Stamp Act Tax passed by Parliament to raise revenue to pay off debt from French and Indian War. Stamp had to be attached to all paper goods sold in the colonies.

Sons of Liberty Group of Boston businessmen who organized opposition to the Stamp Act. Samuel Adams was one of the founders. The protests and boycotts organized by this group were successful in getting the Stamp Act and other taxes passed by parliament repealed.

Sons of Liberty Protests included large group gatherings, harassment of British officials, raising of “liberty poles”, hanging British officials in effigy, and tarring and feathering British officials. Boycott – refusal to purchase goods and services as a form of protest against specific policies.

Stamp Act Congress Delegates from 9 colonies met in New York City to protest the Stamp Act. They issued a Declaration of Rights and Grievances. This was the first successful attempt at organizing the colonies into one body.

Townshend Acts Series of taxes levied on goods imported into the colonies. Items such as glass, lead, paint, paper and tea were all subject to the tax. These acts prompted the Sons of Liberty to call for a new wave of protests and boycotts. Attacks on British officials escalated and the British sent soldiers to Boston to keep the peace. The slogan “no taxation without representation” becomes popular in the colonies.

Boston Massacre On March 5, 1770 British soldiers stationed in front of the Customs House in Boston opened fire on a group of colonial protestors who were there protesting British policies in Boston. Five people were killed and several others wounded. The soldiers and their commanding officer were charged with murder. Patriots around the colonies used this event as propaganda to add followers to their cause.

Boston Massacre A more accurate image of what happened.

Committees of Correspondence Across the colonies people began to share stories of British actions and colonial reactions in and around Boston. The purpose of this was to foster support in the other colonies for the cause of the Patriots in Boston.

Loyalists Colonists who remained loyal to the crown were called loyalists. Some remained loyal because of position – they were governors, councilors or judges. Others feared that the British would win and those who rebelled would be severely punished. Some lived far away from the places where the action was going on and had no idea what was going on.

Patriots Supporters of independence were called Patriots. The Sons of Liberty are primary examples. Some joined the cause because of economic reasons. Others joined because of reports of British atrocities like the Boston Massacre. Others felt that the crown had violated their basic rights as citizens.

Boston Tea Party

The Tea Act of 1773 gave the British East India Company the exclusive right to sell tea in the colonies; it also allowed them to do it tax free. On the night of December 16, 1773 a large group of Boston men disguised themselves as Indians and dumped about 18,000 pounds of tea overboard. They dressed as Indians for two reasons: first it was a disguise, second they wanted to symbolically show that they were no longer British but fully American.

Intolerable Acts The Boston Tea Party and other acts of defiance and destruction carried out by colonists angered King George III and he pressed Parliament to take action.

Intolerable Acts

First Continental Congress September of delegates met in Philadelphia to discuss the events that had been taking place in Boston. They drafted a declaration of colonial rights. This declaration stated that the Continental Congress supported the protests in Massachusetts and that if the British used force against the colonies the colonies should fight back This is the first successful and inclusive (all 13 colonies were represented) government of the United States.

Lexington and Concord After the First Continental Congress Massachusetts began preparing for military action. Arms were collected and stored in the town of Concord. The British decided to march to Concord and seize the weapons.

Lexington and Concord Colonists were warned that the British were coming and massed to defend their arms. Fighting erupted and the first shots of the Revolutionary War had been fired.

Minutemen Minutemen were citizen soldiers. They were farmers and merchants who volunteered to fight. They had no uniforms and did not always use traditional tactics. They would become the basis of the Continental Army.

Second Continental Congress In May of 1775 delegates from the 13 colonies once again met in Philadelphia to discuss the events in Massachusetts. Division of loyalties and ambition surfaced. The delegates debated over what their course of action should be. Some favored outright independence and others wanted to seek some sort of reconciliation with Great Britain. They did decide to create an army and seek assistance from Great Britain’s old enemy – France.

Continental Army George Washington, a delegate from Virginia was chose to lead the Continental Army. He had served the British as an officer during the French and Indian War. He was widely respected by virtually all of the delegates in attendance.

Olive Branch Petition In one last effort to seek reconciliation with the crown the Continental Congress drafted a document asking to restore “the former harmony” between the colonies and Great Britain. King George III flatly rejected the document and declared the colonies in rebellion. The British sent more troops and blockaded the American coast.

Common Sense Written by Thomas Paine. He attacked King George III and gave reasons for the colonists to support independence. He argued that it would be better for the people both economically and in terms of the creation of a better society. Being written in plain and simple English it was widely read and understood.

Declaration of Independence Written by Thomas Jefferson. Presented to the Continental Congress in July of 1776 and on July 2 nd the delegates voted unanimously to approve it. The colonies had officially declared their separation from England.