APUSH Revolution Timeline

1763 End of the 7 Years War: With the French completely out of North America, and the Indian and Spanish numbers down, the colonists were free to expand west without worry of attack - victory for the colonists

Proclamation Line of 1763: After spending the last few years at war, the colonists were ready to finally expand west. Then the Proclamation Line was adopted and colonists could no longer go west. The colonists were very angry that winning the war had essentially been in vain. - Defeat for the colonists

1770 Boston Massacre: This, at first, innocent taunting quickly turned deadly for the colonists. Captain Thomas Preston and his group of British soldiers were strongly protecting the Custom House, as colonists threw snowballs at them. Then a soldier reportedly said "fire", and soon five colonists were killed and another six were wounded. A majority of the soldiers, except for 2, were found "not guilty" at the trial. British troops won that round in terms of casualties. -defeat for the colonists

1763 Writs of Assistance: These documents served as a general search warrant to search ships and houses for any smuggled goods. Smuggling had become an honorable job in the colonies, because trade was retricted to only Britain. Smuggling allowed the colonies to get goods from non-British countries for lower pirces, but now smugglers could be easily caught. -Defeat for the colonists

1764 Sugar Act: Taxed sugar which resulted in higher prices on rum, which colonists feared would price them out of the markets. It also listed specific goods, such as lumber, that could only be exported to Britain now. This would have a devastating economic impact, since it came at the time of an economic depression. -Defeat for the colonists

1765 Stamp Act Congress. Colonists met to resist the implementation of the Stamp Act by the British. The Congress helped encourage boycotts and ultimately helped lead to the repeal of the Stamp Act – victory for colonists!

1765 Stamp Act: Tax on 50 commonly used goods on the colonists to raise revenue. This affected virtually everyone in Colonial America. The colonists felt it was a violation of their rights since they had no say in the tax – defeat for colonists!

1766 Townshend Acts: Taxed goods, such as British china, glass, lead, paint, paper and tea. To ensure that the law was enforced, British troops were sent over causing tensions amongst the colonies. And to top it all off, the revenue was used to pay the salaries of colonial governors and judges, ensuring their loyalty to the British crown and not the colonies. Colonists saw this as a major abuse of power since they had no representation in Parliamen. -defeat for the colonists

1773 Boston Tea Party: Members of the Sons of Liberty dressed as Natives and dumped 342 chests of tea into the Boston Harbor. While some colonists cheered, it ultimately created a divide between the rebellions. Prominent figures, George Washington and Benjamin Franklin denounced the event. The event later led to the Boston Port Act, which closed the Boston Port until the money was repaid for the destroyed tea. -Defeat for the colonists

1774 Intolerable Acts: These were enacted in response the colonies destruction of British property. The acts closed the Boston port, restricted town meetings in MA, made British officials immune to criminal prosecution in MA, and required colonists to give up their own private homes if soldiers needed it. The acts served to cut New England off from the rest of the colonies and prevent resistance to the Crown. However, it did the opposite. Quickly, colonies were brought together and sent supplies to Boston.

1774 First Continental Congress: This meeting had elected delegates that finally represented every colony, but Georgia. Together, the delegates debated over the best matter to control the Crown's abuse of power and to air their grievances. The Articles of Association gave the Crown an ultimatum, rescind the Intolerable Acts or face a boycott of British goods. -Victory for the colonists

1775 Second Continental Congress: This meeting, with the same delegates as the first, managed the colonial war effort, financing the war with borrowed funds and without the support of taxes; states were asked to contribute men, supplies, and funds. Eventually it would adopt Lee's Resolution, creating the country of the USA, and a few days later adopt the Declaration of Independence, granting the new country. -victory for the colonists

1775 Battle of Bunker Hill: While the colonists were defeated in the short-term, they definitely won the long-term results of the battle. The inexperienced force inflicted devastating damage to the British troops. This boosted confidence for the colonists. It showed the colonists that patriotic dedication could let them overcome the British, while the British realized how costly the war would be. -Victoryish for the colonists

1775 Olive Branch Petition: This document was the final attempt to avoid war with the British from the colonists. In it, the colonists embarrassingly pledged their loyalty to the crown and asserted their rights as British crowns. In Britain, it s doubtful if the crown even took a second look at the petition. War was going to go full-scale. -Defeat for the colonists.

1776 Thomas Paine's Common Sense: Paine's pamphlets expressed his arguments in favor of independence. The pamphlet is considered one of the most influential in history, as it united average citizens and political leaders towards the American Revolution. It was a huge leap forward toward independence. -Victory for the colonists

1764 Admiralty Courts: These courts resolved disputes among merchants and seamen. These courts did not use the jury system, so a judge was the sole decider. Colonists argued that they lakced their "constitutional" right of trial-by-jury. As well, they presumed the defendant was guilty until proven innocent, so they prosecuted enemies of Great Britain with much power. -Defeat for the colonists