The American Revolution
Unit 2
1763-1783
1763-1783
Table of contents
1763 End of the French and Indian War and the Proclamation of 1763
1775 Declaration of Causes and Necessities
1775 Common Sense
1765 Stamp Act
Unit 2
1776 Declaration of Independence
1767 Townshend Act
1776-1777 Battles of Trenton and Princeton
1770 Boston Massacre
1777 Battle of Saratoga
1773 Tea Act
1777-1778 Valley Forge
1773 Boston Tea Party
1781 Articles of Confederation
1774 First Continental Congress
1781 Battle of Yorktown
1775 Lexington and Concord
1783 Treaty of Paris
1775 Second Continental Congress
1786-1787 Shays' Rebellion
1775 Bunker Hill
1775 Olive Branch Petition
1787 Northwest Ordinance
Timeline Tutorial
Click on each part of the slide to discover more about interacting with the timeline.
1787
The year the event took place, a more specific date if available and the event title will be located here.
Wikimedia Commons contributors. "Norstead - Living History Attraction - 11 September 2023." Photograph. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Norstead_-_Living_History_Attraction_-_11_September_2023.jpg.
September 17
The Constitution is Accepted
1763
February 10
End of the French and Indian War and the Proclamation of 1763
1765
https://bri-wp-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/BRI_APUSH_03_03_Stamps2-e1607979640951.jpg
March 22
Stamp Act
1767
June 29
same
Townshend Act
1770
Revere, Paul, Engraver. The bloody massacre perpetrated in King Street Boston on March 5th by a party of the 29th Regt. Boston Massachusetts, 1770. Boston: Engrav'd Printed & Sold by Paul Revere. https://bri-wp-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-contentsame /uploads/BRI_APUSH_03_03_BosMass1.jpg
March 5
Boston Massacre
1773
Colley, Thomas, Active , Publisher. The State Nurses. England United States, 1781. [London: Pub. by T. Colley, High Holborn, Oct' 1] Print. https://www.loc.gov/resource/cph.3a45647/
May 10
Tea Act
1773
Nathanial Currier, Artist. The Destruction of Tea at Boston Harbor, 1846. Lithograph. https://bri-wp-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/BRI_APUSH_03_03_BostonTea.jpg
December 16
Boston Tea Party
1774
Sadd, Henry S., Engraver. Matteson, Tompkins Harrison, Artist. The First Prayer in Congress, Sept. 1774. https://nypl.getarchive.net/media/the-first-prayer-in-congress-sept-1774-9c7a5e
September-October
First Continental Congress
1775
April 19
Doolittle, Amos, Artist, and Marian S. Carson Collection. The battle of Lexington April 1775. Date Unknown. Photograph of Print. https://www.loc.gov/resource/ppmsca.39753/
Battles of Lexington and Concord
1775
Illman Brothers, and John Trumbull. The Declaration of Independence / painted by John Trumbull ; engraved & printed by Illman Brothers.1876. [Philadelphia, PA: Engraved & printed by Illman Brothers] Painter. https://www.loc.gov/item/2018645792/
May
Second Continental Congress
1775
John Trumbull, Artist. The Death of General Warren at the Battle of Bunker's Hill, June 17, 1775. 1786. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Death_of_General_Warren_at_the_Battle_of_Bunker%27s_Hill.jpg
June 17
Battle of Bunker Hill
1775
July 5
Second Continental Congress, The Olive Branch Petition, Philadelphia, PA, 1775. Image of Document. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/90/Olive_petition_petition_big.jpg
Olive Branch Petition
1775
July 6
Declaration of Causes and Necessities
John Dickinson, the Declaration by the Representatives or the Causes and Necessity of Taking up Arms. 1775 London: S.N.” University of Delaware, Special Collections. Print. https://exhibitions.lib.udel.edu/john-dickinson/exhibition-item/john-dickinson-the-declaration-by-the-representatives-of-the-united-colonies-of-north-america-now-met-in-general-congress-at-philadelphia-setting-forth-the-causes-and-necessity-of-taking-up-arms-t/
1775
January 10
Common Sense
Laurent Dabos, Artist. Thomas Paine, 1792. Painting. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Laurent_Dabos_%E2%80%93_Thomas_Paine_%E2%80%93_Google_Art_Project.jpg
1776
Trumbull, John. Declaration of Independence. 1819. Oil on canvas. United States Capitol, Washington, D.C. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Declaration_of_Independence_(1819),_by_John_Trumbull.jpg
July 4
Declaration of Independence
1776-1777
Emanuel Leutze, Artist. Washington Crossing the Delaware. 1851. Painting. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Washington_Crossing_the_Delaware_by_Emanuel_Leutze,_MMA-NYC,_1851.jpg
December 26-January 3
Battles of Trenton and Princeton
1777
John Trumbull, Surrender of General Burgoyne. 1821. Painting. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Surrender_of_General_Burgoyne.jpg
October
Battle of Saratoga
1777-1778
Mcrae, John C., Engraver, and John C McRae. The prayer at Valley Forge / painted by H. Brueckner ; engd. by John C. McRae. United States Pennsylvania Valley Forge, ca. 1866. [New York: Published by John C. McRae, 100 Liberty St., 1866] Print. https://www.loc.gov/item/2009633684/
Winter at Valley Forge
1781
Bureau of Engraving and Printing, Commemorative stamp, Articles of Confederation, 200th anniversary, 1977 issue. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Articles_of_Confederation_13c_1977_issue.JPG
March
Articles of Confederation
1781
N. Currier. Surrender of Cornwallis: at York-Town Va. Oct. Yorktown United States Virginia, ca. 1846. New York: Published by N. Currier. Print. https://www.loc.gov/item/2002695770/
September 28
Battle of Yorktown
1783
West, Benjamin. The Treaty of Paris (1783). 1783. Oil on canvas. Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library, Delaware. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Treaty_of_Paris_by_Benjamin_West_1783.jpg
September 3
Treaty of Paris
1786-1787
Shays' Rebellion
Cover of Bickerstaff's Boston Almanack. Shays's Rebellion: The Portraits of Daniel Shays and Job Shattuck, Leaders of the Massachusetts "Regulators." Boston: Bickerstaff's Boston Almanack, 1787. National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution.
