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The Battle of Lexington and Concord
As the British troops prepare to march to Concord, Paul Revere, William Dawes, and many other messengers ride through the streets of Massachusetts, announcing "The British are coming!" After a long, hard fight, colonists win the battle and the British retreat to Concord. -
Battle of Fort Ticonderoga
When a small group of Green Mountain Boys led by Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold attacked a small group of British soldiers at Fort Ticonderoga and looted the personal belongings of the troops. All of the British soldiers were captured, and only about two colonists were wounded. -
The Battle of Bunker Hill
Three times the British charged Bunker Hill. Almost 20,000 men surrounded Boston, and the colonial militia tried to hold them. Even though the British won, the militia had a long, hard fight, and the British realized defeating the colonists would not be quick or easy. More than 1,000 British were killed or wounded, and only around 400 colonists killed or wounded. -
Battle of Long Island
The Battle of Long Island was the first major battle after the colonies had declared their independence. General George Washington had badly miscalculated the odds of the militia winning, and the far more disciplined British Army won the battle. Around 300 colonists were killed, 700 were wounded, and about 1,000 members were captured. -
Battle of Trenton
On the night of January 1, 1777, General Washington and his troops crossed the Delaware river over to Trenton, New Jersey where the militia members fought the Hessian soldiers in a brief battle. At the end, nearly the entire Hessian forces were captured and the colonists hoped was restored. Only about 2 men were killed due to exposure and 5 men were wounded. -
Battle of Saratoga
This was a huge turning point in the war. British general John Burgoyne led his troops through the Champlain Valley to meet a similar sized group from New York. Though, when Burgoyne's troops reached New York, the other group was not there, and the British realized they had been led to the American army. Two small battles broke out, and after a loss of around 7,000 soldiers, John Burgoyne knew he had to retreat. -
The Battle of Monmouth
After the British left Philadelphia, the troops under the order of Sir Henry Clinton marched through New Jersey to Sandy Hook. George Washington and Charles Lee ordered the militia to attack the British rear. When Lord Cornwallis ordered the British rear guard to fight the Patriots, Lee decided it was best to hold back and retreat, rather than fight a hard battle. Washington didn't know of the retreat and the Continental army fought the British on steady ground. Both sides claim to have won. -
The Battle of Cowpens
As the British troops advanced, General Daniel Morgan instructed the militia to fight quickly with the British soldiers but to leave the front line after two rounds of shooting. The British were tricked into thinking the Patriots were retreating and ran into an unorganized rifle firing. The militia returned to the fight after confusing the British, and won the battle after Colonel Banastre Tarleton ordered a retreat. There were many casualties to the British. -
The Battle of Yorktown
When Charles Cornwallis chose Yorktown for his army’s base, Washington decided it was time to fight. He ordered Marquis de Lafayette and about 5,000 troops to block Cornwallis’ escape from Yorktown by land, while French ships blocked their escape by sea. By September 28th, Washington had completely trapped in the British with help from the French troops. After three weeks of fighting with cannons and artillery, Cornwallis surrendered to General Washington at Yorktown on October 17, 1781.
