| 1754 | - Seven Years’ War begins.
- Albany Congress.
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| 1755 | - Braddock defeated in western Pennsylvania.
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| 1757 | - William Pitt fully commits to war.
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| 1760 | - Montreal falls to British.
- George III becomes British king.
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| 1763 | - Treaty of Paris ends Seven Years’ War.
- Pontiac’s Rebellion.
- Proclamation of 1763.
- Paxton Boys massacre friendly Indians.
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| 1764 | - Parliament enacts Sugar Act.
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| 1765 | - Parliament enacts Stamp Act.
- Virginia Resolves challenge Stamp Act.
- Sons of Liberty stage crowd actions.
- Stamp Act Congress meets.
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| 1766 | - Parliament repeals Stamp Act, passes Declaratory Act.
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| 1767 | - Parliament enacts Townshend duties.
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| 1768 | - British station troops in Boston.
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| 1768–1769 | - Merchants sign nonimportation agreements.
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| 1770 | - Boston Massacre.
- Parliament repeals Townshend duties.
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| 1772 | - British navy ship Gaspée burned.
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| 1773 | - Parliament passes Tea Act.
- Tea dumped in Boston harbor.
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| 1774 | - Parliament passes Coercive Acts.
- Powder Alarm shows colonists’ readiness.
- First Continental Congress meets.
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| 1775 | - Battles of Lexington and Concord.
- Lord Dunmore promises freedom to defecting slaves.
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