A day off from work. Hot dogs. Hamburgers. Picnics. Fireworks. Beer. Maybe some baseball. Of course, a little Arete Cannabis. This is how most typical Americans celebrate the thirteen original colonies’ declaring their independence.
Such celebrations are a good thing. Getting together with family, friends, and neighbors is a good thing. But remembering the true reasons why we’re celebrating is a better thing. Actually, it’s a great thing.
As Americans, greatness is our DNA. History also shows that rebellion is in our DNA. The American Revolution, a political movement, was fueled by the colonists’ disdain for their distant rulers in Great Britain. A disdain so intoxicating – and combined with a natural need for autonomy – that the colonists were willing to fight for their principles, for their beliefs, and ultimately for their independence. From 1775 to 1783 they did fight, in the American Revolution.
As a patriotic company who believes in all that the United States is and stands for, we decided to feed your curiosity with some great information on how we became the USA!!! “The American Revolution – The Battle for Independence” (below my letter to y’all) in a timeline format, highlights the significant events and major military battles from 1775 to 1783.
As we all know, on July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was signed by all 56 delegates of the Second Continental Congress. The support from the delegates was unanimous for Thomas Jefferson’s words that made concrete what so many in the colonies were feeling. But as you’ll witness from reading that timeline, independence did not come easy or quickly. Even after the Declaration of Independence was signed, it took the Patriots an additional seven years – of many, many, many battles – until September 1783 to finally win the American Revolution.
We can celebrate today because of the ideals, decisions, and actions made by men and women nearly 250 years ago. Let that sink in. Their bravery in fighting a well-established adversary, and their persistence in doing so until they achieved their goal is a lesson for all of us today. Please take a moment to pause and reflect on what those first Americans had to do to accomplish what they did.
It would be foolish of me to equate our current struggles with those of the newly-born United States. With that said, few things we experience today exemplify the importance of freedom and liberty better than cannabis. A natural flower. A gift from God, literally. And yet our government continues to overreach into our private lives and restrict us from the health and wellness benefits, and enjoyment of cannabis.
We know what freedom looks like. We know how it feels. Sometimes, we even know how it smells.
We wish you all a happy and safe Independence Day.
God bless America –
Team Arete
“The American Revolution – The Battle for Independence”
1765 (March 22) – Parliament imposes the Stamp Act on the colonies. The Stamp Act placed a tax on many types of printed materials. In the colonies, the act triggered demonstrations, many of which were violent. From these protests came the now famous slogan “No taxation without representation.”By the way, the Stamp Act was also known as the Duties in American Colonies Act 1765.
1765 (March 24) – Two days later Parliament enacts the Quartering Act. This act required the colonies to provide food and shelter to British troops.
1765 (October 7 – 25) – The Stamp Act Congress is held in New York City and was attended by delegates from nine colonies. From this meeting comes a Declaration of Rights and Grievances, as well as a petition to Parliament and the king to repeal the Stamp Act.
1766 (March 18) – In just less than a year after its enactment, Parliament – feeling the pressure from boycotts and other protests – repeals the Stamp Act. However, it simultaneously passes the American Colonies Act 1766. This new act, also known as the Declaratory Act – it was also an amendment to the Sugar Act 1764, formalized as law Parliament’s powers were the same in the colonies as they were in Britain. It declared Parliament’s authority to pass laws that were binding on the American colonies.
1767 – Parliament continues its rein of tax terror with the Townshend Acts. The Townshend Acts is an umbrella term for five different acts passed between June 1967 and March 1768. These acts are:
The Revenue Act 1767 (June 29, 1767)
The Commissioners of Customs (June 29, 1767
The Indemnity Act 1767 (July 2, 1767)
The New York Restraining Act 1767 (July 2, 1767)
The Vice-Admiralty Court Act 1768 (March 8, 1768)
The colonists condemned these efforts as an abuse of power, and it deepened their commitment to “No taxation without representation.”
