Key Causes and Events of the American Revolution: 3.2

Townshend Acts

British taxes on imported goods led to colonial boycotts and increased unity in resisting British rule.

Committees of Correspondence

Groups formed by colonies to share news and coordinate resistance against British policies.

Boston Massacre

In 1770, British soldiers killed five colonists during a confrontation, fueling anger and colonial propaganda against Britain.

Tea Act

A 1773 law letting the East India Company sell tea directly in the colonies, which colonists resisted to avoid accepting British taxes.

Boston Tea Party

Colonists protested the Tea Act by dumping tea into Boston Harbor, showing strong resistance to British control.

Coercive/Intolerable Acts

British laws punishing Massachusetts for the Tea Party, including closing Boston Harbor and limiting colonial self-government.

First Continental Congress

In 1774, colonies (except Georgia) met to coordinate a unified response to British policies, affirming their rights.

Olive Branch Petition

A last attempt by Congress to peacefully reconcile with Britain while preparing for conflict by forming an army.

Common Sense

Thomas Paine's 1776 pamphlet that clearly argued for independence, encouraging widespread colonial support.

Declaration of Independence

The official document declaring the American colonies free from British rule.