The American Revolution (1775-1783) took place between the British government and it’s American colonies. After the French and Indian War the British government became more controlling of the American colonies. The French and Indian war had cost Great Britain and they tried to make up for it by taxing the colonies. The colonies were unhappy with the new policies and taxes the government started. The colonies spoke out and protested but tensions between the two escalated for a decade, eventually leading to the colonies declaring their independence, war, and the creation of the United States of America.
1765
Stamp act
The Stamp Act was the first tax levied by British on the colonies. The Stamp Act taxed paper and was heavily opposed by the colonies who protested and boycotted. Colonists formed a group called The Sons Of Liberty who played a big part in protests, boycotts, and fighting the British government leading up to and through the war.
1767
Townsend acts
The Townsend Acts were a series of acts passed by British government that taxed china, glass, lead, and paint on the colonies.
1768
The Boston non-importation agreement
24 towns in Massachusetts began boycotting British goods.
1769
British Troops
2,000 British troops arrived in Boston, a town with a population of 18,000. Stores that boycotted British goods were bullied and vandalized.
1770
Townsend acts repealed
British soldiers shot and killed 5 in the Boston Massacre. A month later the Townsend acts were repealed.
1773
Boston tea party
British parliament passed the Tea Act which favored one company, the East India Company. Still upset about taxation without representation and worried about East India Company having a monopoly, colonists boycotted the tea. On December 16th groups of 50 men boarded 3 ships in Boston’s port carrying East India Company’s tea and dumped the tea overboard into the harbor.
1774
Coercive acts
British Parliament passed the Coercive Acts to punish Boston and re-establish control. The acts closed Boston harbour until East India Company was repaid, suspended representative government in Massachusetts, and allowed British troops to quarter or live in unoccupied buildings.
Colonists held the First Continental Congress and adopted a declaration of personal rights.
1775
Shot heard around the world
British troops had been seizing weapons and weapon caches. They tried to seize a weapons cache in Concord but encountered resistance along the way in Lexington. British troops killed 8 militiamen in Lexington before moving to Concord where they were met by hundreds of militiamen. The British retreated to Boston where they were surrounded by 15,000 militiamen.
The second Continental Congress met and formed the Continental Army, appointing George Washington as the army’s Commander in Chief.
1776
Declaration of Independence
Congress voted and adopted the Declaration of Independence, declaring themselves independent from British rule.
1777
France joins
After the colonists achieved a victory against the British in Saratoga, France who had been secretly helping the rebels in America publicly joined the colonists side and declared war on Britain.
1781
Surrender
General Cornwallis suffered a defeat to George Washington in Yorktown and surrendered.
1783
Treaty of paris
The United States of America and Great Britain sign the Treaty of Paris of 1783 and officially end the war.