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Battle of Lexington and Concord
British troops had occupied Boston and were marching in Concord while passing through Lexington. The first shot that was heard was considered the "Shot Heard Around the World". The shot caused both sides to open fire between the American and British troops. This slowed the British and caused them to later on retreat away from Boston. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
Two-day battle between the British forces underneath the control of General William Howe and American forces under the command of Colonal William Prescott. The American's had occupied Breed's Hill in order to protect the shipyard of Boston but the British attacked the next day. The Americans fired until they were out of ammunition and then quickly retreated. -
Philadelphia
(1775-77) Philadelphia housed both Continental Congresses and Constitutional Congress. The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were both written here too. William Howe led his troops there which led to the British surrender at Saratoga. -
Battle of Long Island (Brooklyn)
This battle lasted from the 27th until the 30th of August. The British advanced on New York and tried to trap the Americans in Brooklyn but General George Washington held his ground until nightfall even though the British won. -
Battle of Harlem Heights
This battle was after the Battle of Long Island but in this one no one really won because they both retreated back after they noticed the numbers starting to increase of people fighting. The Americans still controlled northern Manhattan even after the British had captured the southern part. The Americans met the British troops near 106th and Broadway and held their position under fire but then began to retreat northward which expanded the area of the battle. -
Battle of Lake Champlain
Many battles and invasions happened at Lake Champlain. It was the scene of victory for General Benedict Arnold against a British force. -
Trenton
This was considered the night "Washington Crossed the Delaware". He crossed the Delaware river from Pennsylvannia to Trenton, New Jersey. There the Americans surprised Hessian soldiers and defeated them. -
Saratoga
During this time the French joined the war siding with the Americans. British General John Burgoyne came up with a brilliant plan to take all of New York away from the Americans but his plan did not work becuase William Howe did not go to Philadelphia like he was supposed to which led to the surrender of the British to the United States. -
Marquis de Lafayette and the Battle of Valley Forge
Valley Forge was an encampment the Americans stayed at from December 1777 to June 1778. After a very brutal winter on June 19, 1778, they marched to New Jersey and fought the British. Among the soldiers were Generals Nathaniel Greene and Bendedict Arnold, Alexander Hamilton, and Marquis de Lafayette. -
Yorktown
This was the last major battle of the war until the Treaty of Paris completely ended the war. In Yorktown British General Charles Cornwallis left the Carolinas headed towards Yorktown to wait for reinforcements that never came. American forces followed Cornwallis by land while French ships surrounded the bay of Yorktown. There he had no choice but to surrender. -
Treaty of Paris
This was the treaty that officially ended the Revolutionary war. It was signed in Paris by Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and John Jay. This is when the United States of America officially became.
