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Date |
Event(s) |
| 1 | 1752 | - 15 Jun 1752: Franklin's kite experiment,Benjamin Franklin conducted his famous kite experiment, proving that lightning is a form of electricity.
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| 2 | 1754 | - 28 May 1754: French and Indian War begins,A conflict between Great Britain and France for control of North America began, with Native American tribes allied with both sides.
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| 3 | 1759 | - 14 Sep 1759: Battle of Quebec,British forces under General James Wolfe defeated the French, leading to the capture of Quebec and a turning point in the French and Indian War.
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| 4 | 1763 | - 10 Feb 1763: Treaty of Paris ends war,The Treaty of Paris was signed, ending the French and Indian War and ceding French territory in North America to Great Britain.
- 7 Oct 1763: Proclamation of 1763,King George III issued a proclamation forbidding American colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains.
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| 5 | 1764 | - 5 Apr 1764: Sugar Act passed,The British Parliament passed the Sugar Act to raise revenue from the colonies, which angered colonists and led to protests.
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| 6 | 1765 | - 22 Mar 1765: Stamp Act passed,The British Parliament passed the Stamp Act, requiring a tax on all legal documents, newspapers, and other printed materials.
- 24 Mar 1765: Quartering Act,The British Parliament passed the Quartering Act, requiring American colonists to provide housing and food for British soldiers.
- 7 Oct 1765: Stamp Act Congress meets,Delegates from nine colonies met in New York to protest the Stamp Act, issuing a Declaration of Rights and Grievances.
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| 7 | 1766 | - 18 Mar 1766: Declaratory Act passed,The British Parliament repealed the Stamp Act but passed the Declaratory Act, asserting its right to legislate for the colonies "in all cases whatsoever."
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| 8 | 1767 | - 29 Jun 1767: Townshend Acts passed,Parliament passed new laws taxing imports of glass, lead, paper, paint, and tea into the colonies.
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| 9 | 1770 | - 5 Mar 1770: Boston Massacre,British soldiers fired into a crowd of colonists in Boston, killing five people and further inflaming tensions.
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| 10 | 1773 | - 10 May 1773: Tea Act passed,The British Parliament passed the Tea Act, which gave the British East India Company a monopoly on tea sales in the colonies.
- 16 Dec 1773: Boston Tea Party,Colonists in Boston, disguised as Native Americans, dumped 342 chests of tea into Boston Harbor in protest of the Tea Act.
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| 11 | 1774 | - 31 Mar 1774: Coercive Acts (Intolerable Acts),In response to the Boston Tea Party, Parliament passed a series of punitive laws, including the Boston Port Act and the Quartering Act.
- 5 Sep 1774: First Continental Congress,Delegates from 12 of the 13 colonies met in Philadelphia to coordinate a response to the Coercive Acts.
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| 12 | 1775 | - 19 Apr 1775: Battles of Lexington and Concord,The "shot heard 'round the world" was fired, marking the start of the American Revolutionary War.
- 10 May 1775: Second Continental Congress,The Second Continental Congress convened in Philadelphia, assuming the role of a provisional government for the colonies.
- 17 Jun 1775: Battle of Bunker Hill,British forces defeated the American colonists in a costly battle in Boston, demonstrating the colonists' determination.
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| 13 | 1776 | - 4 Jul 1776: Declaration of Independence adopted,The Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence, formally severing ties with Great Britain.
- 26 Dec 1776: Battle of Trenton,General George Washington and his troops crossed the Delaware River and defeated a Hessian garrison in a surprise attack.
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| 14 | 1777 | - 17 Oct 1777: Battle of Saratoga,American forces defeated the British at Saratoga, a turning point that convinced France to enter the war as an American ally.
- 19 Dec 1777—19 Jun 1778: Winter at Valley Forge
The Continental Army endured a brutal winter at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, suffering from disease, cold, and starvation.
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| 15 | 1778 | - 23 Feb 1778: Treaty of Alliance with France,The United States and France signed a treaty, formally recognizing American independence and creating a military alliance.
- 29 Dec 1778: British capture Savannah,British forces captured the city of Savannah, Georgia, as part of their "Southern strategy."
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| 16 | 1780 | - 12 May 1780: British capture Charleston,The British captured Charleston, South Carolina, a major defeat for the Continental Army.
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| 17 | 1781 | - 1 Mar 1781: Articles of Confederation ratified,The states officially ratified the Articles of Confederation, the first government of the United States.
- 19 Oct 1781: Battle of Yorktown,The combined American and French forces trapped and defeated the British army at Yorktown, Virginia, a decisive victory that led to the end of the war.
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1744 - Bef 1781 (< 36 years)