Timeline of the American Revolution

The American Revolution took place between 1765 and 1783 but there were many important events that lead up to it as well as a few that followed.

Here are the events of the American Revolution as they happened:

1754-1763:
♠ The French and Indian War takes place

October 1763:
♠ The Proclamation of 1763

March 1765:
The Stamp Act
♠ The Quartering Act of 1765

The Stamp Act Denounced, illustration published in Lossing's History of the United States of America, circa 1913
The Stamp Act Denounced, illustration published in Lossing’s History of the United States of America, circa 1913

March 1766:
♠ The Stamp Act repealed
♠ The Declaratory Act

June 1767:
♠ The Townshend Revenue Act

October 1768:
♠ British troops arrive in Boston to enforce customs laws

March 1770:
The Boston Massacre

Lithograph of the Boston Massacre by John Bufford, circa 1856
Lithograph of the Boston Massacre by John Bufford, circa 1856

June 1772:
♠ The Gaspee Affair

May 1773:
♠ The Tea Act

December 1773:
The Boston Tea Party

Boston Tea Party, engraving by W.D. Cooper, circa 1789
Boston Tea Party, engraving by W.D. Cooper, circa 1789

March 1774:
♠ Boston Port Act, part of the “Intolerable Acts”

May 1774:
♠ Administration of Justice Act, part of the “Intolerable Acts”
♠ Massachusetts Government Act, part of the “Intolerable Acts”

June 1774:
♠ Quartering Act of 1774, part of the “Intolerable Acts”
♠ Quebec Act, part of the “Intolerable Acts”

April 1775:
♠ The rides of Paul Revere and William Dawes
♠ The Battle of Lexington
♠ “The shot heard ’round the world” takes place at the Battle of Concord.
♠ The Siege of Boston begins

June 1775:
♠ The British win the Battle of Bunker Hill

“View of the attack on Bunker’s Hill, with the burning of Charles Town, June 17, 1775” engraving by John Lodge circa 1783

July 1775
♠ The Continental Congress adopts the Olive Branch Petition

September 1775
♠ King George III rejects the Olive Branch Petition proposed by the Continental Congress

January 1776:
♠ Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense” published

March 1776:
♠ The British evacuate Boston, bringing the Siege of Boston to an end

July 1776:
♠ Declaration of Independence ratified by Congress

August 1776:
♠ The British defeat the Americans in the Battle of Long Island

September 1776:
♠ The British occupy New York City

December 1776:
♠ Washington crosses the Delaware and captures Trenton from Hessians

January 1777:
♠ The Americans win the Battle of Princeton

July 1777:
♠ The Americans lose Fort Ticonderoga to the British
♠ Marquis De Lafayette arrives in Philadelphia

September 1777:
♠ The British win the Battle of Brandywine

October 1777:
♠ The British win the Battle of Germantown
♠ The British occupy Philadelphia
♠ Americans capture Burgoyne and his army at Saratoga, NY

November 1777:
♠ The British capture Fort Mifflin, Pennsylvania

December 1777:
♠ Washington’s army spends winter at Valley Forge

February 1778:
♠ The United States and France sign the French Alliance

June 1778:
♠ The British abandon Philadelphia and return to New York

June 1779:
♠ Spain declares war on Great Britain

May 1780:
♠ British troops capture Charleston, SC

October 1781:
♠ American and French troops win the Battle of Yorktown against the British

December 1782:
♠ British troops leave Charleston, SC

September 1783:
♠ The United States and Great Britain sign the Treaty of Paris

November 1783:
♠ British troops leave New York City

December 1783:
♠ George Washington resigns as Commander and returns to private life

August 1786 – January 1787:
♠ Shay’s rebellion squashed by state militia

September 1787:
♠ U.S. Constitution signed

June 1788:
♠ U.S. Constitution adopted after New Hampshire ratifies it

December 1791:
♠ United States Bill of Rights ratified

Sources:
“Timeline of the American Revolution.” U.S. History, www.ushistory.org/declaration/revwartimeline.html
“Timeline of the Revolution.” PBS, Twin Cities Public Television, www.pbs.org/ktca/liberty/chronicle_timeline.html

 

About Rebecca Beatrice Brooks

Rebecca Beatrice Brooks is the author and publisher of the History of Massachusetts Blog. Rebecca is a freelance journalist and history lover who got her start in journalism working for small-town newspapers in Massachusetts and New Hampshire after she graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a B.A. in journalism. Visit this site's About page to find out more about Rebecca.

1 thought on “Timeline of the American Revolution

  1. Artur Vrekaj

    Mrs. Rebecca,
    I like the good work to tell the facts of the American Revolution.
    The Worcester , MA Revolution of 1774 should be dated on the timeline of the American Revolution and underlined for the ” Revolution Day” like it was celebrated on September 6th till 1820.
    The Worcester Revolution 1774 started the road to a new government and the Independence from UK for the first time when ended up the British rule in the province of Massachusetts without blood.

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