The Patriotic Press
The American Revolution
Overview
The war of independence carried out by the American colonies against Britain formed political ideas and influenced revolutions around the world. But before the American Revolution came about, tensions were escalating between the colonists and the British government. On March 5, 1770 the Boston Massacre transpired due to Parliament enacting the Townshend Acts, which placed more taxes on lead, paints, and tea. Because of this, an enraged mob had a violent confrontation with some British troops and as a result five colonists died. In 1773, the Tea Act was passed by Parliament allowing the British East India Company sufficient control on the tea being sent overseas to the colonies. Nevertheless, The Boston Tea Party happened where sixty men dressed as Indians dumped lots of shipments of tea into a harbor. During January of 1774, the Intolerable Acts were passed which closed up the Boston Harbor until the British East India Company was compensated for the tea destroyed in the Boston Tea Party. To express opposition towards the Intolerable Acts, natives of the colonies met in Philadelphia at the First Continental Congress in the fall of 1774. Moreover, a boycott was initiated of all British goods in the colonies.
The Boston Massacre
It was a clash between British troops and the townspeople of Boston in 1770. The British fired into a crowd that was threatening them, killing five, including Crispus Attucks. This was due to Parliament passing the Townshend Acts and the Suspension Act back in 1767.
The Declaration of 1763
The Proclamation of 1763 was issued October 7, 1763 by King George III following the addition of French territory in North America after the end of the French and Indian War (Seven Years War), which forbade all settlement past a line drawn along the Appalachian Mountains. The British hoped to end clashes between white colonists and tribal people.
First Continental Congress
There was a meeting of delegates from twelve of the thirteen colonies that met on September 5 to October 26, 1774 at Carpenters' Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This was called in response to the passage of the Intolerable Acts by the British Parliament.
The Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was a political protest by the Sons of Liberty on December 16, 1773 in Boston. The demonstrators were disguised as American Indians and they destroyed an entire shipment of tea that was sent by the British East India Company, in defiance to the Tea Act of May 10. 1773. The British government responded harshly and things escalated quickly.
The Battle of Yorktown
In 1781, General George Washington, commanding a force of 17,000 French and Continental troops, begins the siege against British General Charles Cornwallis. The Patriot victory ended the fighting in the colonies. Peace negotiations began in 1782, and on September 3, 1783, the Treaty of Paris was signed formally recognizing the U.S. as a free and independent nation.
The Battle of Saratoga
It was fought as a major battle in 1777, in the northern part of New York. Benedict Arnold was a leader of the American offensive, which forced the surrender of British troops under the General John Burgoyne. This was a turning point because it increased the confidence of the French government in the American forces.