Albany plan of union (1754)
•
Ben Franklin gathered the
northern colonies to meet
and see what they could do to
strengthen themselves and
protect themselves.
•
Franklin said they needed to
have a representative
government where every
colony was represented,
have a national army, make
peace with the Native
Americans, and collect taxes.
•
This plan is rejected by the
colonists and the King.
Stamp Act
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Every legal document needs
a stamp on it. Every stamp
costs money which is sent to
the King.
1765 Stamp Act is passed.
People protested the Stamp
Act.
Some colonists responded by
writing a declaration of rights
and grievances.
Colonists stopped buying stuff
from England.
England repealed(stopped) the
Stamp Act.
This made colonists feel they
had power.
Boston Massacre
• 5 people were killed.
• blown out of
proportion
Boston Tea Party
• some colonists
dressed up like Native
Americans
• went on a ship and
dumped tea into the
Boston Harbor.
First Continental Congress
(Philadelphia 1774)
• Every colony except
Georgia had a
representative.
• At this meeting they
decided :
1) to send a declaration
of rights to the King
2) continue to boycott
English goods
3) set a date for another
meeting in a year
which was called the
Second Continental
Congress.
Second Continental Congress
(Philadelphia--May 1775)
– They decided to
declare independence
from England.
– This became the
defacto government of
the colonies.