CAUSES OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION: AN OVERVIEW
There were many events that lead to the American Revolution. Britain wanted to maintain control over the colonies, while the colonists' frustration grew at the taxes and laws imposed upon them. The colonists wanted to be free from British rule.
1754 FRENCH & INDIAN WAR
The French and Indian War was a major war fought in the American Colonies between 1754 and 1763. The British gained significant territory in North America as a result of the war. The French and Indian War had some major consequences on the future of the British colonies in America. The war was expensive for the British government to fight. In order to pay for it, they issued taxes on the colonies. The British government considered this fair as they were protecting the interests of the colonies. The colonies, however, felt that they should not be taxed unless they had representation in the British government. Also, this war was the first time that the colonies united together to fight a common enemy. They built up colonial militias and gained confidence in their fighting abilities. In the end, the events of the French and Indian War played a major role leading up to the American Revolution. (Source)
1763 PROCLAMATION OF 1763
British Parliament passed a law called The Proclamation of 1763. The Proclamation was an attempt to establish a western border of the 13 colonies in America. That border was the Appalachian Mountains.
The Proclamation made it illegal for colonists to settle west of the Appalachians, illegal to move into Ohio or Tennessee or Florida. Parliament was hoping this would satisfy the Native Americans in the area, and reduce the need for troops along the border to protect colonists from Indian attacks, which would of course save the British money.
It sounded like a good plan, but the law did not succeed because so many settlers had already begun to move west. (A few years later, the law was changed to recognize western settlements.) (Source)
The Proclamation made it illegal for colonists to settle west of the Appalachians, illegal to move into Ohio or Tennessee or Florida. Parliament was hoping this would satisfy the Native Americans in the area, and reduce the need for troops along the border to protect colonists from Indian attacks, which would of course save the British money.
It sounded like a good plan, but the law did not succeed because so many settlers had already begun to move west. (A few years later, the law was changed to recognize western settlements.) (Source)
1764 SUGAR ACT
The Government of Great Britain, Parliament, needed money to pay off the cost of the French and Indian War. They believed that the colonists should help pay this cost since much of the fighting was done to defend them. So Parliament passed the Sugar Act, which was a tax on sugar, wine, indigo (a type of color dye) and molasses. The last was very important to New England merchants, since they bought molasses to make rum to sell to other colonies including the French, Dutch, and Spanish. This tax almost stopped the rum trade from New England, and the New England colonies protested. The rest of the colonies didn't see what the big fuss was all about. But the tax worried colonial leaders. They feared Britain might be moving towards seizing power from colonial governments, such as the right to tax. The colonial leaders did not want that to happen. They wanted the American colonies free to govern themselves as they had been doing for many years. (Source)
1765 STAMP ACT
The Stamp Act was a British tax on paper and printed materials. The name comes from the colonists needing to buy products with the official British stamp showing the tax had been paid.
1767 TOWNSHEND ACTS
The Townshend Acts were a series of laws passed by the British government on the American colonies. They placed new taxes and took away some freedoms from the colonists, including the following: new taxes on imports of paper, paint, lead, glass, and tea.
1770 BOSTON MASSACRE
The Boston Massacre wasn't a large-scale massacre. It was more of an argument that escalated out of control. British officers shot and killed five Boston colonists.
1773 BOSTON TEA PARTY
Boston colonists became angry at the British-imposed taxes. Some colonists called themselves the "Sons of Liberty," boarded British ships, and dumped the crates of tea into the Boston harbor.
1774 INTOLERABLE ACTS
The Coercive Acts, also known as the Intolerable Acts, were a result of the Boston Tea Party. The name came from the American Patriots feeling that they could not tolerate these acts.
1774 FIRST CONTINENTAL CONGRESS
Representatives from the colonies get together to unite against the British taxes. The two major points were that (1) the British formally sent King George III a letter demanding he stop the Intolerable Acts, and (2) they planned a second meeting in the case that Britain did not meet their demands.
1775 SECOND CONTINENTAL CONGRESS
During this meeting, the Continental Army was formed, and George Washington was chosen as the commander. They also began to act more like a country by printing their own money.
ADDITIONAL ROAD TO THE REVOLUTION RESOURCES
Mr. Bett's History Videos
American Revolution
The American Revolution was a political battle during which colonists in the Thirteen American Colonies rejected and overthrew British authority and founded the United States of America.
1775 Battles of Lexington and Concord
The Battles of Lexington and Concord signaled the start of the American Revolutionary war on April 19, 1775. The British Army set out from Boston to capture rebel leaders Samuel Adams and John Hancock in Lexington as well as to destroy the Americans' store of weapons and ammunition in Concord. The colonists were warned however, by riders including Paul Revere, that the British Army was approaching. Sam Adams and John Hancock were able to escape and the local militia was able to hide much of their ammunition and weapons. (Source) |
1775 Battle of Bunker Hill
Boston was being besieged by thousands of American militia. The British were trying to keep control of the city and control its valuable sea ports. The British decided to take two hills, Bunker and Breeds, in order to gain a tactical advantage. The American forces heard about it and went to defend the hills. (Source) |
1783 Treaty of Paris
The 1783 Treaty of Paris officially ended the Revolutionary War on September 3, 1783.
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Important People:
King George III Lord Charles Cornwallis Benjamin Franklin Patrick Henry Thomas Jefferson John Adams Thomas Paine General George Washington Marquis de Lafayette Tadeusz Kosciuszko Baron Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben |
Contributions of Women & Minorities:
Abigail Adams Martha Washington Mercy Otis Warren Molly Pitcher Phillis Wheatley Deborah Sampson James Armistead Joseph Brant Sybil Ludington |