Sept. 1774 - The First Continental Congress meets in Philadelphia to define the rights of Americans and to limit Parliament's power being passed on the colony. They draft the Continental Association which put at end to trade with British until Parliament repealed the Coercive Acts. They left and scheduled to meet again in May of the following year.
April 1775 - Fighting between militia and British troops occur at Battles of Lexington and Concord over British troops trying to capture supplies & munitions being gathered by the militias around Boston.
April 20, 1775 - March 17, 1776 - The American forces around Boston push the British back into the city and lay siege to the city until the British leave in March of 1776.
May 10, 1775 - Second Continental Congress convenes in Philadelphia. They discuss the current uprising in New England against the British and decide to raise own "Continental Army" that would consist of the troops presently in the siege of Boston and be under the leadership of George Washington.
Second Continental Congress meeting in Philadelphia in May & June of 1775. All the colonies sent representatives to Philadelphia except for Georgia.
June 15 & 20, 1775 - The vote is taken by the Second Continental Congress who approves plan for army under the command of Washington and on June 20 approves the official Commission of Washington; who then leaves to take command in Boston.
July 4, 1776 - the Continental Congress adopts the Declaration of Independence which declared America free from the British empire.