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Mercantilism was an economic system designed to help Great Britain earn the money they had spent on war back by taxing Colonists. This took place between the 16th and 18th centuries and resulted in the commonly known "slogan," "No taxation without representation!" Great Britain enforced trade restrictions on the colonies, not allowing any trade with other countries. Great Britain benefited from this heavily as they relied on the colony's resources to create most of their goods. However, this enraged the colonists, who weren't benefiting at all.

Kramer, Leslie. “How Mercantilism Affected Great Britain Colonies.” Investopedia, 17 May 2021, www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/041615/how-did-mercantilism-affect-colonies-great-britain.asp.

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The French and Indian War (also known as the Seven Years War) lasted from 1754-1763. This war was fought between France and Great Britain for the land around the Ohio River Valley. In the early 1750s, when France was moving into the valley, it caused a lot of conflict with Great Britain, which was also trying to claim this land. France had built a fort where the Ohio River started to form, and Great Britain used this to their advantage. They took this as an opportunity to attack. However, they often faced defeat; the British military was starting to become discouraged by France's success in winning the Indian's support and rivalries within American colonies. With a new British leader, William Pitt, in 1757, Great Britain started to borrow from the colonies for war efforts. After this, the British started to see some victories, the first being in Canada. In November 1758, British forces took over Fort Duquesne, giving the British the upper hand. After a few more British victories, Spain joined forces with France against England. However, this didn't help France's case, as the war ended in 1763 with the signing of the Treaty of Paris. This treaty took all American land from France, leaving them with no territories. This war doubled Great Britain's debts, encouraging them to start taxing the colonies.

“French and Indian War.” History, A&E Television Networks, 29 Aug. 2018, www.history.com/topics/native-american-history/french-and-indian-war.

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After the French and Indian War, the British needed a way to earn back all the money they had spent on it; this resulted in them looking to the colonists to pay for their efforts, as they felt they should be obligated to pay. Taxes such as the Sugar Act, the Stamp Act, the Townshend Acts, etc., with the Stamp Act being enforced on March 22nd, 1765. This caused outrage among the colonists; They boycotted British goods and harassed stamp agents when they tried to force them to use stamps.

Harris, Sean. “The Stamp Act and the American Colonies 1763-67.” UK Parliament, 2011, www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/evolutionofparliament/legislativescrutiny/parliament-and-empire/parliament-and-the-american-colonies-before-1765/the-stamp-act-and-the-american-colonies-1763-67/.

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Formation of the Committees of Correspondents

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Formation of the Committees of Correspondents

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In November of 1772, Samuel Adams and other patriots formed the Committees of Correspondents after hearing news that government officials in the colonies were going to be paid by British monarchs. The colonists felt they wouldn't be held to fair trials if monarchs were paying the officials, as they thought they would have a bias/loyalty towards the monarchs. The Boston correspondents created a list of grievances against the British and had this list spread across the town, causing committees to form across throughout the state.

History.com Editors. “Committees of Correspondence.” HISTORY, 10 June 2019, www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/committees-of-correspondence.

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On March 5th, 1770, British Redcoats open-fired on colonists in the streets of Boston after having been given orders not to. This has resulted from growing tensions between the colonists and Redcoats after Redcoats had been instructed to patrol the streets of the town. 5 were killed and 6 were wounded, however this sparked anger throughout all the colonies. News of this massacre traveled fast between the colonies due to the use of night-riders who delivered news throughout the night on horseback. The shot that killed the first victim, Crispus Atticuks, was depicted in many artworks after, one of the most famous being titled, "The Bloody Massacre", by Paul Revere.

Boston National Historical Park. “Boston Massacre (U.S. National Park Service).” Www.nps.gov, National Park Service, 4 Apr. 2024, www.nps.gov/articles/000/boston-massacre.htm.

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On December 16th, 1773, angry colonists (Sons of Liberty) dumped 342 chests of British imported tea into the Boston Harbor as an act of defiance against the monarchy and the taxes being imposed on them. These colonists had been disgusted as Mohawk Indians in order to make their way onto the ship that the tea had been dumped off of. The main act that this had been a response to was the Tea Act, which had given the East India Company exclusive rights to import tea to the colonies, excluding all competition and instilling more taxes on the colonists. The actions of the Boston Tea Party caused the Intolerable Acts to be introduced soon after, creating even more restrictions and taxes the colonists had to follow. The Boston Harbor was also closed due to this incident.

The Editors Of Encyclopedia Britannica. “Boston Tea Party | Facts, Summary, & Significance.” Encyclopædia Britannica, 14 Jan. 2019, www.britannica.com/event/Boston-Tea-Party.

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On April 19th, 1775, Battle broke out between patriot soldiers and redcoats in Lexington. Little did the redcoats know that the patriots had been alerted on the night of April 18th by Paul Revere on his infamous midnight ride that "the British are coming!", giving the patriots time to prepare further and be ready for battle. The British soldiers had just been ordered to travel to Lexington and seize all colonial gunpowder, not aware of how powerful the patriot soldiers would be once they arrived. The first shot that was fired in this battle is still being debated today; however, after a British soldier fired a volley, they quickly continued into Concord. Arriving at 8:00 am, after hours of battle, Redcoat soldiers were defeated, with Minute Men firing "the shot heard around the world" that sent them retreating from Concord. It is estimated that there were only about 90 casualties for the patriots and about 300 for the British troops.

History.com Editors. “Battles of Lexington and Concord.” HISTORY.com, A&E Television Networks, 2 Dec. 2009, www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/battles-of-lexington-and-concord .

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American Battlefield Trust. “Battle of Lexington and Concord Facts & Summary.” American Battlefield Trust, 7 July 2017, www.battlefields.org/learn/revolutionary-war/battles/lexington-and-concord.

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In June of 1776, congress had been debating independence and how they should run their country with their newfound freedom. Colonists wanted to guarantee that they would never be ruled under a monarchy like the British had over them, making this very important. A 5 member committee was appointed to work on a formal document that would call for independence from Great Britain once and for all. This committee consisted of John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingstone. This document was mainly composed by Thomas Jefferson and consisted of reasons the colonists felt they should have independence from Britain. Major points from Enlightenment thinkers were added to the declaration, including the idea that we all have the right the life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness from John Locke. After being edited by Congress and composing a final draft, congress approved the document on July 4th, 1776. This day is now celebrated in the United States as Independence Day.

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On September 3rd, 1783, the Treaty of Paris was signed, declaring the end of the American Revolution. After defeat in the Battle of Yorktown, the British surrendered to the colonies; Great Britain had gotten into great debt because of this war, creating an urge to surrender. This surrender created a need for a peace agreement with all the countries involved in the war. Named after the city it was signed in, this treaty recognized the patriot's victory and granted them significant western territory.

Office of the Historian. “Milestones: 1750–1775 - Office of the Historian.” State.gov, 2018, history.state.gov/milestones/1750-1775/treaty-of-paris.

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