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From Tea to Treaty: A Timeline of the American Revolution
Boycott (noun): A protest where people refuse to buy or use certain goods.
Reconcile (verb): To try to make peace or restore friendship.
The American Revolution was not a sudden uprising but a long journey of rising tension, resistance, and finally, rebellion.
The taxes that sparked rebellion
It began with the end of the Seven Years' War in 1763, when Britain gained vast territory in North America. To cover the costs of defense and governance, Britain introduced taxes on the American colonies. The Sugar Act of 1764 and the Stamp Act of 1765 ignited widespread protests over taxation without representation.
Tensions rise and violence erupts
As unrest grew, British troops occupied Boston in 1768 to enforce the unpopular Townshend Acts, which taxed everyday goods like paper, paint, and tea. Tensions turned deadly in 1770 with the Boston Massacre, where British soldiers killed five colonists. The breaking point came in 1773 during the Boston Tea Party, when colonists dumped £10,000 worth of tea into Boston Harbor in protest against the Tea Act.
The start of the Revolutionary War
In retaliation, Britain passed the Coercive Acts in 1774, closing Boston Harbor and limiting colonial self-government. That same year, the First Continental Congress met and called for a boycott of British goods. War broke out on April 19, 1775, with the battles of Lexington and Concord. A major clash followed at Bunker Hill in June 1775, proving the conflict would be long and bloody.
Despite a final attempt to reconcile through the Olive Branch Petition, King George III declared the colonies in rebellion. In July 1776, the Declaration of Independence proclaimed the colonies' break from Britain and introduced the term “United States.”
The turning point of the war
Thousands of enslaved African Americans joined the British after being promised freedom. In 1777, American forces triumphed at Saratoga, securing vital support from France in 1778. After years of grueling battles, British General Cornwallis surrendered to George Washington at Yorktown in 1781.
Peace was officially declared with the Treaty of Paris in 1783, granting independence to the United States. The Revolutionary journey continued as the U.S. negotiated with Native nations and debated the new Constitution in 1787, laying the foundation for a democratic republic that endures to this day.
© Emma Slattery Williams / www.historyextra.com
Boycott (noun): A protest where people refuse to buy or use certain goods.
Reconcile (verb): To try to make peace or restore friendship.