What happened in 1772 leading to the American Revolution?
Timeline of the Revolution
- Lead-in To War: 1763 to 1774. The Treaty of Paris ends the Seven Years War (French and Indian War). ...
- Independence Declared: 1775 to 1777. The first shots of the Revolutionary War are fired at Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts. ...
- War in the North: 1777 to 1778. ...
- Southern Campaigns: 1779 to 1781. ...
- Aftermath: 1782 to 1787. ...
What important thing happened in 1775?
- Charleston's population estimated to be 40,500.
- November 7 - Abraham Lincoln's election prompts the resignation of federal officials in the city.
- December 20 - Ordinance of Secession ratified by "a Convention of the People of the State of South Carolina" in Institute Hall in Charleston, proclaiming South Carolina "an independent commonwealth."
What is important in 1774?
The Quebec Act of 1774 is very important for two reasons. First, it pleased most of the French people and because of this they did not rebel against the British. Second, it made many Americans very angry because they thought the British were too lenient to the French.
Were muskets banned in 1774?
“…the British gun control program that precipitated the American Revolution: the 1774 import ban on firearms and gunpowder; the 1774-75 confiscations of firearms and gunpowder; and the use of violence to effectuate the confiscations. It was these events that changed a situation of political tension into a shooting war.

What war happened in 1774?
Fighting began on April 19, 1775, followed by the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776....American Revolutionary War.DateApril 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783 (8 years, 4 months, 2 weeks and 1 day)LocationEastern North America, North Atlantic Ocean, the West Indies2 more rows
What happen in September 1774?
On September 5, 1774, the First Continental Congress opened in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 1774, the British Parliament passed a series of laws that the American Colonies called the Intolerable Acts. Their purpose was to punish Massachusetts for the Boston Tea Party and prevent uprisings in other areas.
What did George Washington do in 1774?
In 1774, Washington joined the Continental Congress as a delegate from Virginia. The next year, the Congress offered Washington the role of commander in chief of the Continental Army.
What happened September 5th 1774?
On September 5, 1774, the first Continental Congress in the United States met in Philadelphia to consider its reaction to the British government's restraints on trade and representative government after the Boston Tea Party.
What happened April 18th 1775?
On April 18, 1775, British troops march out of Boston on a mission to confiscate the American arsenal at Concord and to capture Patriot leaders Samuel Adams and John Hancock, known to be hiding at Lexington.
Who said give me liberty or death?
Patrick HenryOn March 23, 1775, Patrick Henry signaled the coming revolution when he spoke at a Virginia convention and allegedly implored: “Give me liberty, or give me death!”
Why did British soldiers march to Lexington and Concord in April 1775?
The British marched into Lexington and Concord intending to suppress the possibility of rebellion by seizing weapons from the colonists. Instead, their actions sparked the first battle of the Revolutionary War.
What happened in 1776 in the American Revolution?
By issuing the Declaration of Independence, adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, the 13 American colonies severed their political connections to Great Britain. The Declaration summarized the colonists' motivations for seeking independence.
Who fired the first shot at the Battle of Lexington and Concord?
The British fired first but fell back when the colonists returned the volley. This was the “shot heard 'round the world” later immortalized by poet Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Why did Patrick Henry deliver his speech?
During the case, Henry, then a relatively unknown attorney, delivered an impassioned speech against British overreach into colonial affairs, arguing “that a King by annulling or disallowing acts of so salutary a nature, from being Father of his people degenerated into a Tyrant, and forfeits all rights to his subjects' ...
What happens to the British soldiers as they march back to Boston?
At North Bridge, a group of redcoats and minutemen clashed, leaving 3 redcoats and 2 minutemen dead. The British then retreated to Boston, while citizen-soldiers fired at the soldiers from behind trees and stone fences. British solders killed or wounded totalled 273; colonists losses were 95.
What happened on June 17th 1775?
On June 17, 1775, American troops displayed their mettle in the Battle of Bunker Hill during the siege of Boston, inflicting casualties on nearly half of the British troops dispatched to secure Breed's Hill (where most of the fighting occurred).
What was the American Revolution?
The American Revolution—also called the U.S. War of Independence—was the insurrection fought between 1775 and 1783 through which 13 of Great Britai...
How did the American Revolution begin?
On the ground, fighting in the American Revolution began with the skirmishes between British regulars and American provincials on April 19, 1775, f...
What were the major causes of the American Revolution?
The American Revolution was principally caused by colonial opposition to British attempts to impose greater control over the colonies and to make t...
Which countries fought on the side of the colonies during the American Revolution?
Until early in 1778, the American Revolution was a civil war within the British Empire, but it became an international war as France (in 1778) and...
