American Revolution: Causes and Key Events 1754-1776

Colonial Regions of America

• New England: Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire
• Middle: New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware
• Southern: Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia

Freedoms in Colonial America

• Religious Freedom: The right to choose a religion (or no religion) without interference by the government.
• Political Freedom: The right to express one’s views about public matters and the right to support or oppose public policies.
• Economic Freedom/Opportunity: The right of every human to control his or her own labor and property.
• Social Mobility: A person's ability to move to a different social class (higher, middle, lower).

Timeline of the American Revolution

1754: French and Indian War

Fighting between the French and their Indian allies, Great Britain, and the colonists over who would get to keep their trading and settlements with the natives. The British won, but this forced England to impose higher taxes on the colonies.

1764: The Sugar Act

The Sugar Act made it harder to get sugar for cheaper, and smuggling got a higher penalty from a more biased source.

1765: The Quartering Act and Stamp Act

The Quartering Act forced people living in the colonies to provide housing and food for British soldiers who were still in America after the French and Indian War. The Third Amendment to the US Constitution addresses this issue today. The Stamp Act was also passed this year.

1770: Boston Massacre

British soldiers opened fire on American colonists due to their unruly behavior. This made the colonists angry because they killed Americans for what seemed to be no reason.

1773: The Tea Act and Boston Tea Party

The Tea Act allowed the British East India Company to sell tea without paying a tax, undercutting colonial tea vendors. This sparked the Boston Tea Party, where colonists dressed as Native Americans dumped tea into the Boston Harbor.

1774: The First Continental Congress

The First Continental Congress meeting showed that the colonies did not need the British Parliament and that they could make their own government. It began to prepare for the possibility of war.

1775: Battles at Lexington and Concord

The battles at Lexington and Concord marked the official start of the Revolutionary War. The British attempted to shut down the colonial rebels.

1776: Crossing the Delaware and Common Sense

George Washington crossed the Delaware River and won the Battle of Trenton with this surprise attack. The significance of this event is that the colonists were able to fight against all odds because they were determined. Thomas Paine published Common Sense, writing about why the colonies should leave Great Britain.

July 4, 1776: Declaration of Independence

The Declaration of Independence was the first document establishing the colonies as a nation and not a part of Great Britain. It was essentially a declaration of war.