Albany Plan (1754) – Plan developed by colonialists to have an intercolonial government (union of some sort) and a system for collecting taxes for colonies' defense
French and Indian War/Seven Years' War (1754-1763) – As English settlers moved into the Ohio Valley the French tried to stop them by building strategic forts. George Washington led a colonial militia and attacked a French outpost. This led to war, in which the Native Americans sided with the French (the lesser of two evils for them). The British led the colonists' fight. By the end, England had secured its dominance in North America.
Pontiac's Rebellion (1763) – English stopped paying rent on western forts built on land owned by Native Americans. Chief Pontiac attacked colonial forts. This led to Proclamation of 1763.
Proclamation of 1763 – British forbade colonial settlement west of Appalachians. This marked the end of salutary neglect (British not enforcing/legislating tough laws on colonies.)
Sugar Act (1764) – First major tax by the British. British needed the money after racking up a large debt with the French and Indian War. Established some general taxes and made efforts to deter molasses smugglers.
Currency Act (1764) – Forbade colonies from issuing paper money. Another general attempt by the British to get a stronger grip on the American colonies.
The colonial protests of the various taxes were, at this point, uncoordinated and ineffective.
Quartering Act (1765) – Stationed more troops in the colonies and made the colonists responsible for housing them.
Stamp Act (1765) – First tax by British specifically aimed at raising revenue. Very broad tax, covering many goods and affecting almost all colonists.
James Otis' published at this time pamphlet The Rights of the British Colonies Asserted and Proved declared the famous "No taxation without representation." However Otis was not advocating secession, rather compromise. As a response, British Parliament declared the colonies had "virtual representation."
A protest group named Sons of Liberty protested the Stamp Act and the act was repealed in 1766.
Declaratory Act (1766) – The British government, as an attempt to maintain authority despite repealing the Stamp Act, declared it had the right to tax and legislate anywhere in the colonies.
Townshend Acts (1767) – Sort of as a come back to the Stamp Act, this act taxed goods imported directly from Britain. It also created new government offices in which the Crown placed its own men. Also, this instituted "writs of assistance," which essentially gave the British the power to search any place they suspected had smuggled goods.
Boston Massacre (March, 5 1770) – Angry colonists taunted British soldiers. (In fact, they taunted them by throwing snowballs filled with rocks, however I'm afraid that's not relevant.) The British soldiers fired into the crowd, killing five. It turned into a major piece of propaganda which patriots used to gain support against the British.
By this point, still only a few radicals were actually talking independence.
Boston Tea Party (December 16, 1773) – Colonists were mad at the British for granting the East India Tea Company a monopoly on the sale of tea in the colonies. Parliament also issued new taxes on this tea. Angry men from Sons of Liberty sneaked onto a docked cargo ship filled with tea and dumped a huge amount of tea into the Boston Harbor.
Coercive Acts/Intolerable Acts (1774) – As a response to the Boston Tea Party, British Parliament closed Boston Harbor and declared it would remain closed until the tea was paid for. This also made a stricter Quartering Act.
-As part of this Parliament passed the Quebec Act, which granted more liberties to Catholics, who the Protestant majority did not like. It also extended the boundaries of the Quebec Territory, which hindered the colonists ability for westward expansion.
First Continental Congress (1774) – All colonies, except Georgia, sent delegates. Here revolutionaries developed strategies to address their grievances with the British government. The congress came up with a list of laws they wanted the British to repeal, and established a boycott on British goods to pressure that these grievances be addressed. The Continental Association enforced the boycott.
The Battles of Lexington and Concord were the first few skirmishes of the Revolutionary War.
Second Continental Congress (1775) – The colonies prepared a Continental Army, choosing George Washington as its leader.
Oliver Branch Petition (July 5, 1775) – Following the fight at Bunker Hill, this petition was the last attempt by colonial leader to reconcile with the British. King George III refused to reconcile.
Common Sense (1776) – This extremely popular and influential pamphlet by Thomas Paine advocated independence and established some ideas of how to govern a new republic.
Declaration of Independence (July 4, 1776) – Written by Thomas Jefferson, this document sent to Britain explained the colonies' grievances, dictated that a government's responsibility to serve its people, and, quite appropriately, declared independence.