How was the American Revolution a civil war?
In the early stages of the rebellion by the American colonists, most of them still saw themselves as English subjects who were being denied their r...
What happened in Boston in 1773?
In Boston, the situation climaxed in late November 1773, when three ships carrying East India Company tea arrived in the port. Rallying the populace, the members of the Sons of Liberty dressed as Indigenous men and boarded the ships on the night of December 16.
Who controlled Massachusetts in 1774?
Following General Thomas Gage 's use of the act to dissolve the provincial assembly in October 1774, Patriots in the colony formed the Massachusetts Provincial Congress which effectively controlled all of Massachusetts outside of Boston.
What was the Boston Tea Party?
A direct affront to British authority, the " Boston Tea Party " forced Parliament to take action against the colonies. In retribution for this affront to royal authority, the Prime Minister, Lord North, began passing a series of five laws, dubbed the Coercive or Intolerable Acts, the following spring to punish the Americans.
What was the purpose of the Intolerable Acts?
In passing the acts, Lord North had hoped to detach and isolate the radical element in Massachusetts from the rest of the colonies while also asserting the power of Parliament over the colonial assemblies.
Why did the British government pass the Tea Act?
On May 10, 1773, Parliament passed the Tea Act with the goal of aiding the struggling British East India Company.
What was the Quartering Act?
Quartering Act. A revision of the 1765 Quartering Act, which was largely ignored by colonial assemblies, the 1774 Quartering Act expanded the types of buildings in which soldiers could be billeted and removed the requirement that they be provided with provisions.
What did the Continental Association call for?
Creating the Continental Association, the congress called for a boycott of all British goods. If the Intolerable Acts were not repealed within a year, the colonies agreed to halt exports to Britain as well as support Massachusetts if it was attacked.
What was the American Revolution?
American Revolution, also called United States War of Independence or American Revolutionary War, (1775–83), insurrection by which 13 of Great Britain ’s North American colonies won political independence and went on to form the United States of America. The war followed more than a decade of growing estrangement between ...
What was the British attempt to assert greater control over colonial affairs after a long period of salutary neglect?
British attempts to assert greater control over colonial affairs after a long period of salutary neglect, including the imposition of unpopular taxes , had contributed to growing estrangement between the crown and a large and influential segment of colonists who ultimately saw armed rebellion as their only recourse.
How many men were in the militia in 1781?
The total number of the former provided by quotas from the states throughout the conflict was 231,771 men, and the militias totaled 164,087. At any given time, however, the American forces seldom numbered over 20,000; in 1781 there were only about 29,000 insurgents under arms throughout the country.
What made the American Revolution look like a civil war?
What made the American Revolution look most like a civil war, though, was the reality that about one-third of the colonists, known as loyalists (or Tories), continued to support and fought on the side of the crown. Learn more about loyalists. Read about the fate of the loyalists after the American Revolution.
Why did the British come to Concord?
The British had come to Concord to seize the military stores of the colonists, who had been forewarned of the raid through efficient lines of communication —including the ride of Paul Revere, which is celebrated with poetic license in Longfellow ’s “Paul Revere’s Ride” (1861). Battles of Lexington and Concord.
What did James Otis say about the colonists?
“Taxation without representation is tyranny,” James Otis reportedly said in protest of the lack of colonial representation in Parliament.
How many troops did the British government buy?
Because troops were few and conscription unknown, the British government, following a traditional policy, purchased about 30,000 troops from various German princes.
Why did the Continental Congress meet again in May 1775?
The Continental Congress voted to meet again in May 1775 to consider further action, but by that time violence had already broken out. On the night of April 18, 1775, hundreds of British troops marched from Boston to nearby Concord, Massachusetts in order to seize an arms cache.
What was the Revolutionary War?
The Revolutionary War (1775-83), also known as the American Revolution, arose from growing tensions between residents of Great Britain’s 13 North American colonies and the colonial government , which represented the British crown . Skirmishes between British troops ...
What was the name of the battle where the Redcoats were intercepted?
On April 19, local militiamen clashed with British soldiers in the Battles of Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts, marking the “shot heard round the world” that signified the start of the Revolutionary War.
What was the battle at Valley Forge?
During the long, hard winter at Valley Forge, Washington’s troops benefited from the training and discipline of the Prussian military officer Baron Friedrich von Steuben (sent by the French) and the leadership of the French aristocrat Marquis de Lafayette. On June 28, 1778, as British forces under Sir Henry Clinton (who had replaced Howe as supreme commander) attempted to withdraw from Philadelphia to New York, Washington’s army attacked them near Monmouth, New Jersey. The battle effectively ended in a draw, as the Americans held their ground, but Clinton was able to get his army and supplies safely to New York. On July 8, a French fleet commanded by the Comte d’Estaing arrived off the Atlantic coast, ready to do battle with the British. A joint attack on the British at Newport, Rhode Island, in late July failed, and for the most part the war settled into a stalemate phase in the North.