1768 (February) – In response to the Townshend Acts, Samuel Adams and James Otis Jr. co-author the Massachusetts Circular Letter. The letter was passed by the Massachusetts House of Representatives. The gist of its argument was that colonies should only be taxed by their own provincial assemblies and not the British Parliament. The letter did not challenge Parliament’s scope as the supreme legislative body of the British Empire. Nonetheless, the Massachusetts Circular Letter increased the tension between Parliament and Massachusetts and resulted in the British Army occupying Boston.
1768 (April) – Lord Hillsborough, the British Empire’s Secretary of State to the Colonies, issues an order to stop colonial assemblies from endorsing Adams Otis letter. Hillsborough is all but ignored. By the end of the month the assemblies of Connecticut, New Hampshire, and New Jersey have endorsed the Massachusetts Circular Letter.
1768 (May) – The British ship HNS Homney docks in Boston harbor in support of customs officials trying to enforce Parliament enacted tariffs.
1768 (July) – The governor of Massachusetts dissolves the general court, per Lord Hillsborough’s directive in April.
1768 (August) – Merchants in New York and Boston agree to boycott nearly all British goods until the Townsend Acts are repealed.
1768 (Early September) – In Boston, at a town meeting early in the month, colonists are urged to acquire guns in the event of further escalation.
1768 (Late September) – In Boston harbor, additional British warships drop anchor. Two regiments of British infantry are deployed to maintain order.
1769 (December 16) – “To the Betrayed Inhabitants of the City and Colony of New York” is published anonymously by Alexander McDougal a local member of the Sons of Liberty.
1770 (January 19) – In New York City, British troops wound multiple civilians, leading to one death. This is known as the Battle of Golden Hill or the Golden Hill incident.
1770 (March 5) – A small group of British soldiers are harassed by a much larger group of Bostonites. The soldiers eventually panicked and fired into the crowd. Over the coming weeks, a total of six civilians died from injuries from those shots. Many Patriots – including Samuel Adams and Paul Revere – framed the event as a massacre. On the other hand, it’s known as the Incident on King Street, in Great Britain.
1771 (May 16) – The Battle of Alamance takes place in North Carolina between the local Regulator Movement and the North Carolina government which was a government put in place by Great Britain.
1772 – The Committees of Correspondence was organized by Samuel Adams.
1772 (June 9) – While enforcing the Navigation Acts around Newport, Rhode Island, the Royal Navy schooner HMS Gaspee, runs aground in shallow water. A group of colonists boards the stranded ship and sets it on fire. The ship burns to the waterline. History books call this the Gaspee Affair.
1773 (May 10) – The Tea Act, officially the Tea Act 1773, is passed by Parliament. While there was resistance throughout the thirteen colonies, of these efforts, the most famous event was the Boston Tea Party.
1773 (December 16) – A group of colonists (some disguised as Native Americans) boarded tea ships in Boston harbor and dumped the tea cargo overboard. This came to be known as The Boston Tea Party.
1774 – From March to June, Parliament passes five acts collectively known as the Intolerable Acts; also referred to as the Insufferable Acts, or in Britain as the Coercive Acts. The primary aim of this collection of acts was to punish colonists across Massachusetts for the Boston Tea Party.
Boston Port Act (March 31)
Administration of Justice Act (May 20)
Massachusetts Government Act (May 20)
A second Quartering Act (June 2)
Quebec Act (June 22)
1774 (September 5 – October 26) – In response to the Intolerable Acts, the First Continental Congress meets in Carpenters’ Hall in Philadelphia. Delegates are sent from twelve of the thirteen colonies. Georgia was the one colony that didn’t send delegates in 1774 but did in 1775 when the Continental Congress met again.
Accomplishments of the First Continental Congress:
Declaration and Resolves, also known as Declaration of Rights (October 14)
Continental Association (October 20)
Petition to the King (October 26)
1774 (December 22) – Greenwich Tea Party took place in Greenwich, New Jersey, and was the last of six tea parties.
