from the colonies. -
"hands off approach by Great Britain; British policy of loosely enforcing laws and regulations in the American colonies, allowing them to govern themselves. -
The Quartering Act was a law passed by the British Parliament in 1765 and 1774 that required American colonists to house and provide supplies for British soldiers stationed in the colonies. It was seen as an infringement on colonial rights and contributed to growing unrest and opposition to British rule. -
The Stamp Act of 1765 was a law passed by the British Parliament that required American colonists to pay a tax on printed materials, such as newspapers, legal documents, and playing cards. It was the first direct tax levied on the colonies and sparked widespread protest, contributing to the growing tensions that led to the American Revolution. -
The Townshend Acts were a series of laws passed by the British Parliament in 1767 that imposed duties on imported goods like glass, paper, paint, and tea imported into the American colonies. The revenue generated was used to pay British officials in the colonies and assert Britain's authority. These acts led to protests and increased tensions between Britain and the American colonists, fueling the road to the American Revolution. -
The Boston Massacre was a deadly confrontation on March 5, 1770, in which British soldiers fired into a crowd of American colonists protesting outside the Boston Customs House. Five colonists were killed, and the incident fueled anti-British sentiments, becoming a powerful symbol of colonial resistance and contributing to the outbreak of the American Revolution. -
The Boston Tea Party was a political protest on December 16, 1773, in which American colonists, disguised as Mohawk Indians, boarded British ships and dumped 342 chests of tea into Boston Harbor. This act of defiance was in response to the Tea Act and aimed to oppose British taxation without colonist representation. It escalated tensions between Britain and the colonies, leading to punitive measures known as the Intolerable Acts. -
The Intolerable Acts were a series of punitive laws enacted by the British Parliament in 1774 to punish the American colonies for the Boston Tea Party and other protests. These laws included closing the Boston Harbor, curbing Massachusetts' self-government, allowing British officials accused of crimes to be tried in Britain, and requiring colonists to house British soldiers. -
The Olive Branch Petition, sent in July 1775, was a last effort by the colonies to resolve conflicts peacefully and remain loyal to Britain. Britain rejected it, leading the colonies to move toward independence. -
The Battle of Lexington and Concord in April 1775 was the first conflict of the American Revolution. British troops aimed to seize colonial weapons in Concord, but colonial militia fought back at Lexington. The skirmishes marked the start of the war, with both sides preparing for a full-scale revolution. -
The Second Continental Congress, convened in May 1775, was the colonial assembly that managed the American war effort, created the Continental Army, and eventually led to declaring independence from Britain. -
The Declaration of Independence, adopted on July 4, 1776, was a document written mainly by Thomas Jefferson that declared the American colonies' independence from Britain. It outlined reasons for separation and asserted the colonies' rights to self-governance. -
"Common Sense," published in 1776 by Thomas Paine, was a influential pamphlet that argued for American independence from Britain and called for the colonies to break away and establish their own government. -
The Articles of Confederation, ratified in 1781, was the first constitution of the United States. It created a weak central government with limited powers, giving most authority to the states. -
The Annapolis Convention, held in 1786, was a meeting of delegates from several states to discuss trade and navigation issues. It later led to the Constitutional Convention to revise the Articles of Confederation. -
The Constitutional Convention, held in 1787, was a meeting where delegates drafted the U.S. Constitution to replace the Articles of Confederation and create a stronger federal government. -
Daniel Shays’ Rebellion in 1786-1787 was an uprising of farmers in Massachusetts protesting economic hardships and high taxes. It highlighted weaknesses in the Articles of Confederation and led to calls for a stronger national government.