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Battle of Quebec
On December 31, 1775, Patriot troops under Benedict Arnold and General Richard Montgomery attempted to capture the British-occupied city of Quebec and with it win support for the American cause in Canada. The attack failed, and Montgomery lost his life. The Battle of Quebec was the first major defeat of the Revolutionary War for the Americans. -
Battle of New York
British General Howe took troops to take New York. George Washington tried to defend New York, but was heavily defeated and American troops were driven off New York completely. George Washington retreated to New Jersey. -
Signing of the Declaration of Independence
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Battle of Brandywine
General Howe attacked George Washington's 11,000 troops while British General Cornwallis performed a flanking maneuver. The American troops were able to slow down Howe's plan to capture Philadelphia, but was overwhelmed and forced to retreat. -
Battle of Saratoga
British General John Burgoyne achieved a small, but costly victory over American troops led by General Gates and Benedict Arnold. Though his troops had been weakened, Burgoyne attacked the Americans again on October 7th, but this time was defeated and forced to retreat. The American victory convinced the French to enter the war as their ally. -
Winter at Valley Forge
Until June 1778, George Washington and his soldiers stayed here at Valley Forge. As many as 2,000 soldiers died of exposure, starvation, and disease. -
Battle of Vincennes
American George Rogers Clark, led a small army, and forced the British out of Indiana. America had gained the West. -
Battle of King's Mountain
During the American Revolution, Patriots under Colonel William Campbell defeat Tories under Major Patrick Ferguson at the Battle of King’s Mountain in South Carolina. After several charges by the Patriots, Ferguson led a charge down the mountain. He and his troops were cut down by a hail of bullets. -
Battle of Cowpens
At the Battle of Cowpens in South Carolina, American troops under Brigadier General Daniel Morgan fought British forces under Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton. The Americans inflicted heavy casualties on the British, and the battle was a turning point in the war’s southern campaign. -
Battle of Yorktown
Cornwallis stopped at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay for supplies. Washington ordered Lafayette and an army of 5,000 troops to block Cornwallis’ escape from Yorktown by land while the French fleet blocked escape by sea. Washington had completely surrounded Cornwallis with American and French troops. Cornwallis surrendered to Washington in the field at Yorktown on October 17, 1781, ending the American Revolution -
Signing of the Treaty of Paris
It was signed in Paris by Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and John Jay