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The First Continental Congress met to resolve conflict with the English
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The Colonists were left to choose their sides, Patriots fought for Independence while Loyalists remained loyal to Great Britain. Patriot Patrick Henery said, "Give me liberty, or give me death!" while some others emained unbiased
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Paul Revere and William Dawes raced on horseback to inform that the british were coming. "Shot heard around the world" occurred in Lexington and the Revolutionary war had begun
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Representatives met for the second continental congress and made plans for a Continental army and chose George Washington to command it. Congress also signed the Olive Branch Petition to try and keep the peace but King George the third rejected the peace offering
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Colonel Benedict Arnold and Ethan Allen took the British Fort Ticonderoga Colonels were ordered not to fire until "You can see the whites of their eyes." British took Boston and General Washington arrived and drove them away
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British: Had the advantage with more money, resources, and military and the largest Navy.
Americans: Poorly trained local militias, no Navy -
The Proclamation said British offered freedom to enslaved Africans. American Indians fought on both sides of the war. women did houseork and raised money and were messangers, nurses, and spies.
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Patriots attacked British settlements in Canada but were defeated in Quebec.
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Thomas Paine wrote COMMON SENSE that was used to try to get away from British control. Paine believed that the people should make laws which made many colonists want independence
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Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Robert R. Livingston, and Roger Sherman drafted the Declaration which included three main Ideas
1) All men possess the unalienable rights of "life, liberty, and the persuit of happiness,"
2) King George the Third had violated the colonists' rights
3) Colonists had the right and duty to break away from Great Britain -
The British drove the Continental Army out of New York.
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Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence. The United States was born.
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Washington and 2,400 soldiers crossed the Delaware River. They won the Battle of Trenton, and the Battle of Princeton.
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The British had suffered a major loss during this battle, then France and Spain agreed to help Americans
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Very harsh winter in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. The winter killed over a fifth of Washington's soldiers.
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The explorer and mapper, George Rogers Clark built a frontier army while weakening the British and capturing British settlements. Also Told the American Indians to stay out of the war, as the war went south, British celebrated many victories.
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With the British having such a large Navy, Americans attacked individual ships rather than having large battles. Americans had under 100 ships they sunk 200 British ships.
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Patriots continued fighting using guerrilla warfare but the army's morale took a blow when Benedict Arnold turned out to be a traitor.
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Treaty of Paris was announced and ended the war.
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Washington planned an attack with Americans and the french on Yorktown and the British were defeated.
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Treaty officially ended the war and set new boundaries and forced Great Britain to recognize the United States.
