-
The Spark- Lexington and Concord
Video Link #TheShotHeardRoundTheWorld
The Battle of Lexington and Concord was the first skirmish of the American Revolution which demonstrated that the colonists were ready to fight and to the death for their liberty. Paul Revere sent out the warning that the British were coming and the Minutemen that countered the British forces forced the British to eventually retreat. The British were attempting to take American political figures and weapons. -
The First Battle- Bunker Hill
Video Link #TheWhitesOfTheirEyes
Two hills were being fortified near Boston when the battle of Bunker Hill took place. One was Breed's Hill and the other was Bunker Hill. Because of the procedure of setting up, the colonists were low and didn't have much ammunition. An American commander advised the troops to use as little ammo as possible and they suffered less casualties than the well-armed British. The British won the battle and seized the hills. -
The Turning Point- Saratoga
Game Link HowDoYouLikeMeNow? Burgoyne was a British general moving to the New England Colonies to capture major towns. He faced battle in Vermont where he lost many men. Burgoyne and his troops were surrounded by American General Horatio Gates and his men. On October 17, 1777; General Burgoyne surrendered his entire army to the American troops. This show proved to the Spanish and French that they could join the colonists and maybe even win the war. -
The Low Point- Valley Forge
Video Link #WorstCampEver
The winter of 1777-1778 was spent in the worst possible place for George Washington's soldiers, in a valley. Conditions were extremely severe in the camp and many soldiers were in need of food, clothing, water, and warmth. Ironically, things were looking extremely bad and people began being swayed to the Loyalist life again, selling needed items to the British and British soldiers. -
The Rising to the Turning Point- The End of Valley Forge
More Info NewAlliances Though Valley Forge really was the worst camp ever, many people did their best to help out in the end. For example, Washington's own wife, Martha, helped the soldiers out by caring for them and healing the sick and wounded. Marquis de Lafayette, a Frenchman, helped by clothing for the cold soldiers and even faced the conditions the soldiers did. American colonists also did their part to send supplies. -
Government- Articles of Confederation
Article Link #TheOppositeOfTheBritish
During the war, the colonists had to set up laws and a form of government that could be introduced into the aftermath of the war. This backfired horribly later on in history because it had no structural integrity. All the Articles of Confederation was, was a form of government that was directly opposite to the British's before the war. This was a bad idea and eventually failed to be reinstated with the Constitution. -
The Last Battle- Siege of Yorktown
Video Link #TheUltimateTrap
A British general called Cornwallis moved camp to Virginia after facing a major defeat in another battle. Here he was surrounded by 16,000 soldiers opposing Britain. Cornwallis and his troops fled to Chesapeake Bay and attempted to use a British ship to escape. However, French ships barracaded the British in. The Americans had one the American Revolution after Cornwallis's surrender. -
Resolution- The Treaty of Paris
Article Link #TheConditionsOfPeace
After nearly 30,000 soldiers died on both sides of the war, the British and Americans sat down to talk peace. The British acknoledged the United States as a new union and gave back all the land that belonged to America. The Americans gave back the belongings of Loyalist colonists. However, this peace came at an enourmous price of tens of thousands of lives.