How many troops were sent to New York City in August?
That same month, determined to crush the rebellion, the British government sent a large fleet, along with more than 34,000 troops to New York. In August, Howe’s Redcoats routed the Continental Army on Long Island; Washington was forced to evacuate his troops from New York City by September.
What was the first battle of the Revolution?
The engagement, known as the Battle of Bunker Hill, ended in British victory, but lent encouragement to the revolutionary cause. Recommended for you. 1917.
What was the purpose of the Stamp Act of 1765?
Attempts by the British government to raise revenue by taxing the colonies (notably the Stamp Act of 1765, the Townshend Acts of 1767 and the Tea Act of 1773) met with heated protest among many colonists, who resented their lack of representation in Parliament and demanded the same rights as other British subjects.
Where did the American Revolution begin?
Most accounts of the American Revolution consider the beginning of open rebellion to be the skirmishes at Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts, on April 19, 1775. But during the previous summer, ordinary citizens gathered by the thousands in the county seats and elsewhere, and, without the loss of a single life, ...
What was the Massachusetts Revolution?
The Massachusetts Revolution of 1774. The Beginning of the End of British Rule in North America. By Darryl Hamson. Two years before independence from Great Britain was declared in Philadelphia, it had already been achieved in rural Massachusetts. Most accounts of the American Revolution consider the beginning of open rebellion to be ...
What would happen if the Massachusetts Revolution had not occurred?
If it had not occurred, the thirteen colonies would almost certainly still have separated from Great Britain eventually.
How many men packed the courthouse in Great Barrington?
In Great Barrington, 1500 unarmed men packed the courthouse so full that the judges literally could not take their seats.
What was the British response to the Boston Tea Party?
When a mob dressed as Indians threw chests of British tea into Boston Harbor in December of 1773, they were responding to British taxes that had recently (and unfairly, they believed) been imposed upon them.
What were the causes of the Revolutionary War?
Immediate Causes of the Revolutionary War. The Massachusetts Government Act of 1774. Samuel Adams and The Stamp Act. When the governor’s new judges arrived at the Worcester County courthouse, they were met by a crowd of five or six thousand citizens, including one thousand armed militamen.
How did Lord North's government isolate Massachusetts?
Lord North’s government had intended to isolate Massachusetts by focusing its repressive measures there. Instead, the plight of Massachusetts elicited sympathy and support from the other colonies, and encouraged them along the path toward independence.
What happened in 1774?
31st March » American Revolutionary War: The Kingdom of Great Britain orders the port of Boston, Massachusetts closed pursuant to the Boston Port Act. 10th May » Louis XVI of France known as Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette become King and Queen of France.
What act allowed the British to live in uninhabited houses?
2nd June » Intolerable Acts: The Quartering Act is enacted, allowing a governor in Thirteen Colonies named colonial America to house Kingdom of Great Britain known as British soldiers in uninhabited houses, outhouses, barns, or other buildings if suitable quarters a. 16th June » Foundation of Harrodsburg, Kentucky.
When did the Revolutionary War begin?
The military phase of the revolution, the American Revolutionary War, lasted from 1775 to 1783.
What was the timeline of the American Revolution?
Timeline of the American Revolution — timeline of the political upheaval culminating in the 18th century in which Thirteen Colonies in North America joined together for independence from the British Empire, and after victory in the Revolutionary War combined to form the United States of America. The American Revolution includes political, social, ...
What was the Stamp Act of 1765?
To impose control and help defray the cost of keeping troops in America to control the colonists, Parliament enacts (March 22) the Stamp Act, imposing a tax on many types of printed materials used in the colonies. Seen as a violation of rights, the Act sparks violent demonstrations in several Colonies.
What was the name of the region in 1775?
Eastern North America in 1775, including the British Province of Quebec (pink), Indian Reserve (pink), and areas open to European-American settlement in the 13 Colonies along the Atlantic coast (red), plus the westward border established by the Royal Proclamation of 1763 and present–day state lines.
Why was Thomas Hickey hanged?
Battle of Sullivan's Island (June 28) Thomas Hickey hanged for role in plot to assassinate George Washington (June 28). British Colonial Loyalist New York Mayor David Mathews previously arrested in Flatbush, Brooklyn for his role in the plot (June 22).
