Road 2 Revolution: A Timeline by Jacob

1756-1763: Seven Years War (JA)

20294040 — 2024-03-01 16:33:50 UTC

The worldwide struggle between England and the French for land. This war offshoots into the French and Indian War, which Britain won. Unfortunately, this war led to immense debts, which would be paid off through future acts, enraging the colonists.

1767: Writs of Assistance (JA)

20294040 — 2024-03-01 16:33:51 UTC

The Writs of Assistance were legal documents that gave customs officers high power. They could enter any location, including houses, without any warrants to search for smuggled goods, and the colonists couldn't do anything about it. The colonists believed their rights, including their right to be safe at home, were violated.

1773: Tea Act JL

20294015_1 — 2024-03-04 16:10:11 UTC

To save the East British India Company from ruin, the British Parliament gave an extremely favorable advantage over colonial tea merchants to the company, allowing them to bypass colonial tea taxes and merchants; this allowed the East British India Company to sell tea at a low price directly to customers, but created an even further heightened sense of colonial discontentment. JL

1763: Proclamation of 1763 (JA)

20294040 — 2024-03-04 16:13:17 UTC

The Proclamation of 1763 banned all settlements west of the Appalachian Mountains to limit expansion. This part was created to keep the natives, who were outraged by the constant expansion, happy. The Proclamation of 1763 also spread out at least 10,000 soldiers around. The colonists were enraged as not only was there not much good land for a successful life, but the colonists felt that England didn't trust them.

1763: Treaty of Paris (1763) (JA)

20294040 — 2024-03-04 16:18:23 UTC

The Treaty of Paris ended the French and Indian War between Great Britain and France. There was lots of debt, leading to many acts such as the Tea Act, the Stamp Act, etc. These acts would all leave the colonists angry.

1773: Boston Tea Party JL

20294015_1 — 2024-03-04 16:20:16 UTC

In protest of the Tea Act, members of the Sons of Liberty disguised themselves as Native Americans and boarded a British tea ship. To show their discontentment with the new law, they threw tea off of the ship and caused chaos. This event later became known as the Boston Tea Party, and led to the Intolerable Acts. JL

1770: The Boston Massacre (MR)

20294023 — 2024-03-04 16:21:39 UTC

On March 5th, 1770, the first 'fight' of the American Revolution took place. An angry hoard of colonists were complaining and protesting about the heavy tax imposed by the British on King Street. A group of customs were in front of them as the colonists were taunting the redcoats. A fight broke out, the redcoats killing 5 colonists. This was a big milestone on the road to the revolution, marking the official start of the rivalry between the colonists and England.

1774: Intolerable/Coercive Acts JL

20294015_1 — 2024-03-04 16:31:41 UTC

These acts were put in place to punish the colonists for the Boston Tea Party and were put into effect until the colonists in Boston paid for all of the tea they had dumped into the harbor. The most devastating act included in this collection was the closing of Boston Harbor. This law was intended to separate Boston from the rest of the colonies, but increased colonial reliance, as colonies sent supplies to Boston without using the Boston harbor – strengthening colonial unity and bonds. JL

1768: The Liberty Affair (MR)

20294023 — 2024-03-04 16:33:29 UTC

On May 9, 1768, British customs were caught illegally smuggling wine onto a ship. The officers had thought the ship was participating in the smuggling, but they were mistaken, as it turned out to be John Hancock's ship, a big player in the Sons of Liberty. This was huge for colonists like John Hancock, who were against the British.

1765: Stamp Act (JA)

20294040 — 2024-03-04 16:35:43 UTC

The Stamp Act taxed almost all printed goods, including but not limited to playing cards, documents, newspapers, etc. England was in great debt, and a tax seemed perfectly reasonable. The colonies would act against the tax by working together, they: boycotted taxed goods, created petitions, and protested. The Stamp Act was repealed in 1766 because England lost too much money from boycotts.

1774: Continental Congress JL

20294015_1 — 2024-03-04 16:35:47 UTC

Every colony except for Georgia sent delegates to Carpenter's Hall in Philadelphia to embody colonial interests and unite as one to combat British sovereignty. At this meeting, the Suffolk Resolves – Which established a militia, boycotted British goods, stopped paying taxes, and officially stopped following the intolerable acts – were established. This united the colonies in their shared sense of British injustice. JL

1775: The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere JL

20294015_1 — 2024-03-04 16:42:46 UTC

Paul Revere rode into Lexington and Concord, warning the people of the British arrival. He and William Dawes rode on horseback and were later joined by Simon Prescott. However, Revere never finished his ride, because he was caught by a British patrol. This ride would prepare the colonists for the Battle of Lexington and Concord. JL

1766: The Declaratory Acts are passed (MR)

20294023 — 2024-03-04 16:44:23 UTC

The declaratory acts were passed on March 18, 1766. They repealed the Stamp Act which was a win for the colonists but gave authority to the British to make every single decision when it came to the colonies. These acts were passed because the Stamp Act completely outraged the colonists, and they pushed hard to have this act repealed. This displays the British submitting to the colonists. The British didn't like this, so along with repealing the act, the British put down their foot, and took total control.

1775: Battle of Lexington and Concord JL

20294015_1 — 2024-03-05 00:35:10 UTC

The British, with orders to destroy a supply of colonial weapons, marched to Lexington and Concord to destroy it. Luckily, messengers such as Paul Revere and William Dawes were able to spread the message that the British were on their way before they arrived. However, the messengers were misinformed, and spread the news of a British attack, when they were in reality simply coming to destroy a supply of ammunition. After being warned, colonists prepared, and so the British were surprised when they arrived in the towns of Lexington and Concord. Attacking from behind British Lines and objects, the colonists drove the British into retreat and defeated them in the first official battle of the American Revolution, which caused British to send more troops to the colonies. JL

1767: Townshend Acts (MR)

2024-03-05 00:48:48 UTC

The Townshend Acts were established on June 19, 1767, which imposed taxes on simple everyday items like paper, paint, lead, and tea. This angered the colonists very much. Women in the colonies started creating homemade versions of these items as a boycott.

1765: The Sons of Liberty (MR)

2024-03-05 01:08:02 UTC

The Sons of Liberty was an organization of colonists that was very relevant in the beginnings of the American Revolution. Their group was officially formed in August 1765 in Boston MA. This group would create protests and boycotts on items that had been taxed by the British. They played a large role in this era of America. They had important figures within their group like John Hancock, Samuel Adams, Patrick Henry, and many more.