1787
Bureau of Engraving and Printing. U.S. Postage Stamp: Ordinance of 1787, Issue of 1937, 3c. U.S. Post Office, July 13, 1937. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ordinance2_of_1787.jpg
July 13
Northwest Ordinance
Photo Caption
The Continental Congress drafted this resolution, entitled the Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms, which came before the Declaration of Independence, which was issued just over a year later.
Primary Source
Tea that was gathered on the shore the morning after the Boston Tea Party.
Description Paragraph
During the hot summer of 1787, while the delegates of the Philadelphia Convention sweated and debated the framework of a new government, the Confederation Congress passed the Northwest Ordinance. This legislation created the Northwest Territory, which established a government for the territory, and outlined the process of how it would be divided into new states and how those states would be admitted into the Union. The Northwest Territory covered the area of the modern-day states of Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, and part of Minnesota. The Northwest Ordinance outlawed slavery, protected religious and political freedom, and set aside land for education in the Northwest Territory. It is generally seen as one of the most important acts of the Confederation Congress.
Description Paragraph
If the Patriots were to be successful in their continued fight against the British, they would need resources they did not have. In late 1775, the Continental Congress began secret negotiations with the French for diplomatic recognition, loans, and war supplies. Motivated by European politics and a desire to avenge France’s loss to Britain in the French and Indian War, King Louis XVI of France agreed to loan money and essential supplies to the Americans. The British plan of the war was to cut off New England from the rest of the colonies and be better positioned to seize Philadelphia. To accomplish this, the British clashed with the Continental Army in eastern New York in the Battle of Saratoga, which resulted in an American victory. Saratoga provided the French with the confidence to sign treaties of alliance and trade with the Americans and join the war against the British. The new allies agreed to continue the war until the colonies were independent, and neither side would make a separate peace with Britain. The colonies also gained an alliance with Spain after 1779, as allies of France, they became aligned with the efforts.
Description Paragraph
British Prime Minister George Grenville wanted the colonists to help pay the cost of stationing British troops on the North American frontier after the French and Indian War. To raise money, the Stamp Act of 1765 imposed taxes on almanacs, legal documents, newspapers, playing cards – in fact, every kind of printed paper document in the colonies. Colonists learned of the impending Stamp Act in late 1764 and immediately petitioned the king and Parliament in protest. They raised the cry of “no taxation without representation,” arguing that because they did not have a member of Parliament, England could not justly raise their taxes. In April 1765, the colonists learned that the king had ignored their petitions and approved the Stamp Act.
Photo Caption
A map showing territories in North America before and after the French and Indian War, including a line illustrating the Proclamation of 1763.
Primary Source
Using clear, plain language, Paine rallied the colonists to support the break from Britain, supporting the patriot cause.
Description Paragraph
After nine years of fighting between the French and British on North American soil, the French and Indian War ended with the Treaty of Paris. Britain was victorious and ordered France to give up almost all of its North American territory. King George III issued the Proclamation of 1763, which he said was a way to prevent issues between Natives and colonists. The proclamation outlawed settlement on Native American land west of the Appalachian Mountains. The proclamation was issued from London, England (no American Indians were consulted in its creation) and colonists were angered by this order given from such a far distance. Colonists continued their westward expansion into these lands despite the proclamation.
Description Paragraph
The British turned their attention to the South, hoping to gain support from the Loyalists there. They won several battles, and British General Cornwallis moved to Yorktown, Virginia expecting naval support. Instead, he was trapped and besieged. He surrendered, and while the war continued for two more years, there were no more significant battles. By capturing Cornwallis’s army, the Continental Army had neutralized the most significant British force in America, making it possible for American diplomats to negotiate a favorable peace.
Photo Caption
A depiction of the skirmish that became known as the Boston Massacre. This image was created and sold by Paul Revere, who would be an important messenger in the battles of Lexington and Concord.
Description Paragraph
After the British seized Philadelphia in September 1777, the Continental Army retreated to a winter camp at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. Few supplies reached them, and Washington grew frustrated that the states were not meeting congressional requests for provisions. Sickness weakened the undernourished soldiers. Many walked through the snow barefoot, leaving bloody footprints behind. Washington provided significant leadership, keeping the army together through strength of character and as an example in the face of hardship. Warmer weather energized the army. So did Baron Friedrich von Steuben, newly arrived from Prussia, whom Washington had placed in charge of drilling the soldiers and preparing them for more combat. In June 1778, a more professional, better disciplined Continental Army battled the British to a draw, or tie, at the Battle of Monmouth.
Primary Source
The First Continental Congress drafted this document stating colonists' grievances and declaring their rights.
Primary Source
Another artist's interpretation of the Boston Massacre.
Primary Source
A non-importation, or boycott, agreement responding to the Townshend Acts, October 28, 1767. Signed by 650 Bostonian colonists, including Paul Revere.
Primary Source
The Northwest Ordinance.
Photo Caption
An oil painting of Thomas Paine, the author of Common Sense.
Photo Caption
An 1851 representation of Washington leading troops across the frozen Delaware River to surprise Hessians at Trenton.
Primary Source
New Hampshire Gazette announcement of the Stamp Act, October 31, 1765
Primary Source
Plan of the operations of General Washington against the King's troops in New Jersey, from the 26th of December 1776 to the 3d of January 1777. Trenton, “Princetown”, and battle plans for attacks can be seen on this detailed map.
Primary Source
The text of the Olive Branch Petition excerpted and transcribed.
Primary Source
A program from the 100th anniversary celebration of the surrender at Yorktown.
Description Paragraph
The Second Continental Congress debated the question of independence in 1776. Facing a difficult decision, Congress appointed a committee to prepare a Declaration of Independence. The committee consisted of John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, Robert R. Livingston, and Thomas Jefferson. The Declaration of Independence laid down principles for the new nation. The document made a universal assertion that all humans were created equal. Drawing from the ideas of John Locke and the Enlightenment - a movement that emphasized reason, science, individual rights, and government by consent - people were equal in their natural rights, which included life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The document also stated that legitimate governments got their power from the consent of the governed and existed to protect those natural rights. According to this “social compact,” the people had the right to overthrow a tyrannical government that violated their rights and to establish a new government. The Declaration of Independence, which also listed specific ways the crown had violated Americans’ rights, set forth the principles of republican government dedicated to the protection of individual rights.
