2. Proclamation of 1763: After the French and Indian War, Britain issued the Proclamation of 1763, which restricted colonial expansion west of the Appalachian Mountains. This action angered colonists who had migrated west in search of land, and it further strained relations between Britain and the colonies.
3. Quartering Act: In 1765, the British Parliament passed the Quartering Act, which required colonists to provide housing and supplies for British soldiers. This act was unpopular among colonists, who saw it as an invasion of their rights as British subjects.
4. Stamp Act: In 1765, the British Parliament also passed the Stamp Act, which imposed a tax on all printed materials in the colonies. This act sparked outrage among colonists, who argued that they should not be taxed without representation in Parliament.
5. Boston Massacre: In 1770, British soldiers opened fire on a group of colonists in Boston, killing five people. This event, known as the Boston Massacre, further inflamed tensions between the colonies and Britain.
6. Tea Act: In 1773, the British Parliament passed the Tea Act, which gave the British East India Company a monopoly on the sale of tea in the colonies. This act further angered colonists, who organized protests against the British government.
7. Boston Tea Party: In December 1773, a group of colonists disguised as Native Americans boarded British ships in Boston Harbor and dumped their cargo of tea into the sea. This event, known as the Boston Tea Party, was a direct challenge to British authority.
8. Intolerable Acts: In response to the Boston Tea Party, the British Parliament passed the Intolerable Acts in 1774. These acts further restricted the rights of colonists and angered many colonists, who began to talk openly about independence from Britain.
9. First Continental Congress: In September 1774, representatives from the colonies met in Philadelphia for the First Continental Congress. This meeting was a prelude to the American Revolution, as delegates discussed ways to resist British authority.
10. Start of the American Revolution: In April 1775, the first shots of the American Revolution were fired at Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts. This marked the beginning of the war for American independence, which lasted until 1783.