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1776 Battles of Trent and New Jersey
The battle of Trenton took place on the morning of December 26, 1776 and lasted until January 3, 1777. This battle was small but pivotal in the Revolutionary War. The Americans captured 900 prisoners along with lots of guns and ammunition. More than 20 Hessian's were killed and 80 wounded. -
1776 Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence
On July 4, 1776, Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration of Independence was created because the colonists were tired of the king telling the people what and how they can practice there religious beliefs. -
1778 Winter at Valley Forge
Valley Forge was General George Washington’s Continental Army’s encampment during the winter of 1777-1778. The winter of 1777-1778 wasn’t exceptionally cold but many soldiers didn’t have the proper clothing, some were even shoe less. There was also a food shortage in February that left the men without meals for many days at a time. Disease was a huge issue during the 6 month encampment, around 2,000 men died from disease during that time. -
1777 America and Britain fought in the Battle of Saratoga
The battle of Saratoga occurred, in late September, early October. During the second year of the American Revelation. In this battle, you had 2 different dates to fight, with an 18 day separation period. -
1777 thru 1778 - State Constitutions
After the war, the states had to decide how to replace royal authority with popular sovereignty. In most cases colonial traditions were continued, but modified, so that the GOVERNOR (the executive) lost significant power, while the ASSEMBLIES (the legislative branch, which represented the people most directly) became much more important. -
1777 Howe captured Philadelphia
The British captured Philadelphia on September 26, 1777 after General George Washington was defeated at the Battle of Brandy wine and the Battle of Clouds. British General Howe made Philadelphia the focus on his campaign. -
1777 Articles of Confederation
The Continental Congress adopted the Articles of Confederation, the first constitution of the United States, on November 15, 1777 and it was ratified on March 1, 1781. The Articles of Confederation named the new nation “The United States of America.” Under the articles the states remained independent with Congress serving as a last resort. Congress was given the authority to make treaties and alliances, maintain armed forces and coin money. -
1779 Spain Declares war on Great Britain
On June 21, 1779, Spain declared war on Britain, creating an alliance with the colonial Americans. Spain’s King Charles III would not agree to a treaty of alliance with the United States. Spain’s entry into the war guaranteed the British would have to spread their resources even thinner. -
1779 John Paul Jones & Serapis
John Paul Jones commanded the U.S. ship Bonhomme Richard during the war. On September 23, 1779, the Bonhomme Richard engaged the Serapis and the Countess of Scarborough. The Bonhomme Richard had a lot of damage but continued to fight. After 3 more hours of fighting the Serapis and the Countess of Scarborough surrendered. -
1780 British forces capture Charles Town
Americans suffered their worst defeat of the revolution at Charleston, South Carolina on May 12, 1780. The British captured more than 3,000 Patriots and lots of munitions and equipment. -
1781 British surrender at Yorktown
On October 19, 1781, the British surrendered at Yorktown. after a while the British ran out of food and ammunition. They had to surrender or they were going to die. When they surrendered, they marched out Yorktown and played a tune called "The World Turned Upside Down". -
1783 Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris of 1783 formally ended the American Revolutionary War. In the Treaty of Paris, the British Crown formally recognized American independence and ceded most of its territory east of the Mississippi River to the United States, doubling the size of the new nation and paving the way for westward expansion. -
1778 - Congress prohibits enslaved people imported to the US
After the war enslaved labor was not as important to the economy. The U.S. Congress passed an act to “prohibit the importation of slaves into any port or place within the jurisdiction of the United States…from any foreign kingdom, place, or country.” The act became effective January 1, 1807.
