Road to Revolution
By: Eshaan Nallapareddy and Ayush Nanda
Road to Revolution
1773- Tea Act
1763- Pontiac's Rebellion
1776- Declaration of Independence
1770- Boston Massacre
1774- Intolerable Acts
1754-1766- French & Indian War
1764- Sugar Act
1776- Common Sense
1765- Quartering Act
1774- First Continental Congress
1754- Albany Plan
1765- Stamp Act
1775- Second Continental Congress
1651- Navigation Acts
Declaration of Independence
1776
The Declaration of Independence, a document approved by the Continental Congress and adopted on July 4th, 1776, outlined the colonists’ grievances and formally declared their separation from Great Britain. It also marked a major change in colonial mindset and the Revolutionary era—instead of demanding to be heard in the British government, the colonists decided to create their own republic and practice self-government. Even though the British government viewed this as an act of treason, the colonists celebrated the fact that they had declared independence and were finally able to break free of Great Britain’s oppressive rule. Their desire to revolt also helped spread revolutionary ideals to other parts of the world, including France, Haiti, and Latin America.
Intolerable Acts
1774
The Intolerable Acts (also known as the Coercive Acts) were a group of 1774 laws designed as a response to the Boston Tea Party. The acts closed the Boston Harbor, restricted local self-government, and expanded on the Quartering Act in order to punish the colony of Massachusetts for their actions. The Intolerable Acts indicated a significant change in the crown’s policy towards the colonies by taking on a more active role in colonies’ affairs. The colonists, however, viewed the Intolerable Acts as a violation of their rights and responded with outrage through protests.
French & Indian War
1754-1763
The French and Indian War was a nine year long conflict between Britain, France, and their respective Native American allies (although the majority of Native Americans were allied with the French) over territory near the Ohio River Valley. The war ended in a British victory and led to them acquiring the majority of French territory but incurring huge debts in the process. As a result, the crown began increasing taxes through acts such as the Sugar and Tea Acts so colonists would share the financial burden of a war intended for their defense. The colonists, however, were unhappy with these new taxes and protested through actions such as boycotts and the Boston Tea Party.
Common Sense
1776
Common Sense was a 1776 political pamphlet written by Thomas Paine supporting breaking away from Great Britain. Paine used easily understandable language while writing to make the pamphlet more accessible to colonists. Paine’s frequent references to ideas of natural rights and self-governance encouraged many colonists, who were already upset with the crown’s actions, to begin taking practical action in favor of independence. As a result, Common Sense directly impacted colonists’ mindsets, leading many to support the pro-Revolution actions that followed, such as the Declaration of Independence.
Navigtation Acts
1651
The Navigation Acts restricted colonial trade, allowing the colonies to trade only with British ships. These laws strengthened Great Britain’s imperial economy by ensuring greater accumulation of natural resources under the policy of mercantilism. While the British government viewed these acts as a fair way to regulate their colonies and appreciated them, the colonists argued that these acts did not agree with Enlightenment principles. This led some colonists to question why they were not allowed to trade with whomever they wanted, marking a sharp transition from acceptance to resistance. The colonists felt that their ability to trade was restricted, and this resentment set the stage for later forms of resistance in the years leading up to the Revolution.
Stamp Act
1765
The Stamp Act was a British law that required colonists to pay taxes on legal documents, playing cards, licenses, and other printed materials. This law was implemented to pay off the debt from the French and Indian War, but the colonists argued that they were being taxed without proper representation. The British living in England were subject to virtual representation, where Parliament claimed to represent all British subjects, not just those living in England. However, the colonists felt that this law breached their rights, since this was the first internal tax in the colonies. This dissent sparked boycotts and resistance from groups like the Sons of Liberty.
Albany Plan
1754
The Albany Plan was proposed by Benjamin Franklin in 1754. This plan tried to unify the colonies to coordinate in response to attacks from the French and their Native American allies. However, the Plan was rejected by the Crown as it feared that it was undermining British power over the colonies. While the plan was rejected, its core ideas remained present in later years during the First and Second Continental Congress.
