Events Leading to the American Revolution 1754 1774

Events Leading to the American Revolution 1754 -1774

French and Indian War 1754 -1763 Britain battled France and Native Indians and won. Many colonists fought with the British. Britain won the right to keep Canada and other territories.

Sugar Act (4/5/1764) Britain imposed a three-cent tax on foreign refined sugar and increased taxes on coffee, indigo, and certain kinds of wine without the colonists’ consent.

Stamp Act (3/22/1765) First direct British tax on American colonists. Every newspaper, pamphlet, and other public and legal document had to have a Stamp, or British seal, on it. Colonists protested with demonstrations. “Sons of Liberty” were formed out of this. This act was later repealed.

Patrick Henry’s “If this be treason…” Speech (5/29/1765) Well-known speech ending with, "Give me liberty, or give me death!" He was an outspoken critic of the Stamp Act and introduced seven resolutions against it to the Virginia House of Burgesses.

Stamp Act Congress (3/22/1765) In response to the Stamp Act, colonists formed a a diplomatic body which delivered its answer to the Crown. Seeing the hostile reaction in the colonies, the British government repealed the Stamp Act in March 1766 but at the same time passed the Declaratory Act. This also gave the colonists a model for the Continental Congress.

Townshend Acts (6/29/1767) Laws (passed down from Britain’s Treasurer) placed new taxes on glass, lead, paints, paper, and tea. After violent protests, Britain eventually repealed all the taxes except the on tea and sent more troops to the colonies.

Boston Massacre (3/5/1770) Shooting of five American colonists by British troops on March 5, 1770. One person, an African-American man named Crispus Attacks, was killed. This deepened American distrust of the British military presence in the colonies.

Boston Tea Party (3/5/1770) Frustrated at a new tax on tea, American colonists calling themselves the Sons of Liberty and disguised as Mohawk Native Americans boarded three British ships dumped 342 whole crates of British tea into Boston harbor. Similar incidents occurred in Maryland, New York, and New Jersey in the next few months, and tea was eventually boycotted throughout the colonies.

First Continental Congress (Sept/Oct 1774) The First Continental Congress was a group of 56 delegates from 12 colonies (all except Georgia) who met in Philadelphia in September of 1774. They came together to act together in response to the Intolerable Acts. They met in secret because they didn't want Great Britain to know that they were united.