1775 (April 18) – Paul Revere’s historic Midnight Ride warning fellow Patriots in the Province of Massachusetts Bay that the British Army was approaching.
1775 (April 19) – The Battles of Lexington and Concord was the first major military exchange of the Revolutionary War. It resulted in an American victory and a buy-in of militia support for the anti-British cause.
1775 (May 10) – Ethan Allen, the Green Mountain Boys , and Benedict Arnold capture Fort Ticonderoga in the Providence of New York.
1775 (May 10) – Second Continental Congress meets, again in Philadelphia. And again, representatives from 12 of the 13 colonies attended. Both John Hancock (of Massachusetts) and Benjamin Franklin (of Pennsylvania) attended for the first time.
It is important to note that the Continental Congress had no explicit legal authority from Great Britain and the British Parliament to govern. Instead, it assumed the functions of a national government, including raising armies, appointing generals, obtaining loans from Europe, issuing paper money called “Continentals”, disbursing funds, appointing ambassadors, and signing treaties. Congress had no authority to levy taxes and was required to request money, supplies, and troops from the states to support the war effort. Individual states frequently ignored these requests.
1775 (June 14) – Congress votes to create the Continental Army and appointed George Washington (of Virginia) as commanding general. General Washington eventually takes command on July 2.
1775 (June 17) – Battle of Bunker Hill
1775 (July 8) – The Second Continental Congress, as a final attempt to avoid war with Great Britain, adopts the Olive Branch Petition and sends it to King George III.
1775 (October 13) – The Second Continental Congress established the Continental Navy.
1775 (November 10) – The Second Continental Congress established the Continental Marines. This military organization would eventually become the modern-day United States Marine Corps.
1776 (January 10) – Thomas Paine publishes his 47-page pamphlet, “Common Sense”. In it, Paine advocated for independence from Great Britain.
1776 (March 17) – After a lengthy occupation, British military forces evacuate Boston.
1776 (April 6) – Congress, exerting its self-proclaimed authority and power, opens American ports to trade with all nations, except Great Britain.
1776 (July 2) – The Second Continental Congress adopts a resolution declaring independence from the British Empire.
1776 (July 4) – The separation from the British Empire is formalized as the “United States Declaration of Independence”.
1776 – After the Declaration of Independence is adopted, a number of significant battles took place.
Battle of Long Island, a.k.a. Battle of Brooklyn (August 27)
Battle of Harlem Heights (September 16)
Battle of Valcour Island (October 11)
Battle of Pell’s Point (October 18)
Battle of White Plains (October 29)
Battle of Fort Cumberland (November 10 – 29)
Battle of Fort Washington (November 16)
Battle of Fort Lee (November 20)
Ambush of Geary (December 14)
Battle of Iron Works Hill (December 23–26)
Battle of Trenton (December 26)
1777 – At this point, as a series of military actions, the Revolutionary War was in full effect. The battles continued:
Battle of the Assunpink Creek, also known as the Second Battle of Trenton (January 2)
Battle of Princeton (January 3)
Forage War (January–March):
Battle of Millstone (January 20)
Battle of Drake’s Farm (February 1)
Battle of Quibbletown (February 8)
Battle of Spanktown (February 23)
Battle of Bound Brook (April 13)
British regulars, under Major General William Tryon, loot and burn Danbury, Connecticut (April 26)
Battle of Ridgefield (April 27)
Battle of Thomas Creek (May 17)
Meigs Raid (May 23)
Battle of Short Hills (June 26)
British retake Fort Ticonderoga (July 6)
Battle of Hubbardton (July 7)
Battle of Fort Anne (July 8)
Siege of Fort Stanwix (August 2–23)
Battle of Oriskany (August 6)
Battle of Machias (1777) (August 13–14)
Battle of Bennington (August 16)
Battle of Staten Island (August 22)
Siege of Fort Henry (September 1)
Battle of Cooch’s Bridge (September 3)
Battle of Brandywine (September 11)
Battle of the Clouds (September 16)
Battle of Paoli (Paoli Massacre) (September 20)
British occupation of Philadelphia (September 26)
Battle of Germantown (October 4)
Battle of Forts Clinton and Montgomery (October 6)
Two Battles of Saratoga (September 19 and October 7) conclude with the surrender of the British army under General Burgoyne.
