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"Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death"
Give me Liberty, or Give me Death!" is a quotation attributed to Patrick Henry from a speech he made to the Virginia Convention. On that day, at St. John's Church in Richmond, Virginia, and is credited with having swung the balance in convincing the Virginia House of Burgesses to pass a resolution delivering the Virginia troops to the Revolutionary War. Among the delegates to the convention were future US Presidents Thomas Jefferson and George Washington. -
The ride of Paul Revere
Alerted the patriots that the British were coming to Concord and to be "up and alarm". -
Battle of Lexington and Concord "Shot Heard 'Round the World"
British troops were sent to Concord to capture John Hancock and Samuel Adams, but both men had been warned about the British attack. The night of April 18th, Paul Revere rode through Concord warning everybody about the British attack. So when the British came in to take and attack, the Rebels were waiting to attack at Lexington. The Americans were withdrawing when someone fired a shot, and the British troops started to fire at the Minutemen. Nobody knows who fierd the first shot. (British) -
Battle of Fort Ticonderoga
The uncontested surrender of Ticonderoga caused an uproar in the American public and in its military circles, as Ticonderoga was widely believed to be virtually impregnable, and a vital point of defence. -
George Washington Named Comander and Chief
two days before the bloody battle of Bunker (Breed’s) Hill in Charlestown, Massachusetts, George Washington was appointed commander of America’s armed forces by the Continental Congress. Washington’s appointment confirmed a commitment to war to achieve the revolutionary goals of national rights and ultimate independence from the British Parliament and Monarchy. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
American troops acting under orders from Artemas Ward moved out of their camp, carrying picks, shovels, and guns. Molding Breed's Hill into a makeshift fort! The next morning, the British were stunned to see Americans threatening them. They stormed up the hill over three times before the Americans began to run out of amunition. In the end, the though many were dead, the British took over the hill. (British) -
Benjamin Franklin becomes 1st US Postmaster General
The United States Postmaster General is the chief executive officer of the United States Postal Service. The office, in one form or another, is older than both the United States Constitution and the United States Declaration of Independence. Benjamin Franklin was appointed by the Continental Congress as the first Postmaster General, serving slightly longer than 15 months. -
Battle of Quebec
The battle was the first major defeat of the war for the Americans, and it came at a high price. General Richard Montgomery was killed, Benedict Arnold was wounded, and Daniel Morgan and more than 400 men were taken prisoner. The city's garrison, a motley assortment of regular troops and militia led by Quebec's provincial governor, General Guy Carleton, suffered a small number of casualties -
Common Sense
Common Sense challenged the authority of the British government and the royal monarchy. The plain language that Paine used spoke to the common people of America and was the first work to openly ask for independence from Great Britain. -
Betsy Ross sews First American Flag
The Betsy Ross flag is an early design of the flag of the United States, popularly attributed to Betsy Ross, using the common motifs of alternating red-and-white striped field with five-pointed stars in a blue canton. The flag was designed during the American Revolution and features 13 stars to represent the original 13 colonies. The distinctive feature of the Ross flag is the arrangement of the stars in a circle. -
Battle of Sullivan's Island
The British organized an expedition in early 1776 for operations in the rebellious southern colonies of North America. Delayed by logistical concerns and bad weather, the expedition reached the coast of North Carolina in May 1776. Finding conditions unsuitable for their operations, General Henry Clinton and Admiral Sir Peter Parker decided instead to act against Charleston. -
The First Virginia Constitution
The original Virginia Constitution of 1776 was enacted in conjunction with the Declaration of Independence by the first thirteen states of the United States of America. Virginia was the first state to adopt its own constitution, and the document was widely influential both in the United States and abroad. -
Declaration of Independence
Drafted by Thomas Jefferson between June 11 and June 28, 1776, the Declaration of Independence is at once the nation's most cherished symbol of liberty and Jefferson's most enduring monument. It was created to show America's Independence from England. -
Battle of Long Island
The British Army successfully moved against the American Continental Army led by George Washington. The battle was part of a British campaign to seize control of New York and thereby isolate New England from the rest of the colonies. Washington's defeat could have led to the surrender of his entire force, but his ingenuity instead allowed him to escape and continue the fight. (British) -
Battle of Harlem Heights
Washington ordered the Continentals to hold their line at Harlem Heights while he sent Captain Thomas Knowlton and a volunteer group of Rangers to scout British movements and possibly lure the British into combat. While Captain Knowlton and the Rangers engaged the British in a frontal assault, Washington sent a second force of Patriots to attack the British from their right flank. During the short but intense fighting that ensued, the Americans were able to force a small British retreat. (USA) -
Battle of Trenton
After a long night of Christmas partying, the Hessians had fallen asleep. On Christmas night, Washington ordered his troops to cross the Delaware River to take over the Hessian's fort. He did this because half of his troops were leaving on December 31st. The Hessains surendered, Infact, the battle only took about 90 minutes. (USA) -
Battle of the Clouds
Washington received word of the British advance and chose to make a stand at a location on a valley road between Lancaster and Philadelphia. Skirmishing began on September 16 and British forces initiated flanking movements around the American lines. Before the armies were fully engaged, however, rain began and quickly turned into a steady downpour. Powder became wet, making firearms useless. Washington withdrew his forces, leaving the british to be harassed by the rain! (USA) -
Battle of Brandywine
The Battle of Brandywine, also known as the Battle of Brandywine Creek, was fought between the American army of Major General George Washington and the British army of General Sir William Howe.The British defeated the Americans and forced them to withdraw toward the rebel capital of Philadelphia. -
Battle of Germantown
Washington conceived a bold plan of attack on Howe's 9,000 troop garrison stationed in Germantown. It called for the simultaneous advance of four different units of troops — moving by night. At dawn, the four columns were to converge not far from General Howe's headquarters and catch the British by surprise. (USA) -
Battle of Saratoga
The Battle of Saratoga, composing of two significant battles during September and October of 1777, was a crucial victory for the Patriots during the American Revolution and is considered the turning point of the Revolutionary War. The Battle was the opertunity for France to enter the war against Britain, re-invigorating Washington’s Continental Army and providing much needed supplies and support.(USA) -
Fort Miffin is Captured by British Soldiers
During the American Revolutionary War, the British Army bombarded and captured the fort as part of their conquest of Philadelphia in autumn 1777. The United States Army began to rebuild the fort in 1794 and continued to garrison and build on the site through the 19th century. It housed prisoners during the American Civil War. The army decommissioned Fort Mifflin in 1962 and returned it to the City of Philadelphia. -
Battle of Monmouth Courthouse
Washington dispatched Major General Charles Lee with 5,000 men to assault the British rear guard near Monmouth Court House, NJ. Lee mismanaged the fight and was forced to retreat with the British in pursuit. As Lee fell back, Washington advanced with the main army and rallied the troops. Repeated British attacks were beaten off before the fighting ended with both sides ultimately claiming victory.(both) -
Articles of Confederation
Formally the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, was an agreement among the 13 founding states that established the United States of America as a confederation of sovereign states and served as its first constitution. -
Battle of Yorktown
American and French soldiers created a seige, starving the british army into surendering.The Battle of Yorktown, Virginia, was the climactic battle of the American Revolution. It
was not the last battle. Fighting would go on for two more years. But it was so decisive that the outcome was no longer in doubt. The United States would survive as a nation and
human history would be forever changed.(USA) -
Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris of 1783, negotiated between the United States and Great Britain, ended the revolutionary war and recognized American independence.
