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Familiarize Yourself With American Revolution Important Dates.

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Most Americans know that Independence Day is July Fourth, but a good working knowledge of other American Revolution important dates can lead to a better understanding of our history.

Independence Day celebrates the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776.

Many celebrate it as the beginning of the American Revolution. While the signing of the Declaration is one of the most important events in our nation’s history, it did not start the Revolution.

The American Revolution actually began a year previous, at the Battle of Lexington and Concord, in April 1775.

The Declaration of Independence had not even been written when the American Revolution began.

Understanding American Revolution important dates prevents such misunderstandings of the history which we all share as Americans.

It is beyond the scope of this article to provide a full timeline of the American revolution, but there are many dates with which every patriotic American should be familiar. This article will explore just a few.

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American Revolution Important Dates Leading Up to the War

The Revolution began because the American colonists felt that Britain’s king had become a tyrant.

This attitude was due, in large part, to the ever-increasing taxes and overbearing legislation which Britain enacted prior to the war.

Knowing the dates of these new laws sheds light on the Revolution. The Sugar Act of 1774 levied tax on sugar which was produced by the colonists.

The Quartering Act, passed on March 24, 1765, forced colonists to provide room and board to British troops.

The Stamp Act of 1765 forced Americans to only use paper with the king’s stamp upon it. It cost more, and was a form of taxation.

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The Townshend Acts

The British began passing the Townshend Acts in 1767. They were a series of acts which were designed to raise revenue at the expense of the Americans and increase British control of the colonies.

New taxes were imposed, and new restrictive laws were enforced.While a few of the Townshend Acts were eventually repealed, most of the taxes remained.

Americans had no representation in Parliament, but were being taxed anyway. They had no say in the matter.

This is the origin of the slogan ”No taxation without representation.” Resistance to the taxes led to the Boston Massacre on March 5, 1770.

Colonists had protested taxation without representation, and the British responded with violence to quell the dissent.One of the Townshend Acts never repealed was the Tea Tax.

The British shipped tea to America, then expected the colonists to pay a tax on the tea, after having already purchased it at high cost. This was a direct cause of the Boston Tea Party on December 16, 1773.

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American Revolution Important Dates During the War

The First Continental Congress met between September and October 1774 to determine the how best to handle British oppression.

At that time, many colonists wished to stay loyal to England and try to work things out diplomatically. Things only got worse after Congress met.

The war started with the Battle of Lexington and Concord on April 18, 1775. Several battles ensued, until the Second Continental Congress met in May of 1776.

The Congress drafted the Declaration of Independence, and it was signed on July 4, 1776.

The war went on for several years until Cornwallis surrendered to the American army at Yorktown Virginia in August of 1781.

There were a few skirmishes after the surrender, but Yorktown represents the official end of the war. The Peace Treaty of Paris was signed between Britain and America on September 3, 1783.

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