The colonies of the newly born United States' strength was put to the test when they encountered a war with their "mother country," England. The English upset the American Colonies by raising taxes and enforcing their Navigation Act upon this new land. The Navigation act ensured that England receives the profits from the colonies' hard work. They forced the colonists to pay higher taxes which caused them to rebel against the Monarchs. This rebellion is known as the Revolutionary War. Before this began, the colonist took actions into their own hands. Boston was a war zone against the British. On the night of March 5, 1770, a rowdy patriotic crowd harrassed British redcoats by throwing snowballs, oyster shells, and chunks of ice. The soldiers began to panic and frantically shot into the crowd. In the end five colonist lay dead or dying. This event was later known as the Boston Massacre. With this loss, both sides were ready to fight. When Patriots found a British tax collector, they would hold him captive and tar and feather him. They would pour tar on the captive, then douse him with feathers. Once this humiliation was done, they would pour tea down his throat to represent the Boston Tea Party. During this time before the war, the British imported tea and raised the taxes an unimaginable amount which caused the actions soon to follow. Many male colonists dressed up as Indians and ran aboard the ship carrying the tea. In the dark of the night they dropped the tea overboard which filled the British with anger. Because of this anger, King George III began the Intolerable Acts. First of all, no ship could leave or enter the Boston harbor, which caused starvation. Secondly, the King denied the right for the colonist to hold town meetings except for once a year. Thirdly, if any colonist commited a major crime, they would not be able to be tried in their homeland of Massachusets but in Britian. Fourthly, the Parliament passed the Quartering Act, so British comanders could force the colonists to house soldiers in their homes. All of these rebellious acts soon led to the Revolutionary War. The first fight with the British was at Lexington and Concord. No one knows for sure which side fired the first shot. Other battles were soon to follow such as the Battle of Bunker Hill, the Battle of Trenton, the Battle of Saratoga, the Battle of King's Mountain, and the Battle of Yorktown. Throughout this war, there was uncertainty with who would win. The American fought bravely with their few supplies and won because of their determination.