Battle of Red Bank (October 22)
Capture of Fort Mifflin, (November 16)
Capture of Fort Mercer, (November 18)
Battle of Gloucester (1777) (November 25)
Battle of White Marsh (December 5 – December 8)
Battle of Matson’s Ford (December 11)
1778 (February 6) – On the diplomatic front, 1778 sees the first significant milestones for The United States of Americ. The USA and France agreed to The Treaty of Amity and Commerce and Treaty of Alliance.
1778 (February 14) – France is the first foreign country to recognize the flag of the United States. It was flying on the ship of the military legend John Paul Jones. Jones is often referred to as the “Father of the American Navy”. He is regarded by several historians as one of the greatest naval commanders in US military history.
1778 – Otherwise, the military battles continued:
Battle of Quinton’s Bridge (March 18)
John Paul Jones, in command of the Ranger, attacks Whitehaven in England, America’s first naval engagement outside North America (April 20)
Battle of Crooked Billet (May 1)
Battle of Barren Hill (May 20)
Battle of Cobleskill (May 30)
The British military occupation of Philadelphia ends (June)
Battle of Monmouth (June 28)
Battle of Wyoming (July 3)
Battle of Ushant (July 27)
Battle of Rhode Island (August 29)
Baylor Massacre (September 27)
Battle of Chestnut Neck (October 6)
Affair at Little Egg Harbor (October 15) – A massacre of 45 Patriot soldiers by colonists still loyal to Great Britain.
Cherry Valley massacre (November 11) – Often described as one of the most horrific frontier massacres of the Revolutionary War.
Capture of Savannah, the British successfully launch their southern strategy (December 29)
1779 – The war wages on:
Battle of Beaufort (February 3, 1779)
Battle of Kettle Creek (February 14)
Siege of Fort Vincennes (February 23–25)
Chesapeake raid (May 10–24)
Battle of Stono Ferry (June 20)
Tryon’s raid (July 3–14)
Battle of Fairfield (July 7)
Battle of Norwalk (July 11)
Battle of Stony Point (July 16)
Battle of Minisink (July 22)
Battle of Paulus Hook (August 19)
Battle of Newtown (August 29)
Siege of Savannah (September 16 – October 18)
Battle of Baton Rouge (September 21)
Battle of Flamborough Head (September 23)
1779 (December 1779 – May 1780) – The year ends with the Continental Army’s fifth winter quarters in Morristown, New Jersey.
1780 – Into its sixth year, the Revolutionary War continues:
Battle of Cape St. Vincent (January 16)
Approximate 8,000 British soldiers, under General Henry Clinton, arrive in Charleston, South Carolina (February 1)
Battle of Young’s House (February 3)
Bombardment of Fort Charlotte
Siege of Charleston (March 29 – May 12)
Battle of Monck’s Corner (April 14)
Battle of Lenud’s Ferry (May 6)
Fort Moultrie falls to the British (May 7)
Charleston, under the command of General Benjamin Lincoln, surrenders to the British (May 12)
Bird’s invasion of Kentucky (May 25 – August 4)
Battle of Waxhaws (May 29)
Battle of Connecticut Farms (June 7)
Battle of Mobley’s Meeting House (June 10)
Battle of Ramsour’s Mill (June 20)
Battle of Springfield
Expédition Particulière – France enters the war in support of the USA (July 11)
Battle of Williamson’s Plantation (also known as Huck’s Defeat) (July 12)
Battle of Bull’s Ferry (July 20–21)
Battle of Colson’s Mill (July 21)
Battle of Rocky Mount (August 1)
Battle of Hanging Rock (August 6)
Battle of Piqua (August 8) (In the west)
Battle of Camden (August 16)
Battle of Fishing Creek (August 18)
Battle of Musgrove Mill (August 18)
Battle of Black Mingo (August 28)
Battle of Wahab’s Plantation (September 21)
Battle of Charlotte (September 26)
Battle of Kings Mountain (October 7)
Royalton Raid (October 16)
Battle of Klock’s Field (October 19)
Battle of Fishdam Ford (November 9)
Battle of Blackstock’s Farm (November 20)
1780 (December) – The Continental Army enters its sixth winter with encampments in Morristown, New Jersey, and New York’s Hudson Highlands, and Pompton.
