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In 1775, the first shot of the American Revolution was fired. A year later, the Second Continental Congress came together. It was these men that signed the Declaration of Independence, and freed our country.

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Despite common misconceptions, this was not a war between the French and Natives. It was the French and the Natives vs. the British. This war, started by George Washington despite directions, created lots and lots of debt for the British, which began the taxing that led into the Revolution. Also known as the Seven Years War, it began in 1754 and ended with the Treaty of Paris in 1763.

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In 1763, King George III passed a proclamation, which was designed to protect Native land from the colonists. The colonists could not pass an imaginary line through the Appalachian mountains. This infuriated the colonists, who had just won the land. They also feared that this meant Britain was teaming with the Natives against them.

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The Stamp Act was passed in March of 1765, and came into affect in November of 1965. This act was made by Great Britain to help repay debt from the French and Indian War. It taxed all paper products, requiring a stamp on each piece bought. It was a direct tax, and infuriated the colonists who believed that their rights were being infringed upon.

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Essentially a Stamp Act in disguise, the Townshend Act was passed in 1767 by the British; one year after the Stamp Act was repealed. This act was a tax on glass, paints, lead, paper, and tea. It was repealed three years later, in 1770.

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On March 5th, 1770, British soldiers came to help a fellow soldier that was in the midst of a large crowd violently protesting. The soldiers fired, and killed 5 people. This event was used and overdramaticized to keep the anger towards the British flowing; and it worked. The British were forced to remove their troops from Boston, and repeal any remaining acts.

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The Tea Act was put into place in 1773 by the British. This was not a tax, but a monopoly. The British East India Company was the only company allowed to sell to the colonists.

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Colonists were angered once again over another act, the Tea Act, so as payback they boarded the British East India Company ships costumed as Native Americans, and began dumping all the tea overboard.

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Frankly, Britain was furious after the Boston Tea Party, and were done playing games. To punish the colonists, they put the intolerable (or coercive) acts into place. British soldiers were now allowed to storm into any home and take residency. The Boston harbor was also closed, so, the colonists were essentially cut off.

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In response to the Intolerable Acts, the colonists remained fighting. The colonists decided that they should also cut off the British; all British goods were boycotted, and nothing was to be exported to them.