Road to Revolution

The colonies faced increasing tensions with Great Britain leading to the declaration of independence.

Colonies: Settlements established by a country in a new territory.
Monarchy: A form of government with a monarch at the head.
Taxes: Mandatory financial charges imposed by a government.
Duties: Taxes on specific goods.
Tariff: A tax on imports or exports.
Proclamation: An official announcement.
Writ of Assistance: A legal document allowing customs officers to search for smuggled goods.
Warrant: A legal authorization for an action.
Standing Army: A permanent, professional army.
Repeal: To revoke or annul a law.
Due Process: Legal requirement that the state must respect all legal rights owed to a person.

Pontiac’s War (1763): Led by Ottawa Chief Pontiac against American settlers.
- Multiple tribes united against settlers in the Ohio River Valley.
- Resulted in significant violence and was ultimately unsuccessful for Native Americans.
Proclamation of 1763: Issued by the King to maintain peace with Native Americans.
- Colonists largely ignored the proclamation, leading to tensions.

The proclamation reserved lands for Native Americans and forbade colonial settlement beyond certain boundaries.
Colonists were ordered to vacate lands not ceded or purchased from Native tribes.

Standing Army: Colonists viewed the presence of British soldiers as oppressive.
Sugar Act (1764): Taxed sugar and punished smugglers, leading to colonial outcry of "No taxation without representation."
Quartering Act (1765): Required colonists to provide housing and supplies for British soldiers, which was met with resistance.

Stamp Act (1765): First direct tax on colonists, requiring stamped paper for legal documents.
- Colonists protested, claiming it violated their rights as they had no representation in Parliament.
Sons of Liberty: Formed to protest the Stamp Act, using both peaceful and violent methods.
Stamp Act Congress: Delegates petitioned for repeal, which was achieved in 1766.

Townshend Duties (1767): Imposed duties on imports like glass and tea, leading to further colonial resistance.
Colonists organized boycotts and created the Daughters of Liberty to promote homemade goods.

Boston Massacre (March 5, 1770): Tensions escalated between colonists and British soldiers, resulting in the death of five colonists.
- John Adams defended the soldiers, emphasizing the importance of justice.

Tea Act (1773): Allowed the British East India Company to sell tea directly to America, undermining colonial merchants.
Boston Tea Party (December 17, 1773): Protest against the Tea Act where colonists dumped tea into Boston Harbor.
Coercive Acts (1774): Punitive measures against Massachusetts, including closing Boston Harbor and appointing a royal governor.

First Continental Congress (September 5, 1774): Delegates from 12 colonies met to discuss grievances against the King.
Suffolk Resolves: Called for a boycott of British goods until the Coercive Acts were repealed.

Battles of Lexington and Concord (April 19, 1775): Marked the start of armed conflict between Britain and the colonies.
- "The Shot Heard Round the World" symbolized the beginning of the Revolutionary War.

Second Continental Congress (May 10, 1775): All colonies attended, leading to the formation of a Continental Army.
Olive Branch Petition: A final attempt at reconciliation with the King, which was rejected.
Lee Resolution: Called for independence from Britain.

Common Sense (January 1776): Thomas Paine's pamphlet advocating for independence.
Declaration of Independence (July 4, 1776): Primarily authored by Thomas Jefferson, it outlined the colonies' grievances and justified their break from Britain.
Virginia Declaration of Rights: Influenced the Declaration of Independence, emphasizing inherent rights of individuals.

This note summarizes the key events and ideas