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Battles at Lexington and Concord
Battles at Lexington and Concord were initial skirmishes between the British and American provincials that occurred when the British went to seize the colonists' military stores at Concord. The British defeated the colonists at Lexington but were forced to withdraw at Concord. Since most American supplies had been hidden or destroyed before the British arrived, this battle can be seen as a defeat for the British. This battle was significant because it kicked off the American Revolution. -
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American Revolutionary War
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Battle of Bunker Hill
The Battle of Bunker Hill was the first major battle of the American Revolution, that was fought in Charlestown during the Siege of Boston where the British attacked the fortifications the colonists have built on the Bunker Hill. Although the British eventually won the battle, the British lost more than 1000 men compared to about 450 soldiers, and it was important for the revolution because it gave the colonists considerable encouragement for the revolutionary cause. -
Battle of Princeton
The Battle of Princeton was the result of a strategic move by George Washington, who managed to evade conflict with General Charles Cornwallis at Trenton by breaking camp on the night of Jan. 2, 1777 and taking a byroad to Princeton. There, he won several encounters with the British. This was one of the first successes won by George Washington. It allowed him to continue his march to Morristown where he flanked British communications with New York and helped revive the rebels' flagging hopes. -
Battle of Saratoga
In the fall of 1777, the British, under General John Burgoyne, tried to attack the Continental Forces at Saratoga but failed. Upon retreating on Oct. 8, he was surrounded by the colonists under General Horatio Gates and forced to surrender on Oct. 17 under the Convention of Saratoga. This battle was the turning point of the war because it induced the French to recognize American independence and to give open military assistance. -
Battle of Cowpens
The Battle of Cowpens was a brilliant American victory over a British force on the northern border of South Carolina mainly due to General Daniel Morgan's employment of three progressively stronger defensive lines and Washinton's cavalry. British casualties were estimated at about 600, whereas the Americans lost only 72, and this victory slowed Lord Cornwallis’s campaign to invade North Carolina. -
Battle of Yorktown
The Battle of Yorktown was a joint Franco-American land and sea campaign that entrapped a major British army on a peninsula at Yorktown, Virginia, and forced its surrender. General George Washington ordered Lafayette along with the main Franco-American forces, to surround the British forces at Yorktown while a French fleet maintained a sea blockade. Cornwallis' army finally surrendered on Oct. 19. The siege virtually ended military operations in the American Revolution and concluded the war.