Description Paragraph
In the ports of New York, Philadelphia, and Charleston, colonists resisted British tea imports, protesting taxation without representation and forcing tax collectors to resign. In Boston, Samuel Adams led efforts against British tea, culminating in the arrival of a ship called the Dartmouth, the ship carried 114 crates of tea. Despite pressure from locals and Patriots to send the tea back, Royal Governor Thomas Hutchinson refused. Thousands of colonists gathered at the Old South Meeting House on December 16. When no solution could be reached, a group disguised as Mohawk Indians dumped ninety thousand pounds of tea from the ship into the harbor. This became known as the Boston Tea Party. The identities of those who participated remained a secret, leading to the British government carrying out a collective punishment against the city of Boston by closing the entire harbor off from all trade.
Photo Caption
(a) Under the Stamp Act, anyone who used or purchased anything printed on paper had to buy a revenue stamp for it. (b) The Stamp Act protests took many forms, including this mock stamp which reads, “An Emblem of the Effects of the STAMP. O! the fatal STAMP.”
Description Paragraph
In Paris, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and John Jay won British recognition of American independence. Not only was independence recognized, but the new nation also expanded by having a new western border at the Mississippi River. This unleashed a wave of immigration to settle the land west of the Appalachians. The treaty also granted Americans fishing rights off Newfoundland and required both sides to honor debts and for the Americans to return confiscated property to Loyalists. However, Britain kept control of Canada, and tensions over treaty enforcement later contributed to the War of 1812.
Description Paragraph
The Battle of Bunker Hill started when the colonial troops took control of Breed’s Hill and fought off three British attacks. Running low on ammunition, the colonists were ordered, “Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes.” The British eventually captured their position but suffered unexpectedly high casualties. The battle motivated the colonists. Although they were still divided, many came to believe that King George was not just misled by bad advisors or policies – he was actively going to war with them. Support for independence grew stronger, which now seemed like the only option.
Primary Source
A letter to Henry Knox in which George Washington discusses Shays’ Rebellion. In it he says “if three years ago any person had told me that at this day, I should see such a formidable rebellion against the laws & constitutions of our own making as now appears I should have thought him a bedlamite - a fit subject for a mad house.”
Photo Caption
A commemorative stamp featuring the drafting of the Articles of Confederation.
Description Paragraph
This document justified taking up arms in resistance against the British. It listed grievances against British taxes, military occupation, and violation of colonial rights. It argued that the colonists had no choice but to fight after Britain used force against them. Unlike later documents, it stated the colonies were still loyal to the king but were defending their rights and liberties. Britain saw it as another act of rebellion, which made the conflict worse, even though the colonies had not yet declared independence.
Photo Caption
The black dog labeled “America” urinates on the Tea Act while other dogs with the names of other competing European countries bark at the lion, which represents Great Britain rocked in the cradle.
Primary Source
A depiction of the Second Continental Congress voting on the United States Declaration of Independence.
Description Paragraph
Fifty-five representatives met in Philadelphia following the Coercive Acts, which the colonists called the Intolerable Acts. These acts were in response to the Boston Tea Party and included punishments such as the closing of Boston Harbor and an increase in the number of British soldiers in the city. Twelve of the thirteen colonies sent representatives. The First Continental Congress hoped to find a peaceful resolution to the growing problems with Great Britain. Congress agreed to meet again if the Intolerable Acts were not lifted. They also wrote the Declaration and Resolves, outlining what was upsetting to them, including the taxes meant to raise revenue.
Description Paragraph
Faced with expiring enlistments of thousands of men on January 1, Washington and his officers decided on the bold decision of attacking Trenton, New Jersey. On Christmas evening, they crossed the Delaware River and marched through the night to arrive in Trenton at dawn on December 26. There, they surprised the Hessian mercenary outpost and captured the city. Washington then launched a quick attack on nearby Princeton. The success of this campaign gave the Americans enough hope to keep fighting, and many soldiers decided to continue their enlistment in the army.
Primary Source
A map of Saratoga. Maps of the battle can be found in the lower right corner.
Photo Caption
The dramatic moment when Dr. Joseph Warren, a patriot leader, is mortally wounded as British forces seize the hill. The painting captures the intensity of battle, with soldiers engaged in close combat.
Description Paragraph
After a few years of peace following the repeal of the Townshend Acts, tension between the British and their colonies escalated when Parliament passed the Tea Act in 1773. This act gave the British East India Company a monopoly on tea sales in the colonies, aiming to save the company from financial trouble. If the company failed, it could harm the entire imperial economy. Charles Townshend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, told Parliament that the goal of the act was not only to keep the power to tax the colonies on British goods but also to collect revenue from the existing tax on tea.
Photo Caption
The presentation of the Declaration of Independence to the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Photo Caption
To protest the Tea Act of 1773, colonists disguised as Mohawks raided ships and dumped ninety thousand pounds of tea into Boston Harbor. The Destruction of Tea at Boston Harbor (1846), a lithograph by Nathaniel Currier, includes cheering crowds to emphasize public support for this protest.
Photo Caption
In 1767 and 1768, John Dickinson, a lawyer and landowner in Pennsylvania, published a series of twelve letters in opposition to the Townshend Acts.
Description Paragraph
A group of hostile boys insulted a young British sentry who responded by smashing the butt of his musket into a boy’s head. The church bells tolled, bringing hundreds of citizens into the streets to pelt the sentry with snowballs, rocks, and ice. British captain Thomas Preston marched a small group of soldiers out to relieve the sentry, forming a line and ordering the crowd to disperse. In the skirmishes that followed, one soldier was knocked down by a club; he rose and discharged his musket. The rest of the soldiers fired a volley that struck eleven Bostonians, instantly killing three and mortally wounding two more. Preston and his men were jailed that night, and the rest of the troops relocated to a fort in Boston Harbor, narrowly averting a full-scale battle. Patriot leaders seized on the “massacre” for a public relations victory. While most of the soldiers were acquitted of all charges after a jury determined they acted in self-defense, the event angered many colonists.
