Pivotal Occurrences in the Final British-American Crisis Leading to American Independence, chronicled in John Ferling's latest book, INDEPENDENCE.
1773
May 10 – Parliament enacts the Tea Act
December 16 – Boston Tea Party
1774
February – Lord North extends his “peace plan” to the colonies
March-April – Parliament enacts the Coercive (Intolerable) Acts
September-October – The First Continental Congress meets in Philadelphia
1775
January 27 – The Ministry orders the use of force to suppress the colonial rebellion
April 19 – War begins at Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts
May 10 – The Second Continental Congress convenes in Philadelphia
June 14-15 – Congress creates the Continental army and names George Washington as its commander
June 17 – Battle of Bunker Hill
July 5 – Congress sends the Olive Branch Petition to King George III
August 23 – The King issues the Proclamation for Suppressing Rebellion and Sedition
October 17 – The Royal Navy destroys Falmouth, Massachusetts
October 26 – The King sanctions force to suppress the American rebellion
November 7 – Dunmore’s Proclamation is issued, promising freedom to slaves in Virginia who fled behind British lines
November – Parliament enacts the American Prohibitory Act
December 31 – The American attack on Quebec ends in disastrous failure
1776
January – Thomas Paine’s Common Sense is published
March 17 – The British army evacuates Boston
May – America learns that the British government has hired German mercenaries to help suppress the colonial rebellion
May – Congress learns that the invasion of Canada has ended in failure
May 15 – Congress asks the colonies to create new government capable of meeting the “exigencies of their affairs”
June 7 – Richard Henry Lee of Virginia asks Congress to declare independence
June 10 – Congress creates the Committee of Five to draft a declaration of independence
July 1 – Congress debates American independence
July 2 – Congress votes American independence
July 2-4 – Congress edits, and adopts, the Declaration of Independence
