Two events that led to the American Revolution

When in the Course of Human Events...

1754–1763

The French and Indian War

1754

June 19–July 11: The Albany Congress

1763

Oct. 7: Proclamation of 1763

1764

April 5: The Sugar Act
September 1: The Currency Act

1765

March 22: The Stamp Act
March 24: The Quartering Act of 1765
May 29: Patrick Henry's "If this be treason, make the most of it!" speech
May 30: The Virginia Stamp Act Resolutions
Oct. 7–25: The Stamp Act Congress

1766

March 18: The Declaratory Act

1767

June 29: The Townshend Revenue Act

1768

August 1: Boston Non-Importation Agreement

1770

March 5: The Boston Massacre

1772

June 9: The Gaspee Affair

1773

May 10: The Tea Act Dec. 16: The Boston Tea Party

1774

March 31: Boston Port Act, one of the "Intolerable Acts"
May 20: Administration of Justice Act, one of the "Intolerable Acts"
May 20: Massachusetts Government Act, one of the "Intolerable Acts"
June 2: Quartering Act of 1774, one of the "Intolerable Acts"
June 22: Quebec Act, one of the "Intolerable Acts"
Sept. 5–Oct. 26: The First Continental Congress meets in Philadelphia and issues Declaration and Resolves Oct. 10: Battle of Point Pleasant, Virginia (disputed as to whether it was a battle of the American Revolution or the culmination of Lord Dunmore's War)

Oct. 20: The Association (prohibition of trade with Great Britain)

Oct. 24: Galloway's Plan rejected

1775

March 23: Patrick Henry's "Give me liberty or give me death" speech
Apr. 18: The Rides of Paul Revere and William Dawes
Apr. 19: Minutemen and redcoats clash at Lexington and Concord, "the shot heard 'round the world." May 10: Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys seize Fort Ticonderoga

May 10: The Second Continental Congress meets in Philadelphia

June 15: George Washington named Commander-in-Chief
June 17: Battle of Bunker Hill: The British drive the Americans from Breed's Hill July 3: Washington assumes command of the Continental Army Nov. 13: Richard Montgomery's Continental Army forces occupy Montreal in Canada Dec. 11: Virginia and NC patriots rout Loyalist troops and burn Norfolk Dec. 22: Colonel Thomson with 1,500 rangers and militia capture Loyalists at Great Canebrake, SC Dec. 23–30: Snow Campaign, in SC, so called because patriots are impeded by 15" of snow

Dec. 30–31: American forces under Benedict Arnold fail to seize Quebec

1776

Jan. 1: Daniel Morgan is taken prisoner during his attempt to take Quebec City
Jan. 15: Paine's Common Sense published Feb. 27: Revolutionaries drive the loyalists from Moore's Creek Bridge, North Carolina March 3: The Continental fleet captures New Providence Island in the Bahamas March 17: The British evacuate Boston; British Navy moves to Halifax, Canada June 8: Revolutionaries fail to take Three Rivers, Quebec

June 12: The Virginia Declaration of Rights

June 28: Sullivan's Island, SC, failed British naval attack

June 29: The First Virginia Constitution

June 28: American forces decisively defeat the British Navy at Fort Moultrie, South Carolina July 1: At the instigation of British agents, the Cherokee attack along the entire southern frontier

July 1–4: Congress debates and revises the Declaration of Independence. See Chronology of the Declaration

July 4: Congress adopts the Declaration of Independence; it's sent to the printer July 8: The Declaration of Independence is read publicly July 15: Lyndley's Fort, SC, Patriots fend off attack by Indians and Tories dressed as Indians Aug. 1: Ambushed by Cherokees, Patriots are saved by a mounted charge at Seneca, SC Aug. 2: Delegates begin to sign The Declaration of Independence Aug. 10: Tugaloo River, SC, Andrew Pickens defeats Cherokees Aug. 12: Andrew Pickens' detachment surrounded by 185 Cherokee Indians, forms a ring and fires outward. It is known as the "Ring Fight." Aug. 12: Colonel David Williamson and Andrew Pickens burn Tamassy, an Indian town Aug. 27: Redcoats defeat George Washington's army in the Battle of Long Island. Washington's army escapes at night. Sept. 15: The British occupy New York City

Sept. 16: Generals George Washington, Nathanael Greene, and Israel Putnam triumphantly hold their ground at the Battle of Harlem Heights

Sept. 19: Colonel David Williamson's Pennsylvania militia forces attacked by Cherokees at Coweecho River, NC

Oct. 11: Benedict Arnold defeated at the Battle of Valcour Island (Lake Champlain), but delayed British advance

Oct. 28: The Americans retreat from White Plains, New York. British casualties (~300) higher than American (~200). Nov. 16: The Hessians capture Fort Washington, NY Nov. 20: Lord Cornwallis captures Fort Lee from Nathanael Greene

Dec. 26: Washington crosses the Delaware and captures Trenton from Hessians

1777

Jan. 3: Washington victorious at Princeton Jan. 6–May 28: Washington winters in Morristown, NJ

Apr. 27: Benedict Arnold's troops force a British retreat at Ridgefield, Connecticut.

