COLONIAL EVENTS TIMELINE EVENTS LEADING TO THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION

Britain passed the Navigation Acts- laws that prevented the colonists from trading with anyone but Britain

1760s  Britain practiced mercantilism (wanted colonists to sell raw materials to them at low prices, but buy finished goods from them at high prices)

1763  Proclamation Act- forbid the colonists from expanding westward past the Appalachian Mountains (colonists resented this because they wanted more land)

1763  French and Indian War ends, leaving Britain with a huge debt which they looked to the colonists to pay through heavy taxes

1764  Britain passed the Sugar Act which hurt colonial trade

1765  Parliament passed the Stamp Act (forced colonists to attach expensive stamps to all papers and legal documents)

1765  Quartering Act- Britain required colonists to allow British soldiers to live in their houses

1766  Declaratory Act- law that stated Parliament had the right to tax and make decisions for the colonists in all cases

1767  Townshend Acts- laws that taxed basic colonial goods, such as tea, paper and glass

1770  Boston Massacre- uprising that occurred at the Boston port between the colonists and British soldiers (5 colonists were killed, including Crispus Attucks, a former slave)

1773  Tea Act- law that allowed British tea companies to trade directly with shop-owners instead of colonial merchants, which hurt trade

1773  Boston Tea Party- colonists dressed up like Native Americans and dumped chests of tea into Boston Harbor (this angered Parliament and the King)

1774 Britain passed the Coercive Acts (aka Intolerable Acts), which took away basic rights of the colonists, including trial by jury

September 1774  1 st Continental Congress- meeting of the colonial delegates to discuss problems with Britain (sent the King a letter demanding their rights back)  King ignored colonists’ request and sent troops (Red Coats) to attack them

April 1775 April 1775  Battles of Lexington and Concord- 1 st 2 battles of the Revolutionary War  Took place in Massachussetts  Shot heard ‘round the world

May 1775  2 nd Continental Congress- delegates return to Philadelphia and send the Olive Branch Petition to the king to try to work things out, but King rejused  Delegates start to discuss independence  2 sides form: Loyalists- remain with Britain Patriots- wanted to be independent

1776  Thomas Paine wrote a pamphlet called Common Sense, which convinced the colonists to declare independence from Britain immediately

Independence Hall, Philadelphia

July 4, 1776  Declaration of Independence was written by Thomas Jefferson  5 parts of the Declaration of Independence: Introduction: tells purpose of Declaration Introduction: tells purpose of Declaration Explanation of self-government (popular sovereignty) Explanation of self-government (popular sovereignty) Complaints against the King Complaints against the King King and Parliament have refused to change King and Parliament have refused to change Colonists declare they are free and independent states Colonists declare they are free and independent states

We’re Free!!!! Now What?