s the New England colonies became populated, the people became restless.
King George III enacted a proclamation called mercantalism which regulated colonial commerce. Along with this came many laws that angered the colonists and caused
them to split in to two groups, the Patriots and the Loyalists. The Patriots were against British rule while the Loyalists believed in sticking with it.
1765 - The Stamp Act
he Stamp Act was a law passed by the British Parliament which required Americans
to pay a tax when purchasing publications and other goods such as playing cards. The colonists believed this outrageous act must be stopped,
so they took immediate action.
October of 1765 - The Stamp Act Congress
he Stamp Act Congress declared the stamp tax unconstitutional because the colonies were not represented in British Parliament.
They argued, "Taxation without representation!"
1766 - The Stamp Act Repealed
s a result of the continual complaints by the colonists, the Stamp Act was repealed in 1766.
1767 - The Townshend Acts
he Townshend Acts, created by Charles Townshend and passed in 1767, was Parliament's answer to the repealed Stamp Act.
The harsh law placed a tax on various imported goods. The colonists reacted violently with the Boston Massacre and the Boston Tea Party.
1770 - The Boston Massacre
ed up with the taxes and laws from Parliament, the colonists rioted when British soldiers were spotted. The soldiers hoisted their guns and fired, killing fiver colonial citizens.
Although only five Americans were "massacred", the word got around that "10" were killed. Then, somehow, "100" colonists were killed. The number kept rising higher until it was thought to have actually been a massacre.
1773 - The Boston Tea Party
n the night of December 16, 1773, Samuel Adams and John Hancock sent out
the Sons of Liberty, a secret organization formed by business men, politicians, and lawyers, disguised as Native Americans to dump the tea shipment from Britain into the Boston harbor. The men boarded three
tea ships and proceded to throw the tea overboard. This was in protest to the tea tax issued by King George III. Later, King George passed the Intolerable Acts.
1774 - The Intolerable Acts
he Intolerable Acts included five literally intolerable laws. One section of the act closed Boston harbor to further tea shipments until Bostians paid for all the tea they had destroyed in 1773.
Another law restricted the activities of the Massachusettes legislature and gave added powers to the post of the governor of Massachusettes. Now, colonists thought of King George as more of a dictator. The colonists organized resistance to the acts, and the First Continental Congress
was created.
1774 - The First Continental Congress
he First Continental Congress met in Philadelphia from September 5 to October 26, 1774, to protest the Intolerable Acts.
None of the delegates called for independence, but they agreed to hold another meeting in May of 1775 if Britian did not change their policies.
Of course, the laws did not change, so the Americans prepared for battle.
July 4, 1776 - Declaration of Independence
he Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4, 1776. The document stated that the colonists demanded freedom from British rule to become their own nation.
created by the Patriots 1997 for the Thinkquest Contest