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The Enlightenment was a period in the 17th and 18th centuries when people placed a high value on reason, science, and individual rights. Colonists were encouraged to question established authority by thinkers like John Locke and Montesquieu. Many of these concepts had a direct impact on the movement for American independence.
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The French and Indian War was fought between Britain and France. Indian groups fought on both sides. Britain won the war, but it had to pay a lot of money. To pay for it, it taxed the colonies. This made the colonists angry and led to a revolt.
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The Stamp Act said that colonists had to pay a tax on written things like forms and newspapers. Britain taxed the colonies directly for the first time. The colonists didn't like it at all and said, "No taxation without representation." -
The Townshend Acts taxed things that came into the country, like glass, tea, and paper. People in the colonies didn't want to conduct business with Britain; therefore, they protested the intentions to make money off of them. Britain and the colonies were getting angry with each other. -
The British shot into a gathering in Boston, killing five Americans. Colonial officials told locals about the tragedy to make them mad at the British. It became a place where individuals might meet to struggle against British control. -
Members of the Sons of Liberty dressed themselves as Native Americans and tossed 342 barrels of British tea into Boston Harbor to protest the Tea Act. The British authorities said that was a massive no-no. It was the fundamental reason why the Intolerable Acts became law. -
Britain did this to punish Massachusetts for the Boston Tea Party. The harbor was blocked, which made it tougher for people to get together in town. These bad things made the colonies work together to fight Britain.
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Delegates from twelve colonies went to Philadelphia to figure out how to deal with the Intolerable Acts. They came up with the notion of telling the colonies to gather together and make troops. This meeting was a huge step toward getting people to work together.
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The Battles of Lexington and Concord were the first battles of the American Revolution. People fought back with weapons when British forces came to the colonies to confiscate their weaponry. The battle began with the legendary "shot heard 'round the world." -
George Washington is famous for crossing the Delaware River and then fighting the Battle of Trenton. On Christmas morning, his forces surprised the Hessian soldiers. After the win, more people signed up because it made them feel good. -
Thomas Paine wrote a book called "Common Sense" that stated the colonies should not be part of Britain. Everyone could read it and comprehend what it said. The novel made a lot of people want to join the Revolution. -
The Continental Congress signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. Thomas Jefferson wrote most of it. It asserted that Britain no longer dominated the colonies. As a result of this daring and risky move, the colonies went to war. -
The Battle of Yorktown was the last significant battle of the American Revolution. The Americans trapped General Cornwallis's army in Britain with the support of French forces. Cornwallis' surrender ended the war for the most part.
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The signing of the Treaty of Paris marked the end of the American Revolution. Britain thought of the US as a separate country. The agreement not only established lines, but it also granted Loyalists their land back. -
Before the right number of states signed the U.S. Constitution, there was a lot of struggle. It made the central authority stronger while protecting people's rights. This language is still the basis for the laws in the United States.