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The first shots of the Revolutionary War are fired at Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts. The news of the bloodshed rockets along the eastern seaboard, and thousands of volunteers converge on Cambridge
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The Colonists held there own against the britishTthe patriots show that they are not intimidated by the long lines of red-coated infantrymen. Of the 2,200 British seeing action, more than 1,000 end up dead or wounded
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Continental Congress declares all shipping ports open to foreign traffic except the British. They also recommend the disarming of all Loyalists.
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Congress appoints a committee to draft a declaration of independence from England. Thomas Jefferson is chosen to write the declaration.
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The Declaration of Independence is adopted by the Second Continental Congress. Following a decade of agitation over taxes and a year of war, representatives make the break with Britain.
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Patriot forces under George Washington suffer a terrible defeat at the hands of British General Howe at the Battle of Fort Washington in Manhattan. Casualties number over 3,000 for Washington’s Continental Army. He also loses cannons and thousands of military supplies and is forced to retreat toward the Delaware River. British General Cornwallis, who took Fort Lee, New Jersey during the battle pursues.
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General George Washington and Continental Army cross the icy Delaware River and ambush 800 astonished Hessian (German mercenaries) at 4:00 in the morning. All Hessians are captured. “Washington’s Crossing”, as it came to be known, improved the morale of the army but was somewhat inconsequential in the war itself.
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A new flag with thirteen stars and thirteen stripes is mandated by congress. John Paul Jones is chosen the Captain of Ranger, an 18 vessel ship, with plans to make raids on England’s coastal towns.
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General John Burgoyne's attempt to separate the rebellious New England colonies from those farther south ends in a spectacular failure. The surrender of 6,000 British regulars at Saratoga will shock London and help induce France to enter the war on the American side.
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As a result of the patriot victory at Saratoga and American diplomatic efforts, France allies itself with the new American government. French financial and military aid will prove critical in winning the war.
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The British take Charleston, S.C., capture a large patriot army, and deal the rebels one of their worst defeats of the war. The Charleston move is part of a broader British strategy to hang on to the southern colonies
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General George Washington abandons a proposed attack on the British in New York City after learning that French Admiral Count de Grasse, 29 ships, and 3,000 French soldiers were heading south along the Chesapeake Bay. Washington then coordinates with Gen. Rochambeau to send troops south to Virginia to destroy the British position in Yorktown.
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A joint French and American force traps a large British army on Virginia's Yorktown peninsula. Unable to evacuate or receive reinforcements because a French fleet has driven off a British fleet, General Cornwallis is forced to surrender.
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The evacuation of loyalists begins. Largely unwelcome in the new United States, about 100,000 Americans who remained loyal to the crown find new lives in Britain, Canada, and British colonies in the West Indies.
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The Treaty of Paris ratifies the independence of the 13 North American states. Canada remains a British province, beginning its separate development as a U.S. neighbor.
