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