Timeline of American Events from 1763-1774: The American Revolution

Proclamation of 1763 – It was issued by King George III, and it prohibited colonists from settling past the Appalachians. The colonists ignored it because they felt they deserved the land beyond the Appalachians because they had fought for it.

Currency Act (1764) – This act prohibited the colonists from making and using any legal paper money. The colonists disliked this act and complained about it because it could ruin the economy of the North which was industrial, and the South which was agricultural.

Stamp Act (1765) – The prime minister, George Grenville, passed this act to make more money to pay for the military forces. The Stamp Act said that the colonists had to pay for stamps that must be on all paper including documents, playing cards, pamphlets, newspapers, diplomas, etc.

Quartering Act (1765) – This act, also passed by George Grenville, said that the colonists had to house and feed the British soldiers in the colonies. After this act was passed, the colonists coined the phrase “no taxation without representation.”

Sons of Liberty (1765) – This group of protesters was founded in 1765 to protest the many taxes and enforce the nonimportation agreements. Many times these men tarred and feathered violators, hung effigies of the stamp agents, and burned officials’ houses.

The Boston Massacre (March 5, 1770) -  About 60 colonists were taunting and throwing snowballs at about ten British soldiers. The soldiers got annoyed and nervous and shot at the crowd. In the skirmish eleven colonists were killed.  Crispus Attucks, a mulatto who was the leader of the mob, was the first to be killed.

Boston Tea Party (December 16, 1773) – About 100 Boston colonists disguised themselves as Indians boarded ships loaded with tea and dumped 342 chests of tea into the harbor. A large crowd of more colonists watched from the docks and cheered them on.

Boston Port Act (1774) – This act was passed in response to the Boston Tea Party. It stated that no ships could enter or leave the Boston harbor until the damages from the Boston Tea Party were party. Other colonies helped Boston during this time by sending them food and other necessities.

Quebec Act (1774) – This act came with the “Intolerable Acts” and extended the boundaries of Quebec much further south. The colonists disliked this act because it let the French with their Catholic religion move into the region that used to be marked for Protestantism.

First Continental Congress (1774) – This group was created in response to the “Intolerable Acts.” It met in Philadelphia to decide how to act on the present problems in the colonies.  Twelve of the thirteen colonies had fifty representatives. It met for seven weeks and during that time wrote many papers including the Declaration of Rights. It also created The Association which called for the colonies to completely boycott all British goods.