Sugar Act
1764
The Sugar Act was a British Law that imposed taxes on goods like sugar, wine, textiles, and coffee, while also suppressing the smuggling of goods. This is similar to the Stamp Act because both aimed to strengthen Britain’s economic control over the colonies by raising revenue through taxation. However, while the Stamp Act was primarily aimed at taxing the colonists, the Sugar Act directly affected merchants’ profits. Even though the British felt they were justified since they reduced the duty on molasses, the colonists rejected Britain’s right to tax them without giving them a say in the government, leading to increased anti-British propaganda. As a result, the colonies started boycotting British goods, a form of protest known as nonimportation.
First Continental Congress
1774
The First Continental Congress was a convention where 56 delegates from across the colonies (except Georgia) met to discuss various issues regarding Great Britain’s rule. Some of these topics included sending a petition to King George III, which outlined the colonists’ grievances, boycotting British goods through the Continental Association, and resisting the Intolerable Acts. The convention was organized due to the Intolerable Acts, and it resulted in increased colonial unity. For the Patriots, this was a pivotal moment that set the stage for other meetings such as the Second Continental Congress. However, the Loyalists were intimidated by the greater degree of cohesion between the colonies, since they were only used to dealing with small-scale protests from the colonists. Now, they had to contend with a united group of delegates that firmly opposed the British government.
Second Continental Congress
Colonists after the king tore up the Olive Branch Petition and they went to war:
1775
The Second Continental Congress was a meeting of delegates (such as well-known leaders like Thomas Jefferson and John Hancock) from all thirteen colonies in May 1775 following the initial fighting at Lexington and Concord. After the Crown rejected their last ditch effort for peace in the Olive Branch Petition, the Continental Congress functioned similarly to a governing body over the colonies by coordinating military efforts and managing diplomatic ties with foreign powers. The Second Continental Congress ended up being much more decisive and geared towards independence than the First Continental Congress (which was evident through actions such as signing the Declaration of Independence and appointing George Washington commander of a unified army), and as a result, the British viewed it as a significant threat to their power in the colonies.
Boston Massacre
1770
The Boston Massacre was a deadly confrontation where British soldiers fired into a Boston crowd, killing five colonists and wounding several others. This event was caused by the colonists’ frustration with the presence of British soldiers in the colonies, as well as being taxed without proper representation. Their anger led to the colonists throwing rocks, ice, and snowballs at the soldiers, who then fired into the crowd. The deaths of the colonists became propaganda and caused them to perceive the British as tyrannical, while the British soldiers argued they had fired in self-defense. As a result, the colonists continued to exhibit stronger unity and push for direct representation in Parliament.
Pontiac's Rebellion
1763-1766
Pontiac’s Rebellion was coordinated by the Ottawa chief Pontiac and lasted from 1763 to 1766. This rebellion was an effort to resist British colonial expansion but was ultimately suppressed. Overall, Native American groups viewed Pontiac’s Rebellion as a necessary measure to defend themselves against colonial expansion, similar to the motivations behind King Philip’s War almost a century prior. However, Pontiac’s Rebellion was much less destructive for Natives. Instead, the British responded by restricting colonists’ expansion past the Appalachian Mountains with the Proclamation of 1763 (although it was largely ignored) in an effort to avoid further antagonizing the Natives. The colonists, however, did not support the proclamation, heightening tensions between Great Britain and the colonists.
Tea Act
1773
The Tea Act was a British Law that allowed the financially struggling British East India Company to sell their tea directly in the colonies. Because the East India Company was struggling, Parliament wanted to lower the price of tea while reinforcing the existing Townshend Acts. This led to organized resistance from the colonists and reaffirmed the British belief that they could tax the colonists, as a way to save the East India Company and assert their authority. For the Patriots, this new law reflected Parliament’s continued attempts to unfairly tax the colonists. On the other hand, the colonists escalated from simple resistance to much bolder acts of resistance such as the Boston Tea Party.
Quartering Act
1765
The Quartering Act was passed in 1765 by the British Parliament and required colonists to accommodate British soldiers in the colonies with food, housing, and other necessities in an effort to reduce financial issues relating to maintaining troops in North America. While this act did reflect a continued British expectation for colonists to contribute to their own defense, this act was much more intrusive than other colonial laws. As a result, colonial groups were largely against the Quartering Act, furthering tensions at the time.