Feel free to add or clarify any important details/ideas I may be missing in the comments!
Sugar Act (1764) – First major tax by the British. British needed the money after racking up a large debt with the French and Indian War. Established some general taxes and made efforts to deter molasses smugglers.
Currency Act (1764) – Forbade colonies from issuing paper money. Another general attempt by the British to get a stronger grip on the American colonies.
The colonial protests of the various taxes were, at this point, uncoordinated and ineffective.
Quartering Act (1765) – Stationed more troops in the colonies and made the colonists responsible for housing them.
Stamp Act (1765) – First tax by British specifically aimed at raising revenue. Very broad tax, covering many goods and affecting almost all colonists.
James Otis' published at this time pamphlet The Rights of the British Colonies Asserted and Proved declared the famous "No taxation without representation." However Otis was not advocating secession, rather compromise. As a response, British Parliament declared the colonies had "virtual representation."
A protest group named Sons of Liberty protested the Stamp Act and the act was repealed in 1766.
Declaratory Act (1766) – The British government, as an attempt to maintain authority despite repealing the Stamp Act, declared it had the right to tax and legislate anywhere in the colonies.
Townshend Acts (1767) – Sort of as a come back to the Stamp Act, this act taxed goods imported directly from Britain. It also created new government offices in which the Crown placed its own men. Also, this instituted "writs of assistance," which essentially gave the British the power to search any place they suspected had smuggled goods.
Boston Massacre (March, 5 1770) – Angry colonists taunted British soldiers. (In fact, they taunted them by throwing snowballs filled with rocks, however I'm afraid that's not relevant.) The British soldiers fired into the crowd, killing five. It turned into a major piece of propaganda which patriots used to gain support against the British.
By this point, still only a few radicals were actually talking independence.
Boston Tea Party (December 16, 1773) – Colonists were mad at the British for granting the East India Tea Company a monopoly on the sale of tea in the colonies. Parliament also issued new taxes on this tea. Angry men from Sons of Liberty sneaked onto a docked cargo ship filled with tea and dumped a huge amount of tea into the Boston Harbor.
Coercive Acts/Intolerable Acts (1774) – As a response to the Boston Tea Party, British Parliament closed Boston Harbor and declared it would remain closed until the tea was paid for. This also made a stricter Quartering Act.
-As part of this Parliament passed the Quebec Act, which granted more liberties to Catholics, who the Protestant majority did not like. It also extended the boundaries of the Quebec Territory, which hindered the colonists ability for westward expansion.
First Continental Congress (1774) – All colonies, except Georgia, sent delegates. Here revolutionaries developed strategies to address their grievances with the British government. The congress came up with a list of laws they wanted the British to repeal, and established a boycott on British goods to pressure that these grievances be addressed. The Continental Association enforced the boycott.
The Battles of Lexington and Concord were the first few skirmishes of the Revolutionary War.
Second Continental Congress (1775) – The colonies prepared a Continental Army, choosing George Washington as its leader.
Oliver Branch Petition (July 5, 1775) – Following the fight at Bunker Hill, this petition was the last attempt by colonial leader to reconcile with the British. King George III refused to reconcile.
Common Sense (1776) – This extremely popular and influential pamphlet by Thomas Paine advocated independence and established some ideas of how to govern a new republic.
Declaration of Independence (July 4, 1776) – Written by Thomas Jefferson, this document sent to Britain explained the colonies' grievances, dictated that a government's responsibility to serve its people, and, quite appropriately, declared independence.
Feel free to add or clarify any important details/ideas I may be missing in the comments!
Another thing I remember is the Dominion of New England and Governor Andros. Andros and the Dominion attempted to enforce the Navigation Acts and also limited self government by removing local legislature. This was important because it threatened the colonists independence and economic success, two things important to any growing colony/nation.
ReplyDeleteI concur with Rebecca in regards to her statements involving Governor Andros and the intervention by the "Mother Country." Considering the ties to mercantilism and salutary neglect that were present in colonial times, intervention by Andros and the Dominion marks a change that no doubt constituted to the build up of tensions leading up to the American Revolution.
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