1781 (January 1 – 8) – The new year begins with the Pennsylvania Line Mutiny. A faction of Continental Army soldiers demanded better housing conditions and higher pay.
1781 (January 8) – An initial settlement is reached with the Pennsylvania Line Mutiny soldiers. This was prior to some of them traveling to Philadelphia to express their concerns directly to Congress.
1781 (January 29) – The Pennsylvania Line Mutiny settlement is finalized.
1781 – The bloodshed in the name of independence, liberty and freedom continues:
Raid on Richmond (January 1–19)
Battle of Cowpens (January 17)
Battle of Cowan’s Ford (February 1)
Pyle’s Massacre (February 24)
Skirmish at Waters Creek (March 8)
Battle of Guilford Court House (March 15)
Battle of Cape Henry (March 16)
Battle of Blandford (April 25)
Battle of Hobkirk’s Hill (April 25)
Action at Osborne’s (April 27)
Siege of Augusta (May 22 – June 6)
Siege of Ninety-Six (May 22 – June 19)
Battle of Spencer’s Ordinary (June 26)
Battle of Green Spring (July 6)
Francisco’s Fight (July 9–24)
Battle of the Chesapeake (September 5)
Battle of Groton Heights (September 6)
Battle of Eutaw Springs (September 8)
Battle of Yorktown (also known as the Siege of Yorktown (September 28)
1781 (October 19) – The British surrender at Yorktown
1781 (December) – The Continental Army returns to Morristown New Jersey and Hudson Highlands New York for its seventh winter encampment.
1781 (December 31) – The Bank of North America is chartered. It was the first bank to be chartered in the United States and served as its first central bank.
1782 (February 27) – While the British House of Commons votes against continuing the war, and informally recognizes the independence of the United States of America, the military endeavors continue in North America:
Gnadenhutten massacre (March 8)
Battle of Little Mountain (March 22)
Siege of Bryan Station (August 15–17)
Battle of Blue Licks (August 19)
Battle of the Combahee River (August 27)
Siege of Fort Henry (1782) (September 11–13)
1782 (November) – The Continental Army moves into its eighth and final winter quarters
1782 (November 30) – Preliminary Articles of Peace are signed by representatives of the United States of America and British negotiator Richard Oswald.
1782 (December 14) – British forces evacuate Charleston, South Carolina
1782 (December 27) – The last conflict of the Revolutionary War takes place in Barnegat Township, New Jersey
1783 (September 3) – The American Revolutionary War end with the Treaty of Paris.
1784 (January 14) – The Treaty of Paris is ratified by the United States’ Congress.
1784 (April 9) – The Treaty of Paris is ratified by the British
1784 (May 12) – Ratified treaties are exchanged in Paris, France between the United States and Great Britain.
1791 (December 15) – Congress ratifies the Bill of Rights.
Happy Independence Day – Let’s keep the momentum going!
Here are my thoughts…
A day off from work. Hot dogs. Hamburgers. Picnics. Fireworks. Beer. Maybe some baseball. Of course, a little Arete Cannabis. This is how most typical Americans celebrate the thirteen original colonies’ declaring their independence.
Such celebrations are a good thing. Getting together with family, friends, and neighbors is a good thing. But remembering the true reasons why we’re celebrating is a better thing. Actually, it’s a great thing.
