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Battles of Lexington and Concord
Paul Revere, William Dawes, and Samuel Prescott rode out to spread word that 700 British regulars were heading for concord.
They warned Adams & Hancock, also the population with church-bells/gunshots.
Regulars reached Lexington April 19 morning.
Unknown shot cause 15 min battle.
British continued march to Concord finding empty arsenal. Then decide to march back to Boston.
Then became a slaughter, 3,000-4,000 minutemen fried on Regulars having them drop by dozens.
"a glorious day for America" -
Battle at Bunker Hill
Gage sent 2,400 British troops out marching towards Bunker Hill.
Colonist held fire till last min, then shot down advancing red coats.
British made 2nd attack, then 3rd finally succeeded only because militiamen ran low on ammunition.
Colonist lost 450 men, British suffered over 1,000 casualties.
Is known as the deadliest battle.
Olive branch petition: Urging a return to "the former harmony" between Britain and Colonies. -
Battle of New York
General William Howe & Admiral Richard Howe join forces on Staten Islands then sailed to New York harbor in summer 1776.
32,000 soldier/thousands of German mercenaries.
23,000 men to New York's defense (most untrained w/poor equipment)
8,000 men remained on defense. -
Battle of Trenton
Washington led 2,400 men in small rowboats across Delaware river.
Surprise Attack killing 30 enemy's taking 918 captives & 6 hessian cannons.
8 days later had victory against 1,200 British stationed at Princeton. -
Battle at Saratoga
Marked a turning point in the Revolutionary war.
Burgoyne set out with 4,000 redcoats, 3,000 mercenaries, and 1,000 Mohawk under his command. His army had to haul 30 wagons containing 138 pieces of artillery along with extra personal items,
Massed American troops finally surrounded Burgoyne at Sara toga, where he surrendered his battered army to General Gates on October 17, 1777.
Changing British war strategies. -
Fight for Philadelphia
Spring 1777, seize American capital at Philadelphia.
Troops sailed from New York to head of Chesapeake bay, landing near capital till august.
Continental congress fled city.
Washington's troops failed blocking redcoats.
British captured Philadelphia. -
Winter at Valley Forge
British controlled New York and parts of New England.
Washington and his meager Continental Army struggled to stay alive amidst bitter cold and primitive conditions at winter camp in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.
Soldiers suffered from exposure and frostbite.
Albigensian Waldo worked constantly but often unsuccessfully to save arms and limbs from amputation.
10,000 soldiers who braved wind, snow, and hunger
at Valley Forge that winter, more than 2,000 died. -
British take South
British changes strategies.
Charles Cornwallis sailed south with 8,500 men.
British captured Charles Town, South Carolina, in May 1780 and marched 5,500 American soldiers off as prisoners of war.
Clinton then left for New York, leaving Cornwallis to command the British forces in the South and to conquer South and North Carolina.
the redcoats advanced, they were joined by thousands of African Americans. -
British Losses in 1791
Washington ordered Nathaniel Greene, his ablest general, to march south and harass Cornwallis as he retreated.
divided his force into two groups, sending 600 soldiers under the command of General Daniel Morgan to South Carolina.
Angered by the defeat at Cow pens, Cornwallis attacked Greene two months later at Guildford Court House, North Carolina. Cornwallis won the battle, but the victory cost him nearly a fourth of his troops—93 were killed, over 400 were wounded, and 26 were missing. -
British Surrender at Yorktown
A French naval force defeated a British fleet and then blocked the
entrance to the Chesapeake Bay, thereby preventing a British
rescue by sea.
about 17,000 French and American troops surrounded the British on the Yorktown peninsula and bombarded them day and night.
Cornwallis finally raised the white flag of surrender.