Primary Source
A draft of the Treaty of Paris from Benjamin Franklin’s papers, the treaty was the final, crucial step toward securing American independence.
Description Paragraph
Britain’s military governor of Massachusetts, Major General Thomas Gage, planned to seize colonial munitions and weapons, held at Concord, Massachusetts. On April 18, 1775, when it became clear the British were preparing to move, riders were sent to alert the countryside, most famously Paul Revere. As a result, the next morning, the Lexington militia gathered on Lexington Green. The British forces advanced, and its commander ordered the colonists to disperse. A shot rang out—no one knows from where. The British opened fire, and after the skirmish, seven Lexington men were dead. The British continued to Concord, but by then, the supplies had been hidden. After witnessing British destruction in the town, the Concord militia counterattacked at the North Bridge. Militia units from all over eastern Massachusetts gathered, followed the British back to Boston, and surrounded the city.
Description Paragraph
The month following Lexington and Concord, representatives from all thirteen colonies gathered back in Philadelphia. Here they established the Continental Army and chose George Washington to lead it. The Second Continental Congress also drafted the Olive Branch petition, an appeal to Britain for peace. It also adopted the Articles of Confederation, which would serve as the governing document of the new nation until the Constitution was adopted. After King George had not responded to the Olive Branch petition and the Battle of Bunker Hill, George Washington was given his command and Congress eventually adopted the Declaration of Independence.
Description Paragraph
The Articles of Confederation was America’s first governing document. While it provided some unity for the colonies during the war, it proved to be far too weak, as it could not adequately provide the military with adequate supplies. After the war, it had failed to govern the nation effectively. The Articles of Confederation formed a nation, but all the states were equal regardless of size in the one-house congress. There was no executive or judicial branch, resulting in an ineffective government. The government lacked the power to tax or regulate trade and certain laws required nine of thirteen states to agree, and amendments required all thirteen states to agree.
Primary Source
King George III isued The Royal Proclamation of 1763 (commonly referred to as the Proclamation of 1763) after Great Britain’s victory in the French and Indian War. The proclamation outlawed settlement on Native American land west of the Appalachian Mountains. The proclamation was issued from London, England (no American Indians were consulted in its creation) and colonists were angered by this proclamation from afar.
Primary Source
A fictional story written from the perspective of a grandmother reflecting on the battle she watched as a youngster.
Photo Caption
The Declaration of Independence presented to the Second Continental Congress.
Photo Caption
This print was published in 1848 and shows the Reverend Jacob Duche leading a prayer over the First Continental Congress from the podium.
Description Paragraph
The Second Continental Congress sent the Olive Branch Petition to King George III, reaffirming the colonies’ loyalty to the crown while asking for an end to British military actions and oppressive laws like the Intolerable Acts. The Congress simultaneously released the Declaration of Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms, which explained why the colonists believed they were justified in taking up arms to defend themselves in battles like at Lexington and Concord. By releasing the two documents simultaneously, the Congress prudently stood up for themselves while still demonstrating that they desired peace if possible. There was a deep divide among colonists-some still hoped for reuniting, while others were preparing for independence. However, King George III rejected the petition and declared the colonies in open rebellion, which pushed more Americans toward the fight for independence.
Primary Source
The Articles of Confederation, ratified in 1781, outlined the first national government of the United States. It functioned until the Constitution was ratified in 1788.
Photo Caption
British General Burgoyne surrenders to General Gates after Saratoga.
Photo Caption
The Olive Branch Petition, with a prominent signature by John Hancock.
Photo Caption
This image depicts American diplomats negotiating the end of the American Revolutionary War—left incomplete as British representatives refused to be portrayed.
Primary Source
An engraving depicting the first conflict of the American Revolution.
Primary Source
The journals of a doctor who camped at Valley Forge. He details the cold winter, sick soldiers, attacks, and theft that plagued the forces.
Photo Caption
Print shows Major General O'Hara, surrounded by French and American soldiers handing his sword in surrender to General Lincoln.
Description Paragraph
The Townshend Acts were a series of Acts passed by British Parliament to continue to raise tax revenue from the colonists. The first of these was the Revenue Act, which taxed many goods imported by the colonies, including paint, glass, lead, paper, and tea. The British also headquartered customs officials in Boston to collect the new round of taxes and enforce trade regulations more stringently. Not only were colonists forced to only buy and sell directly with England, now the items they purchased were higher due to the new taxes. Many people protested the taxes, through boycotts. The colonists’ boycott significantly hurt British trade and much less revenue was brought in than expected. Parliament revoked the Townshend Acts in 1770, leaving only the tax on tea.
Description Paragraph
Common Sense was a bestselling pamphlet written by Thomas Paine, an English immigrant to the American colonies. He attacked monarchy as a form of government and argued it was wrong for a small island (Britain) to rule a continent (America). Paine called on the colonists “to begin the world over again” and was one of the clearest voices pushing for independence.
Photo Caption
George Washington kneeling in prayer with soldiers around a fire in the background.
Description Paragraph
Independence did not bring economic prosperity to all parts of the United States. New England was suffering an economic depression. Merchants and shopkeepers in eastern Massachusetts demanded the payment of debts from western farmers, many of whom had overextended themselves during the war years. At the same time, the Massachusetts legislature raised taxes, which were among the highest in the country, to pay the state’s wartime debt and meet the national Congress’s requests of taxes from the states. Farmers, burdened by high taxes, were unable to pay their debts, especially those that resulted in their land being seized. Many were taken to court, often losing their property and going to debtors’ prisons. Daniel Shays, a former Revolutionary War captain, led a group of mostly poor farmers in a rebellion. Seeking relief from crushing debt and protesting what they saw as unjust economic policies, the rebels attempted to seize weapons from the Springfield Armory. The Massachusetts militia eventually suppressed the revolt, but the rebellion exposed weaknesses in the Articles of Confederation, highlighting the need for a stronger federal government. This unrest helped spur the drafting of the U.S. Constitution in 1787.
Photo Caption
This woodcut, from Bickerstaff’s Boston Almanack of 1787, depicts Daniel Shays, one of the leaders of the rebels who rose up against the Massachusetts government from 1786 to 1787. As a Revolutionary War veteran, Shays wears the uniform of officers of the Continental Army.