As Americans, greatness is our DNA. History also shows that rebellion is in our DNA. The American Revolution, a political movement, was fueled by the colonists’ disdain for their distant rulers in Great Britain. A disdain so intoxicating – and combined with a natural need for autonomy – that the colonists were willing to fight for their principles, for their beliefs, and ultimately for their independence. From 1775 to 1783 they did fight, in the American Revolution.
As we all know, on July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was signed by all 56 delegates of the Second Continental Congress. The support from the delegates was unanimous for Thomas Jefferson’s words that made concrete what so many in the colonies were feeling. But as you’ll witness from reading that timeline, independence did not come easy or quickly. Even after the Declaration of Independence was signed, it took the Patriots an additional seven years – of many, many, many battles – until September 1783 to finally win the American Revolution.
We can celebrate today because of the ideals, decisions, and actions made by men and women nearly 250 years ago. Let that sink in. Their bravery in fighting a well-established adversary, and their persistence in doing so until they achieved their goal is a lesson for all of us today. Please take a moment to pause and reflect on what those first Americans had to do to accomplish what they did.
It would be foolish of me to equate our current struggles with those of the newly-born United States. With that said, few things we experience today exemplify the importance of freedom and liberty better than cannabis. A natural flower. A gift from God, literally. And yet our government continues to overreach into our private lives and restrict us from the health and wellness benefits, and enjoyment of cannabis.
The point I want to make is that the fight for legalization is far from over. Battle by battle, state by state, things are progressing, but too slowly. We must be persistent. We must continue to remind our representatives, our government that we expect cannabis to be set free from legal restrictions based on false assumptions and misinformation.
Cannabis Prohibition must end.
We know what freedom looks like. We know how it feels. Sometimes, we even know how it smells.
We wish you all a happy and safe Independence Day.
God bless America –
Team Arete
“The American Revolution – The Battle for Independence”
1765 (March 22) – Parliament imposes the Stamp Act on the colonies. The Stamp Act placed a tax on many types of printed materials. In the colonies, the act triggered demonstrations, many of which were violent. From these protests came the now famous slogan “No taxation without representation.” By the way, the Stamp Act was also known as the Duties in American Colonies Act 1765.
1765 (March 24) – Two days later Parliament enacts the Quartering Act. This act required the colonies to provide food and shelter to British troops.
1765 (October 7 – 25) – The Stamp Act Congress is held in New York City and was attended by delegates from nine colonies. From this meeting comes a Declaration of Rights and Grievances, as well as a petition to Parliament and the king to repeal the Stamp Act.
1766 (March 18) – In just less than a year after its enactment, Parliament – feeling the pressure from boycotts and other protests – repeals the Stamp Act. However, it simultaneously passes the American Colonies Act 1766. This new act, also known as the Declaratory Act – it was also an amendment to the Sugar Act 1764, formalized as law Parliament’s powers were the same in the colonies as they were in Britain. It declared Parliament’s authority to pass laws that were binding on the American colonies.
1767 – Parliament continues its rein of tax terror with the Townshend Acts. The Townshend Acts is an umbrella term for five different acts passed between June 1967 and March 1768. These acts are:
The colonists condemned these efforts as an abuse of power, and it deepened their commitment to “No taxation without representation.”
1768 (February) – In response to the Townshend Acts, Samuel Adams and James Otis Jr. co-author the Massachusetts Circular Letter. The letter was passed by the Massachusetts House of Representatives. The gist of its argument was that colonies should only be taxed by their own provincial assemblies and not the British Parliament. The letter did not challenge Parliament’s scope as the supreme legislative body of the British Empire. Nonetheless, the Massachusetts Circular Letter increased the tension between Parliament and Massachusetts and resulted in the British Army occupying Boston.
1768 (April) – Lord Hillsborough, the British Empire’s Secretary of State to the Colonies, issues an order to stop colonial assemblies from endorsing Adams Otis letter. Hillsborough is all but ignored. By the end of the month the assemblies of Connecticut, New Hampshire, and New Jersey have endorsed the Massachusetts Circular Letter.