What was the purpose of the Proclamation of 1763?
King George's Royal Proclamation of 1763 (October 7) establishes administration in territories newly ceded by France. To prevent further violence between settlers and Native Americans, the Proclamation sets a western boundary on the American colonies.
What was the name of the treaty that ended the French and Indian War?
The Treaty of Paris (February 10) formally ends the French and Indian War. France cedes most of its territories in North America to Great Britain, but Louisiana west of the Mississippi River is ceded to Spain. Previously allied with France, a Native American confederacy in the Great Lakes region, dissatisfied the policies ...
Why did the British retreat to New York City?
In 1777, the British retreated to New York City to protect it from an expected French attack. Washington quickly ordered his soldiers to march towards the British and met them at the Battle of Monmouth.
What was the role of New Jersey in the American Revolution?
This important role earned it the title of Crossroads of the American Revolution.
What was the significance of the Battle of Trenton?
In the ensuing Battle of Trenton in the morning of December 26, the Continental Army defeated the Hessians. The Americans attacked in groups, one down the two main streets from the North east, the other along the river road. The American cannons denied the Hessians the ability to form up in the streets. The Hessians unsuccessfully attempted to retreat and were completely surrounded by the Continental Army. As a result of the battle, the Americans captured nearly 900 Hessian soldiers within 90 minutes. In addition, they took the supplies that had been placed in Trenton for use by the British army. Washington then had the soldiers recross safely back into Pennsylvania. The battle helped to increase the waning confidence of the Continental Congress .
How did New Jersey help the British?
Besides being the location of several important battles, New Jersey was also helpful in disrupting British supply units. Forts on the Delaware River could attack British supply troops as they sailed to Philadelphia. Men in whaleboats crossed the Hudson and raided New York City and Long Island, and captured shipping in the Sandy Hook staging area outside New York Harbor. Ships based in south Jersey ports raided British shipping at sea. New Jersey also had several ironworks that provide iron and iron products, such as cannon, for the war effort, besides its food production. The Ford family in Morristown ran a black powder mill that supplied needed powder for the early war effort. The Continental army encamped three years in New Jersey, in the winters of 1777 at Morristown, 1778–79 at Middlebrook (near Bound Brook), and in 1780 again at Morristown. Large parts of the Continental forces wintered in other years in NJ. Raids from British-held New York City from across the Hudson into New Jersey happened very frequently. The British sent men into New Jersey looking for supplies, firewood, cattle, horses, sheep and pigs, and looking to capture leading patriots.
Why was Franklin arrested?
On January 8, 1776, Governor Franklin was arrested for opposing the Revolution. Others such as slaves joined sides with the British in return for promises of freedom.
Where did the Ford family run a black powder mill?
The Ford family in Morristown ran a black powder mill that supplied needed powder for the early war effort. The Continental army encamped three years in New Jersey, in the winters of 1777 at Morristown, 1778–79 at Middlebrook (near Bound Brook), and in 1780 again at Morristown.
Where did General Howe move his troops?
After advancing to Millstone, New Jersey, on June 26, 1777, General Howe found that Washington would not move his army out of the strong position on the Watchung Mountains north of Middlebrook. Planning to attack Philadelphia, but unable to go safely through New Jersey with its militia nipping away at his men, he had to move his men back to New Brunswick to board shipping.

Background
- March: The first Coercive Act, the Boston Port Act, closes Boston Harbour until the full cost for damaged tea had been repaid. May: Westminster passes a further two Coercive Acts: the Massachusetts Government Act and the Administration of Justice Act. June 2nd: The British parliament passes another Quartering Act, requiring colonial assemblies to p...
The Boston Port Act
Massachusetts Government Act
Administration of Justice Act
Quartering Act
- Passed on March 30, 1774, the Boston Port Act was a direct action against the city for the previous November's tea party. The legislation dictated that the port of Boston was closed to all shipping until full restitution was made to the East India Company and the King for the lost tea and taxes. Also included in the act was the stipulation that the...
Quebec Act
- Enacted on May 20, 1774, the Massachusetts Government Act was designed to increase royal control over the colony's administration. Abrogating the colony's charter, the act stipulated that its executive council would no longer be democratically elected and its members would instead be appointed by the king. Also, many colonial offices that were previously elected officials would h…
Intolerable Acts - Colonial Reaction
- Passed the same day as the previous act, the Administration of Justice Act stated that royal officials could request a change of venue to another colony or Great Britain if charged with criminal acts in fulfilling their duties. While the act allowed travel expenses to be paid to witnesses, few colonists could afford to leave work to testify at a trial. Many in the colonies felt i…