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French and Indian War begins
The French and Indian War was between the French and the British over control of the Ohio Valley. -
Writs of Assistance allowed
These allowed British customs official to search any ship or building they believed held smuggled goods. -
Treaty of Paris 1763
This treaty ended the French and Indian War, gave the British Canada and everything east of the Mississippi River, stripped France of the majority of their North American colonies, and allowed the Spanish to keep New Orleans. -
Proclamation of 1763
Prevented British colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains -
Sugar Act
Cut the taxes on foreign molasses, put taxes on certain items that weren't previously taxed, and allowed the colonists who violated this act to be tried in vice-admiralty court instead of regular colonial court. Colonists complained it reduced their trade profits and felt that it wasn't fair because they didn't have a representative in Parliament. -
Sons of Liberty are formed
Samuel Adams formed the Sons of Liberty to protest British laws. -
The Stamp Act
The Stamp Act taxed printed paper goods and caused the colonists to boycott British goods until it was repealed on March 18, 1766. -
Declaratory Act
Asserted the British government's right "to bind the colonies and
people of America in all cases whatsoever.” -
Townshend Acts
Taxed lead, glass, paint, paper and tea. These were all repealed after boycotts except the tax on tea because they were costing too much to enforce than the actual profit. -
Boston Massacre
The British fired on a mob of protesters killing or mortally wounding five people in front of the Boston Customs House. -
Tea Act
This cut the colonists out of the tea trade by allowing the British East India Company to sell straight to consumers -
Boston Tea Party
As a protest colonists dressed as Native Americans and dumped 18,000 pounds of tea into Boston Harbor. -
The Intolerable Acts
These acts shut down Boston Harbor, passed the Quartering Act which forced the colonists to house British troops, and made Commander of British Forces in The Americas, Thomas Gage, the military governor of Massachusetts. -
Minutemen form
After the First Continental Congress many colonists started stockpiling weapons and gunpowder to be prepared to fight the British in a minute's notice. This led to the name Minutemen. -
The First Continental Congress
56 delegates met in Philadelphia to discuss the rights of the Colonies. They all agreed that if the British used force against them they would fight back. -
Battle of Concord
When the British arrived at the weapons storehouse they were ordered to destroy they found nothing so they started marching back to Boston. On there way back they were ambushed by minutemen and suffered heavy casualties. -
Battle of Lexington
This was the first battle of the American Revolution. British troops were heading to Concord when they encountered 70 minutemen in Lexington. By the end 8 minutemen were dead and 10 were wounded. -
The Second Continental Congress
This meeting recognized the colonial militia as The Continental Army and establish former Colonel George Washington as its commander. -
Continental Army forms
The Continental Army was the fighting force of the colonies. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
This battle was an American loss but it boosted the colonists' morale because it showed they could put up a fight. -
The Olive Branch Petition
A petition asking for the same former harmony between Britain and the colonies. The petition was harshly rejected by King George III. -
Social Contract
An idea invented by philosopher John Locke stating that people should obey their government as long as they are given their natural rights of life, liberty, and property. -
Publication of Common Sense by Thomas Payne
This 50-page pamphlet stated all the reasons the colonies should separate from Britain. -
The Declaration of Independence
This document written by Thomas Jefferson stated that the colonies were to be independent as the United States of America, the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and that all men were created equal(although this wasn't really the case). -
Washington crosses the Delaware
In a surprise attack George Washington and his men crossed the Delaware and attacked the Hessian camp in Trenton, New Jersey which was a heavy blow to the British and their allies. -
Battle of Saratoga
In this month long battle, General John Burgoyne tried to meet up with other British forces in Albany. As Burgoyne and his men made it through the wilderness they fought the minutemen. Burgoyne eventually surrendered on October 17, 1777 near Saratoga, New York. This victory caused the French to start aiding the colonists in the revolution. -
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Colonial Presence at Valley Forge
During the winter of 1777-1778 2,000 colonial troops died at Valley Forge. Despite these losses the colonists came out of that winter better trained and more passionate about their cause. -
Marquis de Lafayette and Friedrich von Steuben join the war effort
During the war the colonists received training from former Prussian captain and drill-master and Marquis de Lafayette who pressured France into providing more support. -
French-American Alliance
After the Battle of Saratoga the French started funding and aiding the colonists after this document was signed. -
British take Savannah
In December 1778, Lt. Col. Archibald Campbell and his men easily captured Savannah in a surprise attack. -
British take Charleston
Lord Charles Cornwallis captured Charleston by laying siege to it. This was the biggest British victory of the war. -
Yorktown
With the help of a French naval blockade, the colonists forced the British to surrender at Yorktown in the final battle of the war. -
Treaty of Paris 1783
This treaty stated that the United States were an independent country and stated that everything east of the Appalachian mountains was theirs.
