Timeline Description: The American colonists were living under Great Britain's rule. They were being taxed unfairly, and they were tired of it. They decided it was time to stand up and fight. This timeline shows the events that took place as they fought for independence.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1765 | Great Britain passed the Stamp Act. The Stamp Act forced the colonists to pay taxes on everything from documents to playing cards. The colonists didn't like this. |
| 1767 | The British imposed the Townshend duties. The Townshend duties made the American colonists pay taxes on tea, paint, and many other things. The colonists became very angry at the extra, unfair taxes. |
| 1770 | A fight between British troops and colonists broke out. The colonists had grown tired of being unfairly taxed and bullied. They decided to fight back. |
| 1774 | The Coercive Acts came into play. These were also called the Intolerable Acts by the colonists. They were laws passed by the British to make the colonists cooperate. |
| April 15, 1775 | The Revolutionary War began. The first shots of the war were fired in Massachusetts. Thousands of volunteers came to help the Continental Army. |
| June 17, 1775 | The Battle of Bunker Hill took place. The colonists, called Patriots, lost the battle but they put up a good fight. It showed the British troops they meant business. |
| June 27, 1776 | South Carolina held their ground. British Navy troops came against South Carolina, but the Patriots held their ground and won the battle. |
| July 04, 1776 | America declared Independence. The Declaration of Independence was signed, declaring America's freedom. |
| January 1777 | George Washington emerged a victor. Washington brought his troops into New Jersey on Christmas night, surprising British troops. Washington's army claimed the victory. |
| December 1777 | Valley Forge. George Washington's troops spent a brutal winter in Valley Forge. It was freezing, and there was little food, but the army made it through. |
| February 1778 | France allied with America. After several American victories against the British, France decided to side with the Americans. With their help the Americans were much stronger. |
| 1780 | Charleston fell to the British. When it became clear that the northern territories were strong for the Patriots, the British decided to focus their battles in the South. They took Charleston, a Patriot stronghold. |
| 1781 | British defeated at Yorktown. A large British army was defeated by American and French troops. |
| 1782 | British loyalist left the country. When it became clear that the Patriots would win the war, many colonists who were loyal to England decided to move away. Many of them went north, to Canada. |
| 1783 | The war ended. The Treaty of Paris was signed and the war came to an end. |