The American Revolution.

taxation;

• The French and Indian War, which occurred from 1756 to 1763, was extremely expensive for Britain. To pay off debt that the country had incurred during the war, the British government decided to tax the American colonies. Several tax acts such as the Stamp Act and the Townshend Act were levied -- and subsequently repealed -- in an attempt to pay for the war, the soldiers stationed in the colonies and the goods sent to the colonies from England. The colonists were angry that they were being taxed by a government that was so distant from them and protested against "taxation without representation." Protests, including boycotting goods, escalated, culminating in the Boston Massacre in 1770.

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• The Townshend Act of 1767 levied taxes on lead, paper, glass and tea. This act was repealed in 1770 with the exception of the tea tax. In several cities, colonists protested the continued taxation by attempting to prevent East India Company ships from docking to deliver tea; in Boston, a group disguised themselves as Mohawk Indians and boarded three vessels in the middle of the night. The group threw 342 chests of tea, worth approximately $800,000 in modern currency, into the Boston Harbor. In response, the British Government passed the Intolerable Acts, laws meant to crush the rebellion and bring the colonists under control.

THE INTOLERABLE ACTS;

• The Intolerable Acts directly lead to the formation of the Continental Congress and a unified colonial resistance against Britain. The Quartering Act required colonists to provide barracks for British soldiers, and eventually to house them in private homes. Others bills closed the Boston port to colonists until they repaid the losses from the Boston Tea Party and annulled colonial charters, giving British governors control over town meetings. Colonists were also denied trials in colonial courts; any person accused of a crime was required to take a ship to Britain to stand trial there. In addition, the Quebec Act extended the Canadian border, separating Connecticut, Massachusetts and Virginia from the rest of the colonies.

The Battle of Concord;

• The first Continental Congress was formed with the intent of communicating grievances with England without severing ties to the country. After deliberating, however, the members of the Congress determined that they were entitled to rule and tax themselves, form their own united leadership and mobilize a militia. In response, King George III declared the colonies to be in open rebellion in 1775 and sent soldiers to capture the rebellion's leaders. During the resulting encounter between Boston and Concord, eight members of the colonial militia died. When the British advanced to Concord, the Americans were waiting and engaged them in a battle with heavy British casualties. This battle swayed public colonial opinion in favor of separation from England.

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• When was the American Revolution ? The American Revolutionary War lasted from April 1775 to September 1783. April 19, 1775 – The first battles of the American Revolution were fought at Lexington and Concord, marking the beginnings of armed conflict between Great Britain and America. July 4, 1776 – United States declared independence from Great Britain September 3, 1783 – Great Britain and the United States signed a peace treaty, the Treaty of Paris, ending the Revolutionary War

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• Who fought in the Revolutionary War ? The Revolutionary War was fought between Great Britain, which was ruled by King George III at the time, and the British colonists in America. The colonists themselves were split, with Loyalists on the side of Great Britain, and Patriots on the side of the colonial rebels. The majority of people living in the colonies were “fence-sitters,” who were undecided on the issue. International allies: Hessian (German) soldiers made up around one third of the British troops France joined on the side of the colonists after they declared independence in 1776 Spain entered in 1779, allying with France Dutch Republic entered in 1780 on the side of the colonies

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• What were the major battles of the Revolutionary War ? Battles of Lexington and Concord – the first battles of the Revolutionary War at dawn on April 19, 1775. British armies attacked the colonies and the Americans won, thanks to Paul Revere’s warning. Battle of Bunker Hill – British armies attacked the Americans on June 17, 1775, expecting an easy victory over the smaller American militias. The Americans fought back but had to withdraw their troops, so Britain won the battle, despite losing more soldiers than the Americans. Battle of Trenton – General George Washington led the Continental Army across the Delaware River to overtake the Hessian soldiers on December 26, 1776. This battle boosted the morale of the American troops, who had lost recent battles. Battle of Yorktown – the final major battle of the Revolutionary War from September 28 to October 19, 1781. General George Washington’s army defeated Lord Cornwallis’s British Army, which caused Great Britain to surrender and ended the Revolutionary War.

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• What caused the Revolutionary War ? Many factors led up to the separation of the colonies from the governing Great Britain, but the major reason was that Great Britain spent too much money on the French and Indian War and wanted the colonies to help pay back the debt. Great Britain began adding taxes on certain goods in the colonies. The colonists grew upset because they were being taxed while having no representation in Parliament. 1763 – The French and Indian War: England and France signed a treaty to end the war, but the war cost Britain a lot of money 1765– The Stamp Act: required taxed stamp on official documents to help offset the cost of the French and Indian war 1766 – Stamp Act repealed on March 18th 1768 – British troops arrive in Boston to enforce customs laws 1770 – Boston Massacre: 4 colonists shot by British troops 1773 – Tea Act: On May 10th, the Tea Act was intended to help the East India Company by adding a tax onto the price of tea 1773 – Boston Tea Party: On December 16th, in an act of protest, colonists in Boston upset over the Tea Act costumed as Native Americans and dumped imported tea from the ships into the Boston Harbor 1774 – Intolerable Acts: Britain proceeded to impose a series of acts on the colonies in response to the Boston Tea Party, which Colonists saw as a violation of their rights, ultimately leading them into the Revolutionary War 1775 – First battles of the Revolutionary War broke out on April 19th in Lexington and Concord 1776 – The Declaration of Independence is drafted and signed 1783 – America and Great Britain signed Treaty of Paris, ending the Revolutionary War

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• Why did the colonists oppose the Tea Act ? The act would have actually reduced the cost of tea, but colonists believed the act was an attempt to gain support for taxation of the colonies. Colonists were against taxation because their interests were not being represented in the British Parliament.

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• Who wrote the Declaration of Independence ? Thomas Jefferson wrote the first draft of the Declaration of Independence, which was then debated and revised by the members of the Continental Congress.

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