Primary Source
The Tea Act of 1773: Parliament’s Attempt to Save the British East India Company—But Instead, It Helped Spark a Revolution.
Photo Caption
Postage stamp from 1937 celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Northwest Ordinance. It features a map, and portraits of Manasseh Cutler and Rufus Putnam.
Primary Source
The Declaration of Independence.
Photo Caption
A long line of British soldiers against a field of minutemen.
Unit 2 American Revolution Timeline
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Transcript
The American Revolution
Unit 2
1763-1783
1763-1783
Table of contents
1763 End of the French and Indian War and the Proclamation of 1763
1775 Declaration of Causes and Necessities
1775 Common Sense
1765 Stamp Act
Unit 2
1776 Declaration of Independence
1767 Townshend Act
1776-1777 Battles of Trenton and Princeton
1770 Boston Massacre
1777 Battle of Saratoga
1773 Tea Act
1777-1778 Valley Forge
1773 Boston Tea Party
1781 Articles of Confederation
1774 First Continental Congress
1781 Battle of Yorktown
1775 Lexington and Concord
1783 Treaty of Paris
1775 Second Continental Congress
1786-1787 Shays' Rebellion
1775 Bunker Hill
1775 Olive Branch Petition
1787 Northwest Ordinance
Timeline Tutorial
Click on each part of the slide to discover more about interacting with the timeline.
1787
The year the event took place, a more specific date if available and the event title will be located here.
Wikimedia Commons contributors. "Norstead - Living History Attraction - 11 September 2023." Photograph. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Norstead_-_Living_History_Attraction_-_11_September_2023.jpg.
September 17
The Constitution is Accepted
1763
February 10
End of the French and Indian War and the Proclamation of 1763
1765
https://bri-wp-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/BRI_APUSH_03_03_Stamps2-e1607979640951.jpg
March 22
Stamp Act
1767
June 29
same
Townshend Act
1770
Revere, Paul, Engraver. The bloody massacre perpetrated in King Street Boston on March 5th by a party of the 29th Regt. Boston Massachusetts, 1770. Boston: Engrav'd Printed & Sold by Paul Revere. https://bri-wp-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-contentsame /uploads/BRI_APUSH_03_03_BosMass1.jpg
March 5
Boston Massacre
1773
Colley, Thomas, Active , Publisher. The State Nurses. England United States, 1781. [London: Pub. by T. Colley, High Holborn, Oct' 1] Print. https://www.loc.gov/resource/cph.3a45647/
May 10
Tea Act
1773
Nathanial Currier, Artist. The Destruction of Tea at Boston Harbor, 1846. Lithograph. https://bri-wp-images.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/BRI_APUSH_03_03_BostonTea.jpg
December 16
Boston Tea Party
1774
Sadd, Henry S., Engraver. Matteson, Tompkins Harrison, Artist. The First Prayer in Congress, Sept. 1774. https://nypl.getarchive.net/media/the-first-prayer-in-congress-sept-1774-9c7a5e
September-October
First Continental Congress
1775
April 19
Doolittle, Amos, Artist, and Marian S. Carson Collection. The battle of Lexington April 1775. Date Unknown. Photograph of Print. https://www.loc.gov/resource/ppmsca.39753/
Battles of Lexington and Concord
1775
Illman Brothers, and John Trumbull. The Declaration of Independence / painted by John Trumbull ; engraved & printed by Illman Brothers.1876. [Philadelphia, PA: Engraved & printed by Illman Brothers] Painter. https://www.loc.gov/item/2018645792/
May
Second Continental Congress
1775
John Trumbull, Artist. The Death of General Warren at the Battle of Bunker's Hill, June 17, 1775. 1786. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Death_of_General_Warren_at_the_Battle_of_Bunker%27s_Hill.jpg
June 17
Battle of Bunker Hill
1775
July 5
Second Continental Congress, The Olive Branch Petition, Philadelphia, PA, 1775. Image of Document. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/90/Olive_petition_petition_big.jpg
Olive Branch Petition
1775
July 6
Declaration of Causes and Necessities
John Dickinson, the Declaration by the Representatives or the Causes and Necessity of Taking up Arms. 1775 London: S.N.” University of Delaware, Special Collections. Print. https://exhibitions.lib.udel.edu/john-dickinson/exhibition-item/john-dickinson-the-declaration-by-the-representatives-of-the-united-colonies-of-north-america-now-met-in-general-congress-at-philadelphia-setting-forth-the-causes-and-necessity-of-taking-up-arms-t/
1775
January 10
Common Sense
Laurent Dabos, Artist. Thomas Paine, 1792. Painting. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Laurent_Dabos_%E2%80%93_Thomas_Paine_%E2%80%93_Google_Art_Project.jpg
1776
Trumbull, John. Declaration of Independence. 1819. Oil on canvas. United States Capitol, Washington, D.C. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Declaration_of_Independence_(1819),_by_John_Trumbull.jpg
July 4
Declaration of Independence
1776-1777
Emanuel Leutze, Artist. Washington Crossing the Delaware. 1851. Painting. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Washington_Crossing_the_Delaware_by_Emanuel_Leutze,_MMA-NYC,_1851.jpg
December 26-January 3
Battles of Trenton and Princeton
1777
John Trumbull, Surrender of General Burgoyne. 1821. Painting. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Surrender_of_General_Burgoyne.jpg
October
Battle of Saratoga
1777-1778
Mcrae, John C., Engraver, and John C McRae. The prayer at Valley Forge / painted by H. Brueckner ; engd. by John C. McRae. United States Pennsylvania Valley Forge, ca. 1866. [New York: Published by John C. McRae, 100 Liberty St., 1866] Print. https://www.loc.gov/item/2009633684/
Winter at Valley Forge
1781
Bureau of Engraving and Printing, Commemorative stamp, Articles of Confederation, 200th anniversary, 1977 issue. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Articles_of_Confederation_13c_1977_issue.JPG
March
Articles of Confederation
1781
N. Currier. Surrender of Cornwallis: at York-Town Va. Oct. Yorktown United States Virginia, ca. 1846. New York: Published by N. Currier. Print. https://www.loc.gov/item/2002695770/
September 28
Battle of Yorktown
1783
West, Benjamin. The Treaty of Paris (1783). 1783. Oil on canvas. Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library, Delaware. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Treaty_of_Paris_by_Benjamin_West_1783.jpg
September 3
Treaty of Paris
1786-1787
Shays' Rebellion
Cover of Bickerstaff's Boston Almanack. Shays's Rebellion: The Portraits of Daniel Shays and Job Shattuck, Leaders of the Massachusetts "Regulators." Boston: Bickerstaff's Boston Almanack, 1787. National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution.
