CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 6 CHAPTER ONE SUGAR STAMPS AND TEA 10 CHAPTER TWO THE FINAL BREAK 20 CHAPTER THREE REVOLUTION BEGINS 31 CHAPTER FOUR IN THE THICK OF THE WAR 41 CHAPTER FIVE THE PUSH TOWARD INDEPENDENCE 57 CONCLUSION 68 TIMELINE 70 GLOSSARY 72 FOR MORE INFORMATION 74 BIBLIOGRAPHY 77 INDEX 78
INTRODUCTION Through the hardships of life in a wild new land English citizens who had settled in the American colonies gained strength and a firm belief in the rights and liberties of the indi vidual Especially important to them was freedom of religion which is what drove many of them to America in the first place The settlers also became used to taking a share in government Each colony had elected an assembly to govern them England however had other ideas Deeply in debt after the French and Indian War which ended in 1763 Britain decided to make its American colonies share the cost of their defense from Indians and the Spanish To make the col onies profitable the British Parliament imposed several new taxes Among them was the Stamp Act This measure levied a direct tax on all newspapers printed in the colonies and on most commercial and legal documents used in business The colonists grew increasingly angry because Britain interfered with their trade and 6
This map shows the 13 American colonies at the time of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 7 INTRODUCTION
