Revolutionary War Timeline By: Cale Jorgensen

Proclamation of 1763 - Oct 5 Gave Britain all land east of the Mississippi River after the French and Indian War. The british banned colonial settlement west of the Appalachian mountains.

Sugar Act - April 5, 1764 Added taxes on goods like sugar and molasses. It was designed to help Britain pay off war debts from the French and Indian war.

Stamp Act - March 22, 1765 Also helped Britain pay off war debts. Taxes written goods and money went directly to the government/king.

Quartering Act - March 24, 1765 Forced colonists to feed and house soldiers. Allowed for more British soldiers in the colonial cities.

Townshend Acts - June 29, 1767 This taxed more products like paper and glass. This mostly affected merchants. Also to help Britain pay war debts.

Boston Massacre - March 5, 1770 Dispute between colonial mob and British soldiers. British fired and five colonists were killed. Used in newspapers as anti-British propaganda.

Tea Act - May 10, 1773 Reduced the previously placed tax on tea. Still enraged colonists because the British lowered it instead of reducing it. Led to the Boston Tea Party.

Boston Tea Party - Dec 16, 1773 The colonists boycotted tea, then later boarded a tea filled ship dressed as natives. They proceeded to throw the tea into the harbor in protest.

End of Salutary Neglect - March 1774 The British passed the Intolerable Acts. This ended the period of Salutary Neglect, or Laissez-Faire, from the British crown.

Intolerable/Coercive Acts - March 31 - June 22, 1774 These acts reduced trade in the New England colonies. They also isolated Boston from the rest of the colonies. Ended Salutary Neglect.

Lexington and Concord - April 19, 1775 The shot heard ‘round the world. The first clash of the colonial rebels and the British troops.

Battle of Bunker Hill - June 17, 1775 The first real battle of the revolutionary war, drove the colonial rebels out of the Boston area. The British lost more soldiers than expected and this is when they figured out that the war would not be easy for them.

Battle of Quebec - Dec. 31, 1775 The first American loss of the war. The British quickly killed off many of their troops.

Common Sense by Thomas Paine published - Jan. 10, 1776 A pamphlet that convinced much of the American population to join the war. It focused mainly on grievances against monarchy.

Battle of Moore’s Creek Bridge - Feb. 27, 1776 The first American victory in the south. Helped build moral support for the war and convinced many southerners to join the war effort.

Battle of New York - Aug. 27, 1776 A loss for the Americans in the north and led to the British capture of New York. This was an important port they used for supplies in the war.

Battle of Trenton - Dec. 26, 1776 The Americans crossed the Delaware River on Christmas Day, and attacked the British that night. The attack was a big success and helped the moral of the troops.

Battles of Saratoga - Sept. 19 and Oct. 7, 1777 The major turning point for the Americans in the war. The Americans held the British back from reaching New York, and on the second attempt surrounded them. The British were forced to surrender and lost ¼ of their forces.

Valley Forge - Winter of 1777 - 1778 The Americans had to spend much of the hardest winter of the war at valley forge. They suffered heavy losses due to starvation and deadly diseases.

Battle of King’s Mountain - Oct. 7, 1780 It was the first major American victory in the south in a long time. This battle led to the string of battles that eventually ended the war.

Battle of Cowpens - Jan. 17, 1781 The turning point in the south and started to drive the British forces north towards Yorktown. The Americans captured many of the British forces in this battle.

Battle of Guilford Courthouse - March 15, 1781 The British fought the Americans with half the number of troops and won. However, due to the heavy casualties of the British during the battle, it was a strategic victory for the Americans.

Battle of Charleston - August 19, 1781 The last major British victory that took many of the American troops into captivity. Midway through the battle, Washington adjusted his strategy to avoid many casualties and helped to ease the blow of the battle.

Battle of Yorktown - Oct. 9, 1781 The British were pinned between the American armies and the allied French Navy by sea, and were forced to surrender. The Americans had won the war and now had to worry about setting up a new government.

Treaty of Paris - Sept. 3, 1783 The treaty that officially ended the war and gave much of the land from the British to the colonists. The British also had to return many prisoners of war.