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Transcript
Road to Revolution
By: Eshaan Nallapareddy and Ayush Nanda
Road to Revolution
1773- Tea Act
1763- Pontiac's Rebellion
1776- Declaration of Independence
1770- Boston Massacre
1774- Intolerable Acts
1754-1766- French & Indian War
1764- Sugar Act
1776- Common Sense
1765- Quartering Act
1774- First Continental Congress
1754- Albany Plan
1765- Stamp Act
1775- Second Continental Congress
1651- Navigation Acts
Declaration of Independence
1776
The Declaration of Independence, a document approved by the Continental Congress and adopted on July 4th, 1776, outlined the colonists’ grievances and formally declared their separation from Great Britain. It also marked a major change in colonial mindset and the Revolutionary era—instead of demanding to be heard in the British government, the colonists decided to create their own republic and practice self-government. Even though the British government viewed this as an act of treason, the colonists celebrated the fact that they had declared independence and were finally able to break free of Great Britain’s oppressive rule. Their desire to revolt also helped spread revolutionary ideals to other parts of the world, including France, Haiti, and Latin America.
Intolerable Acts
1774
The Intolerable Acts (also known as the Coercive Acts) were a group of 1774 laws designed as a response to the Boston Tea Party. The acts closed the Boston Harbor, restricted local self-government, and expanded on the Quartering Act in order to punish the colony of Massachusetts for their actions. The Intolerable Acts indicated a significant change in the crown’s policy towards the colonies by taking on a more active role in colonies’ affairs. The colonists, however, viewed the Intolerable Acts as a violation of their rights and responded with outrage through protests.
French & Indian War
1754-1763
The French and Indian War was a nine year long conflict between Britain, France, and their respective Native American allies (although the majority of Native Americans were allied with the French) over territory near the Ohio River Valley. The war ended in a British victory and led to them acquiring the majority of French territory but incurring huge debts in the process. As a result, the crown began increasing taxes through acts such as the Sugar and Tea Acts so colonists would share the financial burden of a war intended for their defense. The colonists, however, were unhappy with these new taxes and protested through actions such as boycotts and the Boston Tea Party.
Common Sense
1776
Common Sense was a 1776 political pamphlet written by Thomas Paine supporting breaking away from Great Britain. Paine used easily understandable language while writing to make the pamphlet more accessible to colonists. Paine’s frequent references to ideas of natural rights and self-governance encouraged many colonists, who were already upset with the crown’s actions, to begin taking practical action in favor of independence. As a result, Common Sense directly impacted colonists’ mindsets, leading many to support the pro-Revolution actions that followed, such as the Declaration of Independence.
Navigtation Acts
1651
The Navigation Acts restricted colonial trade, allowing the colonies to trade only with British ships. These laws strengthened Great Britain’s imperial economy by ensuring greater accumulation of natural resources under the policy of mercantilism. While the British government viewed these acts as a fair way to regulate their colonies and appreciated them, the colonists argued that these acts did not agree with Enlightenment principles. This led some colonists to question why they were not allowed to trade with whomever they wanted, marking a sharp transition from acceptance to resistance. The colonists felt that their ability to trade was restricted, and this resentment set the stage for later forms of resistance in the years leading up to the Revolution.
Stamp Act
1765
The Stamp Act was a British law that required colonists to pay taxes on legal documents, playing cards, licenses, and other printed materials. This law was implemented to pay off the debt from the French and Indian War, but the colonists argued that they were being taxed without proper representation. The British living in England were subject to virtual representation, where Parliament claimed to represent all British subjects, not just those living in England. However, the colonists felt that this law breached their rights, since this was the first internal tax in the colonies. This dissent sparked boycotts and resistance from groups like the Sons of Liberty.
Albany Plan
1754
The Albany Plan was proposed by Benjamin Franklin in 1754. This plan tried to unify the colonies to coordinate in response to attacks from the French and their Native American allies. However, the Plan was rejected by the Crown as it feared that it was undermining British power over the colonies. While the plan was rejected, its core ideas remained present in later years during the First and Second Continental Congress.