1768 (May) – The British ship HNS Homney docks in Boston harbor in support of customs officials trying to enforce Parliament enacted tariffs.
1768 (July) – The governor of Massachusetts dissolves the general court, per Lord Hillsborough’s directive in April.
1768 (August) – Merchants in New York and Boston agree to boycott nearly all British goods until the Townsend Acts are repealed.
1768 (Early September) – In Boston, at a town meeting early in the month, colonists are urged to acquire guns in the event of further escalation.
1768 (Late September) – In Boston harbor, additional British warships drop anchor. Two regiments of British infantry are deployed to maintain order.
1769 (December 16) – “To the Betrayed Inhabitants of the City and Colony of New York” is published anonymously by Alexander McDougal a local member of the Sons of Liberty.
1770 (January 19) – In New York City, British troops wound multiple civilians, leading to one death. This is known as the Battle of Golden Hill or the Golden Hill incident.
1770 (March 5) – A small group of British soldiers are harassed by a much larger group of Bostonites. The soldiers eventually panicked and fired into the crowd. Over the coming weeks, a total of six civilians died from injuries from those shots. Many Patriots – including Samuel Adams and Paul Revere – framed the event as a massacre. On the other hand, it’s known as the Incident on King Street, in Great Britain.
1771 (May 16) – The Battle of Alamance takes place in North Carolina between the local Regulator Movement and the North Carolina government which was a government put in place by Great Britain.
1772 – The Committees of Correspondence was organized by Samuel Adams.
1772 (June 9) – While enforcing the Navigation Acts around Newport, Rhode Island, the Royal Navy schooner HMS Gaspee, runs aground in shallow water. A group of colonists boards the stranded ship and sets it on fire. The ship burns to the waterline. History books call this the Gaspee Affair.
1773 (May 10) – The Tea Act, officially the Tea Act 1773, is passed by Parliament. While there was resistance throughout the thirteen colonies, of these efforts, the most famous event was the Boston Tea Party.
1773 (December 16) – A group of colonists (some disguised as Native Americans) boarded tea ships in Boston harbor and dumped the tea cargo overboard. This came to be known as The Boston Tea Party.
1774 – From March to June, Parliament passes five acts collectively known as the Intolerable Acts; also referred to as the Insufferable Acts, or in Britain as the Coercive Acts. The primary aim of this collection of acts was to punish colonists across Massachusetts for the Boston Tea Party.
1774 (September 5 – October 26) – In response to the Intolerable Acts, the First Continental Congress meets in Carpenters’ Hall in Philadelphia. Delegates are sent from twelve of the thirteen colonies. Georgia was the one colony that didn’t send delegates in 1774 but did in 1775 when the Continental Congress met again.
Accomplishments of the First Continental Congress:
1774 (December 22) – Greenwich Tea Party took place in Greenwich, New Jersey, and was the last of six tea parties.
1775 (April 18) – Paul Revere’s historic Midnight Ride warning fellow Patriots in the Province of Massachusetts Bay that the British Army was approaching.
1775 (April 19) – The Battles of Lexington and Concord was the first major military exchange of the Revolutionary War. It resulted in an American victory and a buy-in of militia support for the anti-British cause.
1775 (May 10) – Ethan Allen, the Green Mountain Boys , and Benedict Arnold capture Fort Ticonderoga in the Providence of New York.
1775 (May 10) – Second Continental Congress meets, again in Philadelphia. And again, representatives from 12 of the 13 colonies attended. Both John Hancock (of Massachusetts) and Benjamin Franklin (of Pennsylvania) attended for the first time.
It is important to note that the Continental Congress had no explicit legal authority from Great Britain and the British Parliament to govern. Instead, it assumed the functions of a national government, including raising armies, appointing generals, obtaining loans from Europe, issuing paper money called “Continentals”, disbursing funds, appointing ambassadors, and signing treaties. Congress had no authority to levy taxes and was required to request money, supplies, and troops from the states to support the war effort. Individual states frequently ignored these requests.
