The Course of the American Revolution From 1763-1776, Outline Example

I. A Road to Revolution: 1763-1776

A. End of the French and Indian War.

• The French and Indian War took place in 1754 and 1763.
• Americans were forced to pay the majority of was expenses.
• It led to development of ‘no taxation without representation’ movement.
• The Treaty of Paris was signed in 1763 to end the French and Indian War, granting the Great Britain control over the territories to the east of Mississippi River.

B. New taxes were imposed on the colonies.

• The Sugar Act was passed on April 5, 1764. It lowered the import tax on certain goods and mandated that, before going to any European country, the colonies’ commodities had to pass through Britain.
• The Stamp Act of March 1765 required the colonists to buy taxed paper to use in legal documents and newspapers. It was the first internal tax that the British Parliament imposed on the colonies.
• On March 24, 1765, the Quartering Act was enacted. It required the colonies to pay for the maintenance of British troops.
• In June, 1767, Townshend Revenue Acts imposed new taxes on the colonists (including imports tax on tea, paper, glass, etc.).

II. The American Revolution.

A. The protests started.

• In February 1768 Samuel Adams of Massachusetts wrote a Circular Letter in which he expressed his opposition to taxation without representation.
• In summer 1768 the colonies began to boycott British goods.
• On March 5, 1770, the British soldiers fired into the crowd of campaigners (The Boston Massacre).
• In April 1770 Great Britain repealed the Townshend Acts, eliminating all duties, expect for tea.
• On December 16, 1773, colonialists boarded the ships with the tea and dumped it into the water (the Boston Tea Party), protesting the tea taxes.
• In response, British Parliament passed the Intolerable Acts, prohibiting any commercial shipping in Boston harbor until the taxes were paid. The colonies joined forces against the Acts.

B. Declaring independence.

• In 1774 the First Continental Congress took place in Philadelphia with representatives from every colony, except Georgia.
• On February 9, 1774, the English Parliament declared the colonies to be a state of rebellion.
• On May 10, 1775, the Second Continental Congress was held in Philadelphia, where John Hancock was elected as first President.
• On June 17, 1775, the first battle between American and British troops took place.
• On May 2, 1776, French monarch sent military and financial support to the colonies.
• On July 4, 1776 the United States Declaration of Independence was adopted.