1787
Bureau of Engraving and Printing. U.S. Postage Stamp: Ordinance of 1787, Issue of 1937, 3c. U.S. Post Office, July 13, 1937. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ordinance2_of_1787.jpg
July 13
Northwest Ordinance
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The Continental Congress drafted this resolution, entitled the Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms, which came before the Declaration of Independence, which was issued just over a year later.
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Tea that was gathered on the shore the morning after the Boston Tea Party.
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During the hot summer of 1787, while the delegates of the Philadelphia Convention sweated and debated the framework of a new government, the Confederation Congress passed the Northwest Ordinance. This legislation created the Northwest Territory, which established a government for the territory, and outlined the process of how it would be divided into new states and how those states would be admitted into the Union. The Northwest Territory covered the area of the modern-day states of Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, and part of Minnesota. The Northwest Ordinance outlawed slavery, protected religious and political freedom, and set aside land for education in the Northwest Territory. It is generally seen as one of the most important acts of the Confederation Congress.
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If the Patriots were to be successful in their continued fight against the British, they would need resources they did not have. In late 1775, the Continental Congress began secret negotiations with the French for diplomatic recognition, loans, and war supplies. Motivated by European politics and a desire to avenge France’s loss to Britain in the French and Indian War, King Louis XVI of France agreed to loan money and essential supplies to the Americans. The British plan of the war was to cut off New England from the rest of the colonies and be better positioned to seize Philadelphia. To accomplish this, the British clashed with the Continental Army in eastern New York in the Battle of Saratoga, which resulted in an American victory. Saratoga provided the French with the confidence to sign treaties of alliance and trade with the Americans and join the war against the British. The new allies agreed to continue the war until the colonies were independent, and neither side would make a separate peace with Britain. The colonies also gained an alliance with Spain after 1779, as allies of France, they became aligned with the efforts.
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British Prime Minister George Grenville wanted the colonists to help pay the cost of stationing British troops on the North American frontier after the French and Indian War. To raise money, the Stamp Act of 1765 imposed taxes on almanacs, legal documents, newspapers, playing cards – in fact, every kind of printed paper document in the colonies. Colonists learned of the impending Stamp Act in late 1764 and immediately petitioned the king and Parliament in protest. They raised the cry of “no taxation without representation,” arguing that because they did not have a member of Parliament, England could not justly raise their taxes. In April 1765, the colonists learned that the king had ignored their petitions and approved the Stamp Act.
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A map showing territories in North America before and after the French and Indian War, including a line illustrating the Proclamation of 1763.
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Using clear, plain language, Paine rallied the colonists to support the break from Britain, supporting the patriot cause.
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After nine years of fighting between the French and British on North American soil, the French and Indian War ended with the Treaty of Paris. Britain was victorious and ordered France to give up almost all of its North American territory. King George III issued the Proclamation of 1763, which he said was a way to prevent issues between Natives and colonists. The proclamation outlawed settlement on Native American land west of the Appalachian Mountains. The proclamation was issued from London, England (no American Indians were consulted in its creation) and colonists were angered by this order given from such a far distance. Colonists continued their westward expansion into these lands despite the proclamation.
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The British turned their attention to the South, hoping to gain support from the Loyalists there. They won several battles, and British General Cornwallis moved to Yorktown, Virginia expecting naval support. Instead, he was trapped and besieged. He surrendered, and while the war continued for two more years, there were no more significant battles. By capturing Cornwallis’s army, the Continental Army had neutralized the most significant British force in America, making it possible for American diplomats to negotiate a favorable peace.
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A depiction of the skirmish that became known as the Boston Massacre. This image was created and sold by Paul Revere, who would be an important messenger in the battles of Lexington and Concord.
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After the British seized Philadelphia in September 1777, the Continental Army retreated to a winter camp at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. Few supplies reached them, and Washington grew frustrated that the states were not meeting congressional requests for provisions. Sickness weakened the undernourished soldiers. Many walked through the snow barefoot, leaving bloody footprints behind. Washington provided significant leadership, keeping the army together through strength of character and as an example in the face of hardship. Warmer weather energized the army. So did Baron Friedrich von Steuben, newly arrived from Prussia, whom Washington had placed in charge of drilling the soldiers and preparing them for more combat. In June 1778, a more professional, better disciplined Continental Army battled the British to a draw, or tie, at the Battle of Monmouth.
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The First Continental Congress drafted this document stating colonists' grievances and declaring their rights.
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Another artist's interpretation of the Boston Massacre.
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A non-importation, or boycott, agreement responding to the Townshend Acts, October 28, 1767. Signed by 650 Bostonian colonists, including Paul Revere.
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The Northwest Ordinance.
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An oil painting of Thomas Paine, the author of Common Sense.
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An 1851 representation of Washington leading troops across the frozen Delaware River to surprise Hessians at Trenton.
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New Hampshire Gazette announcement of the Stamp Act, October 31, 1765
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Plan of the operations of General Washington against the King's troops in New Jersey, from the 26th of December 1776 to the 3d of January 1777. Trenton, “Princetown”, and battle plans for attacks can be seen on this detailed map.
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The text of the Olive Branch Petition excerpted and transcribed.
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A program from the 100th anniversary celebration of the surrender at Yorktown.
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The Second Continental Congress debated the question of independence in 1776. Facing a difficult decision, Congress appointed a committee to prepare a Declaration of Independence. The committee consisted of John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, Robert R. Livingston, and Thomas Jefferson. The Declaration of Independence laid down principles for the new nation. The document made a universal assertion that all humans were created equal. Drawing from the ideas of John Locke and the Enlightenment - a movement that emphasized reason, science, individual rights, and government by consent - people were equal in their natural rights, which included life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The document also stated that legitimate governments got their power from the consent of the governed and existed to protect those natural rights. According to this “social compact,” the people had the right to overthrow a tyrannical government that violated their rights and to establish a new government. The Declaration of Independence, which also listed specific ways the crown had violated Americans’ rights, set forth the principles of republican government dedicated to the protection of individual rights.