1775 (June 14) – Congress votes to create the Continental Army and appointed George Washington (of Virginia) as commanding general. General Washington eventually takes command on July 2.
1775 (June 17) – Battle of Bunker Hill
1775 (July 8) – The Second Continental Congress, as a final attempt to avoid war with Great Britain, adopts the Olive Branch Petition and sends it to King George III.
1775 (October 13) – The Second Continental Congress established the Continental Navy.
1775 (November 10) – The Second Continental Congress established the Continental Marines. This military organization would eventually become the modern-day United States Marine Corps.
1776 (January 10) – Thomas Paine publishes his 47-page pamphlet, “Common Sense”. In it, Paine advocated for independence from Great Britain.
1776 (March 17) – After a lengthy occupation, British military forces evacuate Boston.
1776 (April 6) – Congress, exerting its self-proclaimed authority and power, opens American ports to trade with all nations, except Great Britain.
1776 (July 2) – The Second Continental Congress adopts a resolution declaring independence from the British Empire.
1776 (July 4) – The separation from the British Empire is formalized as the “United States Declaration of Independence”.
1776 – After the Declaration of Independence is adopted, a number of significant battles took place.
1777 – At this point, as a series of military actions, the Revolutionary War was in full effect. The battles continued:
1778 (February 6) – On the diplomatic front, 1778 sees the first significant milestones for The United States of Americ. The USA and France agreed to The Treaty of Amity and Commerce and Treaty of Alliance.
1778 (February 14) – France is the first foreign country to recognize the flag of the United States. It was flying on the ship of the military legend John Paul Jones. Jones is often referred to as the “Father of the American Navy”. He is regarded by several historians as one of the greatest naval commanders in US military history.
1778 – Otherwise, the military battles continued:
1779 – The war wages on:
1779 (December 1779 – May 1780) – The year ends with the Continental Army’s fifth winter quarters in Morristown, New Jersey.
1780 – Into its sixth year, the Revolutionary War continues:
1780 (December) – The Continental Army enters its sixth winter with encampments in Morristown, New Jersey, and New York’s Hudson Highlands, and Pompton.
1781 (January 1 – 8) – The new year begins with the Pennsylvania Line Mutiny. A faction of Continental Army soldiers demanded better housing conditions and higher pay.
1781 (January 8) – An initial settlement is reached with the Pennsylvania Line Mutiny soldiers. This was prior to some of them traveling to Philadelphia to express their concerns directly to Congress.
1781 (January 29) – The Pennsylvania Line Mutiny settlement is finalized.
1781 – The bloodshed in the name of independence, liberty and freedom continues:
1781 (October 19) – The British surrender at Yorktown
1781 (December) – The Continental Army returns to Morristown New Jersey and Hudson Highlands New York for its seventh winter encampment.
1781 (December 31) – The Bank of North America is chartered. It was the first bank to be chartered in the United States and served as its first central bank.
1782 (February 27) – While the British House of Commons votes against continuing the war, and informally recognizes the independence of the United States of America, the military endeavors continue in North America:
1782 (November) – The Continental Army moves into its eighth and final winter quarters
1782 (November 30) – Preliminary Articles of Peace are signed by representatives of the United States of America and British negotiator Richard Oswald.
1782 (December 14) – British forces evacuate Charleston, South Carolina
1782 (December 27) – The last conflict of the Revolutionary War takes place in Barnegat Township, New Jersey
1783 (September 3) – The American Revolutionary War end with the Treaty of Paris.
1784 (January 14) – The Treaty of Paris is ratified by the United States’ Congress.
1784 (April 9) – The Treaty of Paris is ratified by the British
1784 (May 12) – Ratified treaties are exchanged in Paris, France between the United States and Great Britain.
1791 (December 15) – Congress ratifies the Bill of Rights.