AP U.S History Chapter 5 Study Guide

1763 - Proclamation of 1763

Banned colonial settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains to avoid conflicts with Native Americans. Frustrated settlers and speculators who wanted western land.

1764 - Sugar Act

Reduced molasses tax but tightened anti-smuggling enforcement; strengthened admiralty courts (no jury trials). Colonists saw it as taxation without consent.

1765 - Stamp Act

First direct tax on colonies; required stamps on printed items (newspapers, legal documents, books, etc.). Affected nearly all colonists and sparked intense opposition.

October 1765 - Stamp Act Congress

Delegates from nine colonies met in New York. Affirmed loyalty to Britain but insisted that only colonial representatives could levy taxes. Organized boycotts of British goods.

1766 - Repeal of Stamp Act & Declaratory Act

Parliament repealed the Stamp Act due to protests and boycotts, but passed Declaratory Act, asserting full authority to legislate for the colonies "in all cases whatsoever.

"1767 - Townshend Acts

Imposed duties on imports like glass, lead, paint, paper, and tea. Revenues used to pay royal officials, reducing power of colonial legislatures.

1768-1769 - Nonimportation Movement

Colonists boycotted British goods. Women played a central role, producing homespun clothing and goods ("Daughters of Liberty").

March 5, 1770 - Boston Massacre

British soldiers fired into a crowd, killing five colonists (including Crispus Attucks). Became a propaganda tool for Patriots, though John Adams defended the soldiers at trial.

1770 - Partial Repeal of Townshend Acts

Parliament repealed all duties except the tax on tea, maintaining principle of parliamentary authority.

1773 - Tea Act

Granted East India Company monopoly on tea sales in the colonies. Tea was cheaper but still taxed, leading colonists to see it as a trick to accept taxation.

December 16, 1773 - Boston Tea Party

Colonists disguised as Mohawks dumped over 300 chests of tea into Boston Harbor. Major financial blow to Britain.

1774 - Intolerable (Coercive) Acts

Britain's punishment for the Tea Party: closed Boston Harbor, altered Massachusetts' charter, restricted town meetings, and allowed quartering of soldiers in homes.

1774 - Quebec Act

Extended Quebec's boundary to the Ohio River and granted Catholic religious toleration. Colonists saw it as a threat to Protestant control and expansion westward.

September 1774 - First Continental Congress (Philadelphia)

Delegates from 12 colonies coordinated resistance, endorsed Suffolk Resolves (urged disobedience), formed the Continental Association to enforce boycotts, and began preparing for war. Patrick Henry: "I am not a Virginian, but an American.

"1774-1775 - Committees of Safety

Local enforcement groups transferred power from royal officials to grassroots Patriot leadership. Involved roughly 7,000 colonists.

April 19, 1775 - Battles of Lexington and Concord

First military clashes of the Revolution. British troops attempted to seize colonial arms; militia resisted. "Shot heard 'round the world.

"June 1775 - Battle of Bunker Hill

British technically win but suffer heavy losses. Boosted American confidence that resistance was possible.

1775 - Second Continental Congress

Created the Continental Army under George Washington and organized colonial defense.

November 1775 - Lord Dunmore's Proclamation

British governor of Virginia promised freedom to enslaved people who joined the British army. Drove more Southern planters toward the Patriot cause.

January 1776 - Thomas Paine's Common Sense

Pamphlet attacked monarchy and hereditary rule, calling for full independence. Massively influenced public opinion.

July 2-4, 1776 - Declaration of Independence

Drafted by Thomas Jefferson; approved by Congress. Declared independence, emphasized natural rights and the right to revolution, and redefined liberty as universal.

December 1776-January 1777 - Battles of Trenton and Princeton

Washington led surprise attacks on Hessian and British forces, reviving Patriot morale after setbacks in New York.

October 1777 - Battle of Saratoga

American victory over General Burgoyne. Turning point of the war; convinced France to ally with the U.S.Winter 1777-1778 - Valley Forge Harsh winter camp for Washington's army. Soldiers endured starvation and disease but gained discipline through training by Baron von Steuben.

1778 - Treaty of Amity and Commerce with France

France formally recognized U.S. independence and entered the war. Spain later followed. The Revolution became a global conflict.

December 1778 -British Capture Savannah

Beginning of Britain's "southern strategy," relying on Loyalist support in the South.

May 1780 -Fall of Charleston

Worst American defeat of the war; 5,000 soldiers captured.

August 1780 -Battle of Camden

Major British victory in South Carolina; American army routed.

January 1781 -Battle of Cowpens

Daniel Morgan's forces crushed Tarleton's troops; turning point in the South.

March 1781 -Battle of Guilford Courthouse

Nathanael Greene's army inflicted heavy losses on Cornwallis through strategic retreat, weakening British forces.

October 1781 - Battle of Yorktown

Washington,aided by French troops and navy, trapped Cornwallis in Virginia. Cornwallis surrendered with 8,000 men. Last major battle of the war.

September 1783 - Treaty of Paris

Formally ended the war. Britain recognized U.S. independence; boundaries set to the Mississippi River. Spain regained Florida.