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In the ports of New York, Philadelphia, and Charleston, colonists resisted British tea imports, protesting taxation without representation and forcing tax collectors to resign. In Boston, Samuel Adams led efforts against British tea, culminating in the arrival of a ship called the Dartmouth, the ship carried 114 crates of tea. Despite pressure from locals and Patriots to send the tea back, Royal Governor Thomas Hutchinson refused. Thousands of colonists gathered at the Old South Meeting House on December 16. When no solution could be reached, a group disguised as Mohawk Indians dumped ninety thousand pounds of tea from the ship into the harbor. This became known as the Boston Tea Party. The identities of those who participated remained a secret, leading to the British government carrying out a collective punishment against the city of Boston by closing the entire harbor off from all trade.
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(a) Under the Stamp Act, anyone who used or purchased anything printed on paper had to buy a revenue stamp for it. (b) The Stamp Act protests took many forms, including this mock stamp which reads, “An Emblem of the Effects of the STAMP. O! the fatal STAMP.”
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In Paris, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and John Jay won British recognition of American independence. Not only was independence recognized, but the new nation also expanded by having a new western border at the Mississippi River. This unleashed a wave of immigration to settle the land west of the Appalachians. The treaty also granted Americans fishing rights off Newfoundland and required both sides to honor debts and for the Americans to return confiscated property to Loyalists. However, Britain kept control of Canada, and tensions over treaty enforcement later contributed to the War of 1812.
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The Battle of Bunker Hill started when the colonial troops took control of Breed’s Hill and fought off three British attacks. Running low on ammunition, the colonists were ordered, “Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes.” The British eventually captured their position but suffered unexpectedly high casualties. The battle motivated the colonists. Although they were still divided, many came to believe that King George was not just misled by bad advisors or policies – he was actively going to war with them. Support for independence grew stronger, which now seemed like the only option.
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A letter to Henry Knox in which George Washington discusses Shays’ Rebellion. In it he says “if three years ago any person had told me that at this day, I should see such a formidable rebellion against the laws & constitutions of our own making as now appears I should have thought him a bedlamite - a fit subject for a mad house.”
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A commemorative stamp featuring the drafting of the Articles of Confederation.
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This document justified taking up arms in resistance against the British. It listed grievances against British taxes, military occupation, and violation of colonial rights. It argued that the colonists had no choice but to fight after Britain used force against them. Unlike later documents, it stated the colonies were still loyal to the king but were defending their rights and liberties. Britain saw it as another act of rebellion, which made the conflict worse, even though the colonies had not yet declared independence.
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The black dog labeled “America” urinates on the Tea Act while other dogs with the names of other competing European countries bark at the lion, which represents Great Britain rocked in the cradle.
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A depiction of the Second Continental Congress voting on the United States Declaration of Independence.
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Fifty-five representatives met in Philadelphia following the Coercive Acts, which the colonists called the Intolerable Acts. These acts were in response to the Boston Tea Party and included punishments such as the closing of Boston Harbor and an increase in the number of British soldiers in the city. Twelve of the thirteen colonies sent representatives. The First Continental Congress hoped to find a peaceful resolution to the growing problems with Great Britain. Congress agreed to meet again if the Intolerable Acts were not lifted. They also wrote the Declaration and Resolves, outlining what was upsetting to them, including the taxes meant to raise revenue.
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Faced with expiring enlistments of thousands of men on January 1, Washington and his officers decided on the bold decision of attacking Trenton, New Jersey. On Christmas evening, they crossed the Delaware River and marched through the night to arrive in Trenton at dawn on December 26. There, they surprised the Hessian mercenary outpost and captured the city. Washington then launched a quick attack on nearby Princeton. The success of this campaign gave the Americans enough hope to keep fighting, and many soldiers decided to continue their enlistment in the army.
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A map of Saratoga. Maps of the battle can be found in the lower right corner.
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The dramatic moment when Dr. Joseph Warren, a patriot leader, is mortally wounded as British forces seize the hill. The painting captures the intensity of battle, with soldiers engaged in close combat.
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After a few years of peace following the repeal of the Townshend Acts, tension between the British and their colonies escalated when Parliament passed the Tea Act in 1773. This act gave the British East India Company a monopoly on tea sales in the colonies, aiming to save the company from financial trouble. If the company failed, it could harm the entire imperial economy. Charles Townshend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, told Parliament that the goal of the act was not only to keep the power to tax the colonies on British goods but also to collect revenue from the existing tax on tea.
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The presentation of the Declaration of Independence to the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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To protest the Tea Act of 1773, colonists disguised as Mohawks raided ships and dumped ninety thousand pounds of tea into Boston Harbor. The Destruction of Tea at Boston Harbor (1846), a lithograph by Nathaniel Currier, includes cheering crowds to emphasize public support for this protest.
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In 1767 and 1768, John Dickinson, a lawyer and landowner in Pennsylvania, published a series of twelve letters in opposition to the Townshend Acts.
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A group of hostile boys insulted a young British sentry who responded by smashing the butt of his musket into a boy’s head. The church bells tolled, bringing hundreds of citizens into the streets to pelt the sentry with snowballs, rocks, and ice. British captain Thomas Preston marched a small group of soldiers out to relieve the sentry, forming a line and ordering the crowd to disperse. In the skirmishes that followed, one soldier was knocked down by a club; he rose and discharged his musket. The rest of the soldiers fired a volley that struck eleven Bostonians, instantly killing three and mortally wounding two more. Preston and his men were jailed that night, and the rest of the troops relocated to a fort in Boston Harbor, narrowly averting a full-scale battle. Patriot leaders seized on the “massacre” for a public relations victory. While most of the soldiers were acquitted of all charges after a jury determined they acted in self-defense, the event angered many colonists.
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A draft of the Treaty of Paris from Benjamin Franklin’s papers, the treaty was the final, crucial step toward securing American independence.
