1763	Britain victorious in Seven Years War
1764	Sugar Act
1765	Quartering Act Stamp Act
1766	Repeal of the Stamp Act Declaratory Act
1768	Cook's exploration of South Seas
1770	Captain Cook discovered New South Wales Boston Massacre
1773	Tea Act Boston Tea Party
1774	Coercive Acts Quebec Act
1775	Fighting began in American colonies – Lexington & Concord Second Continental Congress Olive Branch Petition
1776	Adam Smith published ‘Wealth of Nations’ Thomas Paine published ‘Common Sense’ American Declaration of Independence
1777	Articles of Confederation Battle of Saratoga
1779	Trade restrictions removed from Ireland
1781	Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown
1783	Treaty of Paris – United States of America Independence recognised
1788	First penal colony established in New South Wales
1803	British settlement in Van Diemen’s Land (Tasmania)
1803 1815	Napoleonic Wars
1805	British victory at Battle of Trafalgar
1807	Abolition of slave trade
1809	Lachlan Macquarie became Governor of New South Wales
1813	First crossing of the Blue Mountains
1815	British victory at Battle of Waterloo Corn Laws introduced
1816	Navy bombarded Algiers in the struggle to end piracy
1819	Singapore acquired as an entrepot
1826	First settlements in Western Australia
1829	Sati (Suttee) abolished
1830	Drive against Thugi (Thugee) Whigs win general election
1832	Representation of the People’s Act / Great Reform Act
1833 1833	Abolition of slavery in the British Empire Britain acquire Falklands
1837	Rebellion in Canada
1838	Durham goes to Canada
1839-1842	First Opium Wars
1839	Aden acquired Publication of the Durham Report
1841	Conservatives win general election under Robert Peel
1842-46	Adoption of free trade – many customs duties abolished
1842	Hong Kong and Shanghai acquired under Treaty of Nanking
1845-49	Great Famine in Ireland
1846	Corn Laws repealed Sugar Duties removed
1848	Dalhousie appointed Governor General
1849	Repeal of the Navigation Acts Punjab annexed
1856	Awadh (Oudh) annexed
1857	Outbreak of Indian Rebellion / Mutiny
1858	Government of India Act abolished the East India Company
1875	British government bought 44% of Suez Canal shares
1878	Britain acquired Cyprus
1882	Occupation of Egypt by British forces
1883	Evelyn Baring appointed Agent and Consul General in Egypt
1884-1885	Berlin Conference
1884	Gordon sent to Sudan
1885	Death of Gordon
1890	Britain acquired Zanzibar
1898	Weihaiwei leased Conquest of the Sudan by Kitchener
1904	Fisher's naval reforms began
1906	HMS Dreadnought launched
1914	Opening of Panama Canal First World War breaks out

Timeline of key events Britain: losing and gaining an empire, 1763-1914