Sugar Act
1764
The Sugar Act was a British Law that imposed taxes on goods like sugar, wine, textiles, and coffee, while also suppressing the smuggling of goods. This is similar to the Stamp Act because both aimed to strengthen Britain’s economic control over the colonies by raising revenue through taxation. However, while the Stamp Act was primarily aimed at taxing the colonists, the Sugar Act directly affected merchants’ profits. Even though the British felt they were justified since they reduced the duty on molasses, the colonists rejected Britain’s right to tax them without giving them a say in the government, leading to increased anti-British propaganda. As a result, the colonies started boycotting British goods, a form of protest known as nonimportation.
First Continental Congress
1774
The First Continental Congress was a convention where 56 delegates from across the colonies (except Georgia) met to discuss various issues regarding Great Britain’s rule. Some of these topics included sending a petition to King George III, which outlined the colonists’ grievances, boycotting British goods through the Continental Association, and resisting the Intolerable Acts. The convention was organized due to the Intolerable Acts, and it resulted in increased colonial unity. For the Patriots, this was a pivotal moment that set the stage for other meetings such as the Second Continental Congress. However, the Loyalists were intimidated by the greater degree of cohesion between the colonies, since they were only used to dealing with small-scale protests from the colonists. Now, they had to contend with a united group of delegates that firmly opposed the British government.
Second Continental Congress
Colonists after the king tore up the Olive Branch Petition and they went to war:
1775
The Second Continental Congress was a meeting of delegates (such as well-known leaders like Thomas Jefferson and John Hancock) from all thirteen colonies in May 1775 following the initial fighting at Lexington and Concord. After the Crown rejected their last ditch effort for peace in the Olive Branch Petition, the Continental Congress functioned similarly to a governing body over the colonies by coordinating military efforts and managing diplomatic ties with foreign powers. The Second Continental Congress ended up being much more decisive and geared towards independence than the First Continental Congress (which was evident through actions such as signing the Declaration of Independence and appointing George Washington commander of a unified army), and as a result, the British viewed it as a significant threat to their power in the colonies.
Boston Massacre
1770
The Boston Massacre was a deadly confrontation where British soldiers fired into a Boston crowd, killing five colonists and wounding several others. This event was caused by the colonists’ frustration with the presence of British soldiers in the colonies, as well as being taxed without proper representation. Their anger led to the colonists throwing rocks, ice, and snowballs at the soldiers, who then fired into the crowd. The deaths of the colonists became propaganda and caused them to perceive the British as tyrannical, while the British soldiers argued they had fired in self-defense. As a result, the colonists continued to exhibit stronger unity and push for direct representation in Parliament.
Pontiac's Rebellion
1763-1766
Pontiac’s Rebellion was coordinated by the Ottawa chief Pontiac and lasted from 1763 to 1766. This rebellion was an effort to resist British colonial expansion but was ultimately suppressed. Overall, Native American groups viewed Pontiac’s Rebellion as a necessary measure to defend themselves against colonial expansion, similar to the motivations behind King Philip’s War almost a century prior. However, Pontiac’s Rebellion was much less destructive for Natives. Instead, the British responded by restricting colonists’ expansion past the Appalachian Mountains with the Proclamation of 1763 (although it was largely ignored) in an effort to avoid further antagonizing the Natives. The colonists, however, did not support the proclamation, heightening tensions between Great Britain and the colonists.
Tea Act
1773
The Tea Act was a British Law that allowed the financially struggling British East India Company to sell their tea directly in the colonies. Because the East India Company was struggling, Parliament wanted to lower the price of tea while reinforcing the existing Townshend Acts. This led to organized resistance from the colonists and reaffirmed the British belief that they could tax the colonists, as a way to save the East India Company and assert their authority. For the Patriots, this new law reflected Parliament’s continued attempts to unfairly tax the colonists. On the other hand, the colonists escalated from simple resistance to much bolder acts of resistance such as the Boston Tea Party.
Quartering Act
1765
The Quartering Act was passed in 1765 by the British Parliament and required colonists to accommodate British soldiers in the colonies with food, housing, and other necessities in an effort to reduce financial issues relating to maintaining troops in North America. While this act did reflect a continued British expectation for colonists to contribute to their own defense, this act was much more intrusive than other colonial laws. As a result, colonial groups were largely against the Quartering Act, furthering tensions at the time.