May 20: Treaty of DeWitt's Corner, SC: Cherokees lose most of their land east of the mountains

June 14: Flag Resolution

July 5: St. Clair surrenders Fort Ticonderoga to the British

July 27: Lafayette arrives in Philadelphia

Aug. 6: The Redcoats, with Iroquois support, force the patriots back at Oriskany, NY, but then have to evacuate Aug. 16: American Militia under General Stark victorious at the Battle of Bennington, VT (actually fought in Walloomsac, New York, several miles to the west) Aug. 23: British withdraw from Fort Stanwix, NY, upon hearing of Benedict Arnold's approach

Aug. 25: British General Howe lands at Head of Elk, Maryland

Sept. 11: The British win the Battle of Brandywine, Pennsylvania
Sept. 16: Rainout at the Battle of the Clouds, Pennsylvania Sept. 19: Burgoyne checked by Americans under Gates at Freeman's Farm, NY. This is part of the "Battles of Saratoga."

Sept. 21: Paoli Massacre, PA

Sept. 26: British under Howe occupy Philadelphia
Oct. 4: Americans driven off at the Battle of Germantown Oct. 7: Burgoyne loses second battle of Freeman's Farm, NY (at Bemis Heights). This is part of the "Battles of Saratoga." Oct. 17: Burgoyne surrenders to American General Gates at Saratoga, NY Oct. 22: Hessian attack on Fort Mercer, NJ repulsed

Nov. 16: British capture Fort Mifflin, Pennsylvania

Dec. 5–7: Americans repulse British at Whitemarsh, Pennsylvania
Dec. 19: Washington's army retires to winter quarters at Valley Forge

1778

Feb. 6: The United States and France sign the French Alliance March 7: British General William Howe replaced by Henry Clinton May 20: Battle of Barren Hill, Pennsylvania. Lafayette with 500 men and about 50 Oneida Indians successfully evade British onslaught June 18: British abandon Philadelphia and return to New York

June 19: Washington's army leaves Valley Forge

June 28: The Battle of Monmouth Court House ends in a draw July 4: George Rogers Clark captures Kaskaskia, a French village south of St. Louis Aug. 8: French and American forces besiege Newport, RI

Sept. 28: The Tappan Massacre ("No Flint" Grey kills 30 Americans by bayonet)

Dec. 29: The redcoats occupy Savannah

1779

Feb. 3: Major General Moultrie defeats British detachment at Port Royal Island, SC Feb. 14: Patriots Andrew Pickens and Elijah Clarke beat Loyalists at Kettle Creek, GA Feb. 23–24: American George Rogers Clark captures Vincennes (in what is now Indiana) on the Wabash in the Western campaign March 3: British Lt. Colonel Jacques Marcus Prévost defeats Americans under General John Ashe at Brier Creek, GA May 11–13: Major General Augustin Prévost (brother of Jacques, see above) breaks his siege when American forces under Major General Lincoln approach June 20: Stono River, SC, Major General Lincoln inflicts extensive British casualties in indecisive battle

June 21: Spain declares war on Great Britain July 8: Fairfield, CT, burned by British July 11: Norwalk, CT, burned by British July 15–16: American "Mad" Anthony Wayne captures Stony Point, NY

Aug. 19: Henry "Light Horse Harry" Lee attacks Paulus Hook, NJ Aug. 29: Newtown, NY, after two massacres, American forces burn Indian villages

Sept. 23: John Paul Jones, aboard the Bonhomme Richard, captures British man-of-war Serapis near English coast

Oct. 9: American attempt to recapture Savannah, GA fails Nov.–June 23, 1780: Washington's 2nd winter at Morristown, NJ (the harshest winter of the 18th century)

1780

May 12: British capture Charleston, SC May 29: British crush Americans at Waxhaw Creek, SC June 20: Patriots rout Tories at Ramseur's Mill, NC July 11: French troops arrive at Newport, RI, to aid the American cause Aug. 6: Patriots defeat Tories at Hanging Rock, SC Aug. 16: British rout Americans at Camden, SC Sept. 23: John André arrested, leading to the exposure of Benedict Arnold's plans to cede West Point to the British Oct. 7: King's Mountain, SC: battle lasts 65 minutes. American troops led by Isaac Shelby and John Sevier defeat Major Patrick Ferguson and one third of General Cornwallis's army Oct. 14: Washington names Nathanael Greene commander of the Southern Army

1781

Jan. 1: Mutiny of unpaid Pennsylvania soldiers Jan. 17: American General Daniel Morgan overwhelmingly defeats British Colonel Tarleton at Cowpens, SC Feb. 1: The Battle of Cowan's Ford, Huntersville, NC

March 2: Articles of Confederation adopted

March 15: British win costly victory at Guilford Courthouse, NC April 25: Greene defeated at Hobkirk's Hill, SC May 15: British Major Andrew Maxwell cedes Fort Granby, SC to Lieutenant Colonel Henry Lee June 6: Americans recapture Augusta, GA June 18: British hold off Americans at Ninety Six, SC July 6: "Mad" Anthony Wayne repulsed at Green Springs Farm, VA Sept. 8: Greene defeated at Eutaw Springs, SC Sept. 15: French fleet drives British naval force from Chesapeake Bay Oct. 19: Cornwallis surrounded on land and sea by Americans and French and surrenders at Yorktown, VA

1782

March 8: Gnadenhutten massacre, a.k.a. the Moravian massacre.
March 20: Lord North resigns as British prime minister July 11: British evacuate Savannah, GA Nov. 30: British and Americans sign preliminary Articles of Peace Dec. 14: British leave Charleston, SC

1783

April 19: Congress ratifies preliminary peace treaty Sept. 3: The United States and Great Britain sign the Treaty of Paris Nov. 25: British troops leave New York City Dec. 23: Washington resigns as Commander

1787

Sept. 17: U.S. Constitution signed

1788

June 21: U.S. Constitution adopted, when New Hampshire ratifies it