M2 | Timeline | Conflict with Britain - Road to Revolution

Events Colonial Reaction

French and Indian War begins. 1754 Treaty of Paris ends the war. France loses its North American territories and Britain becomes dominant colo- 1763 nial power. Colonists protest against the Sugar and Currency Act. A town Parliament passes first tax law to pay off the war’s debts. meeting is held in Boston at which the issue of taxation is Sugar Act taxes molasses and rum. raised since colonies have no representatives in the British Currency Act prohibits colonies from issuing their own 1764 Parliament. A united protest against the acts imposed by currency which threatens to destabilize the colonial eco- England is urged. Imported English goods are boycotted. “No nomy. taxation without representation” becomes essential slogan of the American Revolution. Stamp Act imposes tax on all printed materials such as legal documents, newspapers, pamphlets and even Organized protests: A network of secret organizations known playing cards. This is the first direct tax that colonists as the Sons of Liberty is established. Its members use viol- have to pay to England and not to their own local 1765 ence and intimidation to force stamp masters, who collect administrations. taxes, to resign. Boston merchants refuse to pay taxes and colonists increase non-importation efforts. A mob in New Quartering Act requires colonists to house British troops York city burns the royal governor in effigy. and supply them with food.

King George III signs bill repealing Stamp Act. Colonists stop their boycott of British goods. They resist Declaratory Act asserts the British right to make laws 1766 against the Quartering Act. Violence breaks out in New York binding on the colonies. City where most of the British troops are stationed. Townshend Acts taxes tea, glass, paper, lead and other Bostonians decide to boycott British goods again. colonial imports. 1767 There are riots against British property and a mob attacks British troops arrive in Boston to enforce custom laws. 1768 custom officers in Boston. Merchants agree to boycott most British goods until Townshend Acts are repealed. Five workers are shot by British Troops in the “Boston Massacre”. 1770 Colonists relax their boycott of imported goods. Quartering Act and Townshend Acts are repealed except the taxes on tea. Public anger: Mass meetings are held to decide what to do about the tea on board the ships docked in Boston harbor. Tea Act excludes colonial merchants from the profitable Colonists want the ships to be sent back to England without tea trade by providing the British East India Company 1773 paying any import taxes. Boston Tea Party – colonial activists with a tea monopoly. dress themselves as Mohawk Indians, then board the ships and dump all 342 containers of tea into the harbor. Coercive Acts (also called “Intolerable Acts”) enforce the closure of the Boston port until Massachusetts pays the First Continental Congress takes place in Philadelphia which taxes owed on the tea which was dumped into the is attended by 56 delegates representing every colony except harbor. Royal governors assume political power formerly 1774 Georgia. Opposition against the Coercive Acts is declared and exercised by colonists. colonists stop all trade with Britain until Coercive Acts are Quartering Act broadens former Act. British troops can repealed. now be quartered in any house. King George III declares that colonists stand in open rebellion to his authority. New England men begin arming themselves. Massachusetts New England Restraining Act requires New England militiamen attack British at Lexington Green. American sol- colonies to trade exclusively with England. 1775 diers are mobilized and George Washington is appointed British soldiers are ordered to destroy colonists’ weapons commander-in-chief of the new Continental Army. depot in Concord.

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