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Salutary Neglect
British policy of loosely enforcing trade regulations in the American colonies to encourage economic growth and loyalty.
Colonies developed self-government, local assemblies, and a sense of independence.
F&I War
British and colonial forces fought against the French and their Native American allies. Britain won, gaining territory but accumulating debt.
Colonists fought alongside the British but resented the lack of rewards and increased British control after the war.
Sugar Act 1764
Taxed sugar and molasses to raise revenue and enforce trade laws.
Colonists protested taxation without representation and increased smuggling.
Stamp Act 1765
Required all legal documents, newspapers, and playing cards to have a paid stamp.
Widespread protests, formation of the Sons of Liberty, boycotts, and the Stamp Act Congress.
Taxed imported goods like glass, paper, paint, and tea. Allowed British officials to enforce compliance.
Colonists organized boycotts and protests; tensions increased.
Boston Massacre (1770)
British soldiers fired into a crowd of colonists, killing five.
Used as propaganda by colonists to fuel anti-British sentiment; led to further resistance.
Tea Act (1773)
Allowed the British East India Company to sell tea directly to the colonies at a reduced price, undercutting local merchants.
Colonists saw it as a trick to accept taxation; led to the Boston Tea Party.
Intolerable Acts (1774)
Closed Boston Harbor, placed Massachusetts under stricter control, and allowed British officials to be tried in England.
Colonists united in opposition, sending aid to Boston and calling for the First Continental Congress.
First Continental Congress (1774)
Colonial representatives met to discuss British policies and coordinate resistance.
Called for a boycott of British goods and prepared militias for possible conflict.
Lexington & Concord (April 1775)
British troops attempted to seize colonial weapons in Concord; first shots of the American Revolution were fired.
Colonial militias fought back, marking the start of armed conflict.
Thomas Paine's Common Sense (1776)
Pamphlet advocating for independence and criticizing monarchy.
Inspired many colonists to support full independence from Britain.
Second Continental Congress (1775–1776)
Managed the war effort, created the Continental Army, and later drafted the Declaration of Independence.
Formally moved toward independence, appointing George Washington as commander and drafting the Declaration of Independence.
Boston Tea Party (1773)
Colonists, dressed as Mohawk Indians, dumped British tea into Boston Harbor in protest.
Britain responded with the Intolerable Acts to punish Massachusetts.