Events of the American Revolution

Proclamation of 1763

Issued by King George III to keep colonists from going west past the Appalachian Mountains

Issued to keep the peace between the colonists and Indians

Colonists reacted angrily due to wanting to settle the Ohio River Valley area

British troops sent to enforce the law and colonists forced to house them (a cause of A.R.)

Stamp Act (1765)

Act passed in 1765 to help pay England’s debts from the French & Indian War

Taxes added on to diplomas, wills, contracts, contracts, newspapers, etc.

Colonists felt they were being unfairly taxed

“No taxation without representation”

Colonists decide to “boycott” all British goods until law repealed

Stamp Act Congress (1765) Colonial delegates of 9

colonies meet in New York in October 1765 to voice concerns about British taxes forced upon them

Argued that only the colonies should be able to pass taxes since they did not have representation in Parliament

“No taxation without representation!”

Marked the first time the colonies united as one

Boston Massacre (1770)

Occurred on March 5th, 1770 Face off between dock

workers and British soldiers Mob taunted and attacked

soldiers with stones, ice, coal, etc.

Fight breaks out soldiers begin firing into the crowd

Patriots use this incident as anti-British propaganda creating outrage in the colonies

Crispus Attucks amongst those killed

Paul Revere’s engraving appears in many colonial newspapers

Boston Tea Party (1773)

Tea Act passed by Parliament forces colonists to buy tea from the English East India Company

The Sons of Liberty, led by Samuel Adams disguise themselves as Mohawk Indians and board 3 ships docked in Boston Harbor

Dump 342 chests of tea into the harbor as a protest to show how strongly the colonists disapprove on the tea tax

Seen by many as a sign of civil disobedience due to disagreeing to this law and not using violence

Coercive (Intolerable) Acts (1774) Series of laws passed to

punish the colonists Closed Boston Harbor

until the destroyed tea was paid for and those responsible turned in

Banned democratic town meetings, colonists forced to quarter troops

British soldiers accused of crimes would be put on trial in England only

Colonists gather at the 1st Continental Congress to unite against the king

First Continental Congress (1774) Fifty-five delegates from

12 colonies met in Philadelphia (1774)

Discussed rising concerns over the Intolerable Acts and frustration over “taxation without representation”

They were not looking for independence at the time

Showed unity by deciding to “boycott” all goods from Britain

Second Continental Congress (1775)

Delegates meet again in May 1775 after the first battles of the revolution

The Olive Branch Petition is adopted expressing their loyalty to the king but disapproving of Parliaments actions

George Washington elected as the Commander in Chief of the Continental Army

Committee to write the Declaration of Independence (DOI) is organized

DOI is adopted on July 4th, 1776

American Revolution (1775-1783) War for independence

between the American colonies and Great Britain

Colonists fought back against unfair taxation without representation

Were used to governing themselves and “salutary neglect”

Ends with an American victory with the Treaty of Paris (1783)

Battles of Lexington & Concord (1775)

In April, 1775, British soldiers march out of Boston to arrest members of the Sons of Liberty and seize weapons

Paul Revere rides to warm that the “British are coming!”

The British are met by the Minutemen (militia soldiers) at Lexington

A shot is fired that begins the American Revolution

It is known as the “Shot heard around the world” because democracies will begin to take hold in much of the world afterwards

British retreat from Concord after more Minutemen attack

“Common Sense” (1776)

Written by Thomas Paine

This pamphlet convinces many colonists that independence is the only way to succeed

Sells over 500,000 copies in six months

Declaration of Independence (1776)

The colonists declare their independence from Great Britain

Drafted by Thomas Jefferson with help from John Adams & Benjamin Franklin

Uses ideas from John Locke (unalienable rights)

Lists grievances (complaints) against King George III & Parliament

Signed on July 4th, 1776

Battle of Saratoga (1777) Fought in the

summer of 1777 Known as the

“turning point” of the war

American victory seals France & Spain’s pledges to aid the United States for independence

Valley Forge (1777-1778) Winter of 1777-1778 Exhausted American

troops settle into winter quarters

Face a harsh winter, disease and starvation

Washington has troops trained properly to fight like professionals when fighting begins again in the spring

Battle of Yorktown (1781) Fought in the fall

of 1781 The last major

battle of the war British troops

surrounded on every side hold out for weeks before surrendering

Basically ends the war

Treaty of Paris (1783)

British recognize the USA as an independent nation ending the American Revolution

Britain gives up all territory between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mississippi River except Florida & New Orleans