The Road to the Revolution

Road to Revolution

1770

Boston Massacre

1765

Quartering Act

1764

1660

Sugar Act

Navigation Acts

1765

1754-63

Stamp Act

French and Indian War

1763

1754

Pontiac's Rebellion

Albany Plan

1776

Declaration of Independence

1776

Common Sense

1773

1774

Tea Act

First Continental Congress

1775

Second Continental Congress

1774

Intolerable Acts

Pontiac's Rebellion

Pontiac's Rebellion was a Native American uprising that occured after the French and Indian war. Pontiac led this uprising because many Native American tribes were unhappy regarding British policies and colonists encroaching on their land. They rebelled by attacking British forts and settlements. This caused the British government to issue the Proclamation of 1763. This restricted colonial expansion past the Appalachian Mountains to reduce conflict with the Native Americans. The British responded to Pontiac's rebellion by sending troops to suppress it and issuing the Proclamation of 1763.

French and Indian War

The French and Indian War took place from 1754 to 1763 and was a conflict between Britain and France in North America. This war was part of the broader Seven Years' War and ended with a victory for the British.

The French and Indian War brought about a major change in the power dynamics of the colonies, with Great Britain gaining control over Canada and a large portion of the Mississippi River. This growing discontent among the colonists was one of the key consequences of the war.

The British viewed the French and Indian War as a crucial victory that expanded their empire. However, this conflict led to increased taxation, which further infuriated the colonists.

Albany Plan

The Albany Plan of 1754 was a plan to create a unified government. Its purpose was to provide a united defense against Native American threats and improve colonial relations with Native tribes.

The Albany Plan played a significant role in shaping the Articles of Confederation and the U.S. Constitution. Additionally, it emerged in response to the increasing threat posed by French and Native American alliances during the French and Indian War, which ultimately led the British to encourage cooperation among the colonies.

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The British government was skeptical of the Albany Plan. They feared that granting the colonies a unified government would make them too independent and difficult to control. They were concerned that now a powerful colonial assembly has the strenght and possibility to challened british authority.

Declaration of Independence

The Declaration of Independence (1776) was a document written by Thomas Jefferson. It officially declared the American colonists' separation from Britain rule.

The Declaration of Independence caused the colonies to officially break away from British rule and sparked the full-scale Revolutionary War.

The British government saw the Declaration as an illegal rebellion, rejecting its legitimacy and viewing the colonies’ actions as a treasonous challenge to the Crown’s authority.

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Quartering Act

The Quartering Act required colonists to provide housing and food to British troops. This caused the colonists to resent the British soldiers because they were forced to provide food and housing for them and had no say in it. The colonists viewed this act as an intrusion of their privacy, leading to dissatisfaction and a desire for independence.

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Intolerable Acts

The Intolerable Acts of 1774 were a set of harsh laws enacted by the British Parliament as a reaction to the Boston Tea Party. These measures included the closure of Boston Harbor and the requirement for colonists to provide housing for British soldiers.

The Intolerable Acts sparked significant anger and pushback throughout the American colonies, fueling the rising desire for rebellion and solidarity against British authority.

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Patriots viewed the Intolerable Acts as unjust. They viewed the laws as a direct assault on their liberties and freedom, ultimately fueling increased calls for colonial unity and resistance against British rule.

Navigation Acts

The Navigation acts were laws imposed by the British that restricted colonial trade and required certain goods to only be transported via Englishs ships. The Navigation acts caused colonial resentment because of the restrictions on trade. This also lead to increased smuggling within the colonies. Additionally, England's economy benefitted from the increased contorl of colonial trade. The colonists viewed these laws as restrictive, since they were only allowed to trade with England. This perspective contributed to the growing tensions between England and the colonies.

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Boston Massacre

The Boston Massacre was a tragic event that took place on March 5, 1770, on King Street in Boston. Tensions escalated when a group of colonists started to provoke the soldiers by throwing objects and shouting insults. In reaction to this, the soldiers opened fire on the crowd, resulting in the deaths of five colonists.

The Boston Massacre intensified the already growing tensions between American colonists and the British government. It also fueled anti-British feelings, which eventually played a significant role in sparking the American Revolution.

The Patriots viewed the Boston Massacre as a violent attack by British soldiers on innocent colonists.

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Sugar Act

The sugar act was a law enforced by the British which enforced taxes on goods such as sugar and molasses. Its goal was to increase Britian's revenue and reduce smuggling. This caused increased colonial resentment because Britain was unfairly imposing taxes without representation. Colonists viewed the sugar act as a threat to their economic interests. In response, they smuggled more goods in order to evade extra taxes.

Common Sense

Common Sense took place in 1176 and was a pamphlet written by Thomas Paine. He argued for American independence from Britain. Common Sense played a crucial role in swaying public opinion and supporting the fight for independence.

Common Sense convinced many colonists that separating from Britain was both necessary and achievable. This caused widespread support for the American independence movement.

Loyalists viewed Common Sense as extremely radical. They saw Paine’s arguments as a dangerous push toward rebellion and preferred to maintain ties with Britain.

Tea Act

The Tea act allowed the British East India company to sell excess tea directly to colonists withhout extra taxes, ruining the business of colonial merchants in the process.The colonist's resentment towards the manipulative tea act caused the Boston Tea Party where colonists dumped tea into the Boston Harbor.

First Continental Congress

The First Continental Congress occured in 1774 in Philadelphia. This was a meeting of delegates from twelve of the Thirteen Colonies to talk about colonial grievances; It aimed to unify colonial resistance.

The First Continental Congress resulted from the Intolerable Acts and other oppressive measures created by Britain.

The British government viewed the First Continental Congress as a challenge to its authority. They felt that the colonies used this meeting to attempt to undermine British control,

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Stamp Act

The stamp act was a British law that required colonists to pay taxes on any piece of paper such as legal documents, playing cards, and newspapers. This eventually caused colonial protests due to unfair taxation without representation in Parliament. The colonists strongly opposed the stamp act leading to the formation of resistance groups such as the Sons of Liberty.

Second Continental Congress

The Second Continental Congress was a meeting of colonial representatives who represented the governing body at the moment. They were responsible for overseeing war efforts and issuing the Declaration of Indpendence. The Second Continental Congress was a result of increased tensions between colonists and the British. It was created to manage war efforts and eventually declare indpendence from Britain. The British viewed this assembly as illegal and a direct challenge to their power. Additionally, they viewed the Declaration of Independence as an act of rebellion.