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The Tea Act
The Tea Act of 1773 allowed The East India Company to ship their tea towards the colonies without stopping in Great Britain first. This angered the colonists, as they believed this was simply to gain support. -
The Boston Port Act
The first of the 4 Intolerable Acts. The Boston Port Act was established to give the Royal Navy permission to enforce a blockade on Boston Harbor. -
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The Intolerable Acts of 1774
The Intolerable Acts of 1774 were a series of 4 acts that were to punish the colonies and Massachusetts Bay for The Boston Tea Party. These 4 acts were The Boston Port Act, The Massachusetts Government Act, The Administration of Justice Act, The Quartering Act. -
The Massachusetts Government Act
The second of The Intolerable Acts. This act removed the representative government in the Massachusetts Colony, as the King assumed it was under anarchist rule. -
The Administration of Justice Act
The third of The Intolerable Acts. This act corrupted the law in the colonies, and when one is charged with a crime, the law is biased towards The Crown and will listen to it's orders. -
The Quartering Act of 1774
The Fourth and final Intolerable Act. This was similar to The Quartering Act of 1765, which allowed Redcoats to sleep and occupy the homes of colonists without permission. -
The First Continental Congress
Sept. 6th, 1774. The First Continental Congress, as all colonies except Georgia sent a representative, and voted to not only send a statement of grievances, but also voted to boycott all British goods. One of the representatives, Patrick Henry, urged the colonists to unite against Great Britain. -
1,000's of Redcoats in Boston, Massachusetts
"There is one Redcoat for every 5 Bostonians." General Gage brings thousands of Redcoats (British Soldiers) to Boston with more on the way, as a result of The Boston Tea Party. -
The Battle of Lexington
The American Revolutionary War had begun. Paul Revere had successfully warned The Minutemen, which are now known as The Patriots, of the Redcoats' arrival. The war began with The Battle of Lexington, with "The Shot Heard 'Round The World," and The Battle of Concord which happened on the same day. The Battle of Lexington is rumored to have lasted about 5 minutes, as it was 70 Patriots against 700 Redcoats, which ended in A British victory. -
The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere
As The British sent thousands of Redcoats towards the colonies to prepare for war after hearing that the colonists were hiding illegal weapons and minutemen / patriots, Paul Revere took his horse on the night of April 18th, 1775 and warned the colonists and minutemen of the redcoats before their arrival, giving them time to prepare for battle. -
The Battle of Concord
After The Battle of Lexington, which resulted in British victory, the Redcoats headed towards Concord, but they were too late, as Lexington gave those in Concord to prepare for the incoming attack, and they had a tough battle, but the Redcoats ended up retreating due to the large amount of Patriots, resulting in The Battle of Concord in an American victory. -
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The American Revolutionary War
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The Battle of Fort Ticonderoga
A group of patriots called The Green Mountain Boys joined forces with commander Benedict Arnold and his patriots to siege Fort Ticonderoga, which was occupied by the Redcoats. The Patriots wanted to siege Fort Ticonderoga for its weapons and cannons. Though the battle was tough, it resulted in an American victory. -
The Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress meets. They set up a post office owned by Benjamin Franklin, started printing money, and created The Continental Army, composed of Patriots (formally Minutemen) led by George Washington. They send The Olive Branch Petition (a petition for peace) which is rejected by King George III, who gathers 30,000 German troops called Hessians to fight alongside The Redcoats against The Patriots. -
General Washington's Realization
On July 15th, 1775, General George Washington reached Boston, Massachusetts, only to realize that it was occupied by the Redcoats. Upon this, Washington realized that his men could not fight The Redcoats, for they were disorganized. lacked discipline, and lacked weapons. So, he decided to train The Continental Army. -
The Battle of Bunker Hill
The Battle of Bunker Hill, which happened at Breed's Hill, was a tough battle between The Redcoats The Patriots. The Patriots fought until they could no longer, as they ran out of ammunition, which resulted in a British victory, though this exhausted the Redcoats and proved that the Patriots were able to fight. "Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes!"
--- William Prescott -
Common Sense
Thomas Paine writes the book, "Common Sense," which persuades more colonists to completely break from British rule.
"Every thing that is right or reasonable pleads for separation. The blood of the slain, the weeping voice of nature cries, 'TIS TIME TO PART." -
The Battle of Boston
After harsh training and discipline, George Washington finally prepared to siege Boston, Massachusetts. He sets up the cannons on the hills overlooking Boston at night, and "peacefully" threatens the Redcoats. Upon hearing the threat, The Redcoats retreated. -
The Third Continental Congress
The Continental Congress meets again, and they debate on declaring independence or not. -
The Fourth Continental Congress
The colonies pass their votes for independence, and all but New York agreed, and later New York announced it's support. -
The Declaration of Independence
On July 2nd, 1776, Thomas Jefferson writes the declaration, and on July 4th, 1776, The Continental Congress signs The Official Declaration of Independence, establishing the new nation of The United States of America, composed of New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia.