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The Charleston Tea Party
Charlestonians gathered together and made the decision to not buy tea. Instead of throwing it into the harbor, they decided to unload the tea off the ship and store it in the Exchange Building in South Carolina. -
First Shots Fired at Lexington and Concord
No one knows whether the British or the colonists fired the first shot, but on that day, the battle of Lexington and Concord had begun in Boston, MA. The first shot fired is known as the shot heard around the world. -
The Declaration of Independence was Signed
The Declaration of Independence declared the colonies independent from the British. It also lists complaints that the colonists had on British actions as well as discussed human rights and the nature of national sovereignty. -
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The Terrible Winter at Valley Forge, PA
In December of 1777, George Washington marched his men to Valley Forge, PA. There were shortages of just about everything and all the men were sick from exposure, hunger, and disease. From Valley Forge, Washington could keep an eye on General Howe's British army. -
The Battle of Camden
General Horatio Gates men were dying from dysentery the night before the battle in South Carolina, but he decided to send them to fight anyways. The general overestimated his soldiers and the British quickly defeated them. Gates was removed from command. The loss led to the French not sending reinforcements as soon as they had planned. -
The Battle of King's Mountain
Major Patrick Ferguson positioned his men in King's Mountain, South Carolina. The patriots charged the hillside multiple times. Eventually, Ferguson led a suicidal charge down the mountain and died. The patriots ended up winning the battle. Ferguson's force suffered 157 killed, 163 wounded, and 698 captured and Colonel Campbell’s force suffered just 28 killed and 60 wounded. -
The Battle of Cowpens
The Battle of Cowpens was one of the Revolutionary War battles and was fought in South Carolina. More than 800 British troops were killed and less than 100 Americans were killed or injured. This battle was the first patriot victory and it pushed the British out of South Carolina. -
The Battle of Eutaw Springs
The Loyalists fought under Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Stewart's command and the Patriots fought under General Nathanael Greene. The American troops were severely outnumbered and lost. -
The Battle of Yorktown
The French and Americans marched to Philadelphia to battle general Cornwallis. The British had no chance at winning and were being defeated so Cornwallis surrendered to George Washington as the British were being trapped in Yorktown by the Americans and French. The British surrender was the end of the Revolutionary War. -
Treaty of Paris is Signed
John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and John Jay negotiated the terms of the Treaty of Paris which ended the Revolutionary War. The treaty changed the boundaries of American and British land, making the British give up all territory between the Allegheny Mountains on the east and the Mississippi River on the west. The United States agreed to use its power to end the persecution of loyalists and both agreed to not stop creditors from collecting debts that were owed to them.