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Britain’s military governor of Massachusetts, Major General Thomas Gage, planned to seize colonial munitions and weapons, held at Concord, Massachusetts. On April 18, 1775, when it became clear the British were preparing to move, riders were sent to alert the countryside, most famously Paul Revere. As a result, the next morning, the Lexington militia gathered on Lexington Green. The British forces advanced, and its commander ordered the colonists to disperse. A shot rang out—no one knows from where. The British opened fire, and after the skirmish, seven Lexington men were dead. The British continued to Concord, but by then, the supplies had been hidden. After witnessing British destruction in the town, the Concord militia counterattacked at the North Bridge. Militia units from all over eastern Massachusetts gathered, followed the British back to Boston, and surrounded the city.
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The month following Lexington and Concord, representatives from all thirteen colonies gathered back in Philadelphia. Here they established the Continental Army and chose George Washington to lead it. The Second Continental Congress also drafted the Olive Branch petition, an appeal to Britain for peace. It also adopted the Articles of Confederation, which would serve as the governing document of the new nation until the Constitution was adopted. After King George had not responded to the Olive Branch petition and the Battle of Bunker Hill, George Washington was given his command and Congress eventually adopted the Declaration of Independence.
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The Articles of Confederation was America’s first governing document. While it provided some unity for the colonies during the war, it proved to be far too weak, as it could not adequately provide the military with adequate supplies. After the war, it had failed to govern the nation effectively. The Articles of Confederation formed a nation, but all the states were equal regardless of size in the one-house congress. There was no executive or judicial branch, resulting in an ineffective government. The government lacked the power to tax or regulate trade and certain laws required nine of thirteen states to agree, and amendments required all thirteen states to agree.
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King George III isued The Royal Proclamation of 1763 (commonly referred to as the Proclamation of 1763) after Great Britain’s victory in the French and Indian War. The proclamation outlawed settlement on Native American land west of the Appalachian Mountains. The proclamation was issued from London, England (no American Indians were consulted in its creation) and colonists were angered by this proclamation from afar.
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A fictional story written from the perspective of a grandmother reflecting on the battle she watched as a youngster.
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The Declaration of Independence presented to the Second Continental Congress.
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This print was published in 1848 and shows the Reverend Jacob Duche leading a prayer over the First Continental Congress from the podium.
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The Second Continental Congress sent the Olive Branch Petition to King George III, reaffirming the colonies’ loyalty to the crown while asking for an end to British military actions and oppressive laws like the Intolerable Acts. The Congress simultaneously released the Declaration of Causes and Necessity of Taking Up Arms, which explained why the colonists believed they were justified in taking up arms to defend themselves in battles like at Lexington and Concord. By releasing the two documents simultaneously, the Congress prudently stood up for themselves while still demonstrating that they desired peace if possible. There was a deep divide among colonists-some still hoped for reuniting, while others were preparing for independence. However, King George III rejected the petition and declared the colonies in open rebellion, which pushed more Americans toward the fight for independence.
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The Articles of Confederation, ratified in 1781, outlined the first national government of the United States. It functioned until the Constitution was ratified in 1788.
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British General Burgoyne surrenders to General Gates after Saratoga.
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The Olive Branch Petition, with a prominent signature by John Hancock.
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This image depicts American diplomats negotiating the end of the American Revolutionary War—left incomplete as British representatives refused to be portrayed.
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An engraving depicting the first conflict of the American Revolution.
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The journals of a doctor who camped at Valley Forge. He details the cold winter, sick soldiers, attacks, and theft that plagued the forces.
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Print shows Major General O'Hara, surrounded by French and American soldiers handing his sword in surrender to General Lincoln.
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The Townshend Acts were a series of Acts passed by British Parliament to continue to raise tax revenue from the colonists. The first of these was the Revenue Act, which taxed many goods imported by the colonies, including paint, glass, lead, paper, and tea. The British also headquartered customs officials in Boston to collect the new round of taxes and enforce trade regulations more stringently. Not only were colonists forced to only buy and sell directly with England, now the items they purchased were higher due to the new taxes. Many people protested the taxes, through boycotts. The colonists’ boycott significantly hurt British trade and much less revenue was brought in than expected. Parliament revoked the Townshend Acts in 1770, leaving only the tax on tea.
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Common Sense was a bestselling pamphlet written by Thomas Paine, an English immigrant to the American colonies. He attacked monarchy as a form of government and argued it was wrong for a small island (Britain) to rule a continent (America). Paine called on the colonists “to begin the world over again” and was one of the clearest voices pushing for independence.
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George Washington kneeling in prayer with soldiers around a fire in the background.
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Independence did not bring economic prosperity to all parts of the United States. New England was suffering an economic depression. Merchants and shopkeepers in eastern Massachusetts demanded the payment of debts from western farmers, many of whom had overextended themselves during the war years. At the same time, the Massachusetts legislature raised taxes, which were among the highest in the country, to pay the state’s wartime debt and meet the national Congress’s requests of taxes from the states. Farmers, burdened by high taxes, were unable to pay their debts, especially those that resulted in their land being seized. Many were taken to court, often losing their property and going to debtors’ prisons. Daniel Shays, a former Revolutionary War captain, led a group of mostly poor farmers in a rebellion. Seeking relief from crushing debt and protesting what they saw as unjust economic policies, the rebels attempted to seize weapons from the Springfield Armory. The Massachusetts militia eventually suppressed the revolt, but the rebellion exposed weaknesses in the Articles of Confederation, highlighting the need for a stronger federal government. This unrest helped spur the drafting of the U.S. Constitution in 1787.
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This woodcut, from Bickerstaff’s Boston Almanack of 1787, depicts Daniel Shays, one of the leaders of the rebels who rose up against the Massachusetts government from 1786 to 1787. As a Revolutionary War veteran, Shays wears the uniform of officers of the Continental Army.
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The Tea Act of 1773: Parliament’s Attempt to Save the British East India Company—But Instead, It Helped Spark a Revolution.
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Postage stamp from 1937 celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Northwest Ordinance. It features a map, and portraits of Manasseh Cutler and Rufus Putnam.
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The Declaration of Independence.
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A long line of British soldiers against a field of minutemen.