Unit 1 - Revolutionary War Timeline

Question 1

French and Indian War (1754 - 1763)

Answer 1

Rivalry between France, Britain, and Indians over Ohio Valley, continued until Britain gained control over Canada, Washington’s first time as military leader.

Question 2

Proclamation Act (1763)

Answer 2

Prohibited colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains. British hoped it would prevent violence between Native Americans and colonists. The colonists were angry and disobeyed the law, moving to the west of the mountains in large numbers

Question 3

Sugar Act (April 1764)

Answer 3

A law passed by Parliament in 1764 that placed a tax on sugar, molasses, and other products shipped to the colonies, also called Harsh Punishment of Smugglers.

Question 4

Currency Act (September 1764)

Answer 4

Forbid colonial banks and governments from issuing paper money, hard money—gold and silver—and paper notes—from banks, the holder can redeem for dollars worth of hard money. British government was trying to discourage colonial commerce and manufacturing.

Question 5

Stamp Act (March 1765)

Answer 5

An act passed by the British Parliament in 1756 that raised revenue from the American colonies by a duty in the form of a stamp required on all newspapers and legal or commercial documents.

Question 6

Quartering Act (March 1765)

Answer 6

Act requiring the colonists to quarter, or house, British soldiers and provide them with supplies.

Question 7

Stamp Act Congress (October 1765)

Answer 7

Representatives from every colony met together in New York, British didn’t realize that this provided colonial unity, Passed a resolution that the colonists would not pay Stamp Act because it was an internal tax, not an external tax.

Question 8

Declatory Act (March 1766)

Answer 8

Passed at the same time that the Stamp Act was repealed, the Act declared that Parliament had the power to tax the colonies both internally and externally, and had absolute power over the colonial legislatures.

Question 9

Townshend Acts (1768)

Answer 9

New round of taxes, taxed goods that were coming from England—tax on raw materials to try to discourage colonial manufacturing.

Question 10

Non-Importation Agreements (1786)

Answer 10

The agreement of colonists to not import British supplies and to make them in the colonies. These were used first with the Stamp Act, and again with the Townshend Acts. these agreements united the American colonies against the British and caused distress with British manufacturers.

Question 11

Boston Massacre (March 1770)

Answer 11

A riot in Boston arising from the resentment of Boston colonists toward British troops quartered in the city, in which the troops fired on the mob and killed several persons.

Question 12

Gaspee Incident (1772)

Answer 12

Angry residents of Rhode Island burn this British ship in protest to the Navigation Acts.

Question 13

Tea Act (May 1773)

Answer 13

Law passed by Parliament allowing the British East India Company to sell its low-cost tea directly to the colonies - undermining colonial tea merchants; led to the Boston Tea Party

Question 14

Boston Tea Party (December 1773)

Answer 14

Boston patriots organized the Boston Tea Party to protest the 1773 Tea Act. In December 1773, Samuel Adams warned Boston residents of the consequences of the Tea Act. Boston was boycotting the tea in protest of the tea act and would not let the ships bring the tea ashore. Finally, on the night of December 16, 1773, colonials disguised as Indians boarded the ships and threw the tea overboard.

Question 15

Intolerable Acts (1774)

Answer 15

In response to Boston Tea Party, 4 Acts passed in 1774, port of Boston closed, reduced power of assemblies in colonies, permitted royal officers to be tried elsewhere, provided for quartering of troop’s in barns and empty houses.

Question 16

Quebec Act (June 1774)

Answer 16

Part of Intolerable Acts, extended boundaries of Quebec and granted equal rights to Catholics and recognized legality catholic church in the territory; colonists feared this meant that a pope would soon oversee the colonies.

Question 17

First Continental Congress (Sept/Oct 1774)

Answer 17

No legislative power, list of demands, tell Britain what they want to stay in the empire. For the future, colonies want England to be the ruler for international things, but each thirteen colonies have their own nation, certain people in England were even sympathetic towards colonies, secondly, authorize the creation of a Continental Army—but in idea, only, Continental Congress also agrees that they will meet again in a year, and non-importation agreements are now mandatory—stop buying English goods.

Question 18

Battle of Lexington and Concord (April 1775)

Answer 18

Massachusetts, Gage sent to arrest Sam Adams and Hancock and hears about supply of Colonists gun power at Concord he attacks, leads to Second Continental Congress meeting, Colonists win rallying up their cause and was the spark of the War of Independence.

Question 19

Second Continental Congress (May 1775)

Answer 19

They organized the Continental Army, called on the colonies to send troops, selected George Washington to lead the army, and appointed the Committee to draft the Declaration of Independence.

Question 20

Battle of Bunker Hill (June 1775)

Answer 20

First major battle of the Revolutions. It showed that the Americans could hold their own, but the British were also not easy to defeat. Ultimately, the Americans were forced to withdraw after running out of ammunition, and Bunker Hill (Massachusetts) was in British hands (isolated). However, the British suffered more deaths.

Question 21

Olive Branch Petition (July 1775)

Answer 21

Colonies made a final offer of peace to Britain, agreeing to be loyal to the British government if it addressed their grievances (repealed the Coercive Acts, ended the taxation without representation policies). It was rejected by Parliament, which in December 1775 passed the American Prohibitory Act forbidding all further trade with the colonies.

Question 22

Common Sense by Thomas Paine (January 1776)

Answer 22

Revolutionary propaganda, argued that problem was not Parliamentary Acts but English Constitution, King, and ruling system. Great Britain no longer fit to rule because of brutality, corruption.

Question 23

Declaration of Independence (July 1776)

Answer 23

Written mostly by Thomas Jefferson, restated contract theory of John Locke that governments formed to protect rights of “life, liberty, pursuit of happiness”, then listed alleged crimes of King and Parliament

Question 24

Battle of Long Island (August 1776)

Answer 24

Washington split troops, attacked, and retreated to Manhattan (keeps retreating), impact: disaster for colonial forces, but George Washington gets away. New York becomes British powered.

Question 25

Battle of Trenton (December 1776)

Answer 25

Washington crossed the Delaware River and attacked; total surprise; defeated Britain; boosted morale of American troops; Impact: If not for the attack, Continental Army would have surrendered by spring; stole cannons and weapons to win in Princeton. First big win-sharpens morale.

Question 26

Battle of Saratoga (October 1777)

Answer 26

Significance is British surrender a huge army, fail to sever New York from New England; led to French contribution with US, 3 armies supposed to converge. Turning point of the war in favor of the colonies.

Question 27

Articles of Confederation (November 1777)

Answer 27

This document, the nation’s first constitution, was adopted by the Second Continental Congress in 1781 during the Revolution. The document was limited because states held most of the power, and Congress lacked the power to tax, regulate trade, or control coinage.