Timeline of Events

 
 
 

1763

February French and Indian War, or Seven Years War, ends with Peace of Paris 1763

May Chief Pontiac leads series of coordinated Indian rebellions

October Proclamation of 1763 bans westward migration

1764

April Parliament passes Sugar Act and Currency Act

March Parliament passes Stamp Act

May Parliament passes the Quartering Act of 1765

May Virginia passes Patrick Henry’s Stamp Act Resolves

October Stamp Act Congress convenes in NY

1765

1766

March Parliament repeals Stamp Act and passes the Declaratory Act

1767

June Parliament passes the Townshend Acts

November John Dickenson publishes Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania

1768

February Samuel Adams writes the Massachusetts Circular Letter

June British Troops sent to Boston

March Boston Massacre

April Parliament repeals the Townshend duties, with the exception of the duty on tea

1770

1772

June British Ship Gaspee burns off Rhode Island

November Bostonians publish The Votes and Proceedings, listing British violations of American Rights

November Boston Committee of Correspondence begins

1773

March Virginia sponsors intercolonial Committee of Correspondence

May Parliament passes the Tea Act

December Boston Tea Party

1774

March-May Parliament passes the Coercive Acts

June Parliament passes the Quebec Act

August First VA Convention meets in Williamsburg

September First Continental Congress meets in Philadelphia

 
 

By the fall of 1774, the colonials had progressed from denying Parliament had the right to tax them, to denying that Parliament had any authority in the colonies. The colonies saw the King as the authority over them, with their assemblies being equal to Parliament.

 

1775

March Patrick Henry delivers “Give me liberty or give me death” speech at Second Virginia Convention in Richmond.

April Battles of Lexington and Concord

May Second Continental Congress convenes in Philadelphia

June George Washington appointed Commander of the Continental Army

July Olive Branch Petition sent to King

July Third Virginia Convention meets in Richmond

August King George III declares colonies in open rebellion

December Fourth Virginia Convention meets Williamsburg

 

While the radicals had already decided on a course of independence, most colonials still felt ties of loyalty to the King. The rejection of the Olive Branch petition by the King and the publication of “Common Sense” broke the final ties to the Crown, clearing the way to declaring independence.

 

1776

January Thomas Paine publishes Common Sense

March British troops evacuate Boston

May Fifth Virginia Convention meets in Williamsburg, instructs delegates to Continental Congress to vote for independence and adopts Virginia Declaration of Rights and the Virginia Constitution

July 4 Continental Congress declares independence and approves the Declaration of Independence