Pre-Revolutionary Period
Salutary Neglect: traditional argument saying Britain neglected to enforce their laws and as a result the colonies flourished
1676 Bacon's Rebellion: Nathaniel Bacon leads a group of Virginians against Indians, when attacked by government, burns down Jamestown
1763 Paxton Boys: Pennsylvanians protest Indian attacks, peacefully settled by Ben Franklin
1771 Regulator Movement: carolinians revolted against unfair taxes, "no taxation without representation"
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1754-1763 French Indian War (seven years War): war between france it's indian allies (Algonquian & Huron) and britain and their indian allies Iroquois), won by GB
1754 Albany Congress: colonist leaders organize to keep Iroquois tribe loyal to britain, also spawned the Albany Plan of Union, which would have established an american congress
1763 Peace of Paris: ended french indian war, GB got canada and all territory east of mississippi and south of canada. spain lost florida but got New Orleans
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1660, 1663, 1673, 1696 Navigation Laws: Colonists ships had to stop in GB before shipping to foreign markets, gave GB writs of assistance, right to search and seizure of colonist ships
1699 Wool act, 1732 Hat act, 1750 Iron act: colonists had to ship raw materials to GB, couldn't produce finished products, so colonists had to buy from GB manufacturers
1733 Molasses Act: general regulations and restrictions of molasses trade, Colonists didn't really care, not well enforced
1763 George Grenville: appointed prime minister of GB, massive douchebag to colonists,
1763 Proclamation of 1763: colonists couldn't go west past the appalachian mtns
1764 sugar act: replaced Molasses Act of 1733, reduced tax on sugar, but enforced much more strictly
1764 Currency Act: colonists couldn't print their own currency, colonists had to pay in silver or gold
1765 Quartering Act: colonists had supply british troops
1765 Stamp Act: tax on almost all printed material
1765 Stamp Act Congress: coalition of colonist leaders protesting Stamp act, issued Declaration of Rights which said "no taxation w/o representation"
Virginia House Of Burgesses: created inter-colonial committees
1766 Declaratory Acts: right for GB to tax anyone, anytime, for anything
1767 Townshend Acts: tax on paper glass lead paint and tea
1767 Suspension of New York Assembly: NY citizens dont follow quartering act, Townshend takes away their colonist govn't
1770 Boston Massacre: British troops open fire on rioting bostonians, who are angry that british troops are taking their jobs for lower pay. 11 civilians killed including Crispus Attucks, black rebel leader
1772 Gaspee Incident: rhode islanders attack and burn a british ship that had run aground
1773 Boston Tea Party: rebel colonists sneak into boston harbor ships and dump tea into the harbor
1774 Intolerable Acts: passed by charles Townshend as punishment for Boston Tea Party
Boston Port Bill: closed boston port as
Administration of Justice Act: British governmental officials were to be tried in GB
Massachusetts govn't act : limited colonists ability to organize
Expansion of Quartering Act: colonists also had to house british troops when told to
1774 Quebec Act: established catholicism as official religion in quebec (this angered many protestant colonists) and a non-representative govn't set up in quebec
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1767 Letters From a Pennsylvania Farmer: John Dickinson articulates GB's right to tax colonists, but not simply to raise revenue
1776 Thomas Paine's Common Sense: no taxtion w/o representation, very popular in colonies
Sons of Liberty and Loyal Nine: anti-GB rebel colonists
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1774 First Continental Congress: organized to respond to intolerable acts,
Radicals: sam adams john adams, patrick henry, wanted a break from GB
Moderates: john dickinson and George Washington, still believed relationship with GB could be repaired
Conservatives: john jay and joe galloway, mild rebuke of GB, but not separation. Galloway comes up with the
Galloway Plan of Union which would have a joint colonist and british congress, with colonists able to veto british decisions, defeated by members of the congress
1774 Declaration and Resolves (suffolk Resolves): passed by 1st CC
intolerable acts null and void
colonists should arm themselves
boycott of british imports
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primogeniture: assets go to first born son
Entail: concentrates land in one families hands
colonists protested the policies passed by GB
resistance grows to GB
post 1763 GB imposed revenue raising taxes
Revolutionary Period
1775 April, Battles of Lexington and Concord: opening shots of Revolutionary war, british troops marching to look for rebel supplies meet resistance and kill several colonists
1775 May, 2nd continental Congress: no more moderates, either radicals who want independence or conservatives looking for a negotiations. military plans were drawn up that included a colonial army and navy, and an expedition to take canada (failed) this was now the acting govn't of the colonies until the AOC
1775 June, Battle of Bunker Hill: colonists take positions on hills surrounding boston, and attack british troops marching below. Although the colonists eventually retreat, they receive 400 casualties to the british 1,000, proving they can hold their own against the red coats (then perceived to be the strongest army in the world)
1775 July, Olive Branch Petition: a peaceful appeal directly to King George, asking him for his assistance. He ignores it and continues the war
1775 August, Prohibitory act: Britain suspends all trade between colonies and britain as well as declaring all colonies in open rebellion
