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Declaration of Independence
When conflict between American colonists and British solider's in 1775, Americans have been fighting for their rights as subjects of the Britain rule. The following summer, the Revolutionary War became in full effect of getting independence from Britain and the Continental Congress were faced to vote on the issue. Mid-June 1776, five men including Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin was given a draft to make a formal statement about the colonies attentions. -
Benjamin Franklin
Franklin was a statesman, author, publisher, scientist, inventor and diplomat. Born into a Boston family of modest means, Franklin had little formal education. He went on to start a successful printing business in Philadelphia and grew wealthy. During the American Revolution, he served in the Second Continental Congress and helped draft the Declaration of Independence in 1776. -
The Battle of Long Island
The British had opened a campaign to seize the control of New York, which would have isolated New England from the rest of the colonies. The British army "redcoats" successfully moved against the American Continental army, which was led by George Washington. Washington's defeat could have resulted in the surrender of his entire force but his ingenuity allowed him to escape at night and continue the fight till further notice. -
Benedict Arnold and The Battle of Valcour Island
Arnold was a brigadier general. He commanded the victory of a British fleet who defeated 15 American gunboats on Lake Champlain, New York. Although, most of Arnold's ships were destroyed, it had took more than two days for the British to subdue the patriot naval force. Four years laters, Arnold agreed to surrender the Hudson River, he's actions were caught by a secret spy and Arnold was forced to flee to the British for protection. Arnold's name is a synonym for traitor in American speech. -
Flag Resolution
During the American Revolution, the Continental Congress endorsed a settlement stating "the flag of the United States be thirteen alternate stripes red and white" and "the Union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new Constellation". The national flag was based on "Grand Union" flag, a banner carried by the Continental Army in 1776 that also had 13 red and white stripes. Supposedly, general George Washington had this design at his request but hadn't been proved or unproven. -
Lafayette
Lafayette was a 19 year old french aristocrat when he arrived in South Carolina with the intent to serve as general George Washington second-in-command. Silas Deane struck an agreement with Johann de Kalb and Lafayette to offer military expenses to the Americans. Lafayette was arrested by the command of the British ambassador, he managed to escape and make his way to Philadelphia. His voluntary services without pay won the congress respect and his commisson as major-general on July 31,1777. -
Head of Elk, Maryland
A 265-ship armada under general Howe command had arrived at the Head of Maryland's Elk River. 17,000 solider's aboard the ships and had a six week journey. They resulted at Sandy Hook, New Jersey across from Staten Island. Howe had hoped to complete the trip much faster than he did but he didn't. In Maryland, he hoped to find a legion of Loyalists ready to fight with the British but he didn't. What he had to do was unload ships of men, horses, weapons, and supplies. -
Battle of Brandywine, Pennsylvania
General Sir William Howe and General Charles Cornwalls began a full scale British attack on General George Washington and the Patriot outpost. Washington was caught off guard by the British attack because he wasn't aware that they had split into two divisions. The Americans had slowed the advance of the British but was soon faced of being surrounded. Washington then told his men to retreat as they were defeated. The British had took control over the city without any opposition from the Patriots. -
Battle of the Clouds
After being defeated at the Battle of Brandywine, Washington and the Americans needed to regroup. Primarily, he moved his army away from the British and then placed his troops in a way where they could protect both Philadelphia and Reading, an important city. British General Howe, instead of following up on his victory, he had remained encamped on the Brandywine battlefield. Four days after the battle, Howe learned that the Americans were 10 miles to his north. He sent his army to meet them. -
Paoli Massacre
General Charles Grey and nearly 5000 British solider's sprung a surprise attack on a small part of the Patriot troops commanded by General Anthony Wayne. Grey had ordered his troops to only use bayonets or swords to attack the sleeping Americans under the cover of darkness. After it was over, nearly 200 Americans were killed or wounded. -
Germantown Battle
After capturing Philadelphia in September, British General William Howe camped at nearby Germantown with a majority of his troops. Washington then shot a surprised attack on the poorly defended British camp but soon failed to pull it off. The British then drive off the Americans causing many casualties and suffering. On the other hand, Germantown believed that his un-skilled army would soon return to win a war. -
Fort Mifflin
A British Royal Navy ships, tried to open up supply lines along the Delaware River and the British army in Philadelphia. It was bombarded by American cannon fire and artillery from Fort Mifflin, Pennsylvania. Six British ships were severely damaged, which suffered direct hits before they were run aground and subsequently destroyed. About, 60 British troops aboard the Augusta were killed, while the crew members aboard the Merlin abandoned ship, narrowly avoiding a similar fate. -
French Alliance
At the time of the American War for independence, commissioners from United States and France signed the Treaty of Amity and Commerce. The treaty had recognized the U.S as a independent nation and aided trade between France and America, while it provided military alliance against Britain. This would show peace for America and the France to conquer the British West Indies. War sprang out and the French naval fleets were defeated, which lead to the battle of Yorktown. -
Battle of Barren Hill
British forces from Philadelphia attempted to trap 2,200 Continentals defending Valley Forge led by Marquis de Lafayette. The encounter takes place at Barren Hill, now known as Lafayette Hill, just northwest of Philadelphia. Washington had dismissed Lafayette and his men two days before to spy on the British in Philadelphia. The British had learned of Lafayette’s mission and intended to surprise him by surrounding and capturing the encampment with a force of 7,000 to 8,000 men. -
Spain Declared War on Britain
This war had created an alliance with Spain and America. King Charles wanted to reclaim Gibraltar from Spain and secure Spanish borders in North America. The Spanish immediately reacted laid siege to Gibraltar at the mouth of the Mediterranean Sea. The British manage to drive the Spanish from Gibraltar, but they had took West Florida by force and attained East Florida by cession when the war for independence ended. -
Anthony Wayne "Mad"
Anthony Wayne was a American Brigadier. He had earned a name "Mad" for the ensuing maneuver. The Hudson River threatened West Point in which Wayne had lost 15 men and 83 wounded while the British had lost 94 solder's and 472 captured. This was remarkable because the attack was taken under darkness and lasted only 30 minutes. -
Articles of Confederation
This was the first written constitution of the United States. Its progress was slowed by fears of central authority and extensive land claims by states but then ratified on March 1, 1781. Under these circumstances, the states remained sovereign and independent, with Congress serving as the last resort on appeal of disputes. The central government lacked the ability to levy taxes and regulate commerce, issues that led to the Constitutional Convention in 1787 for the creation of new federal laws. -
Battle of Guilford Courthouse
British troops under Lieutenant General Charles Cornwallis had a victory at Guilford Courthouse over American forces under Major General Nathanael Greene. Afterward, Cornwallis had abandoned his campaign for the Carolina's and instead took his army into Virginia, in which October he had surrendered to General George Washington. -
Maxwell Surrender
352 man-strong Loyalist force commanded by Andrew Maxwell surrenders a fortified frame building, named Fort Granby, to a Patriot force in South Carolina. The Patriot force commanded Lieutenant Colonel Henry Lee to assault his position at Fort Granby, Maxwell had agreed to surrender. Maxwell departed the fort with two wagon-loads of personal loot -
Treaty of Paris
Treaty of Paris of 1783, negotiated between the United States and Great Britain that ended the revolutionary war and recognized American independence. The Continental Congress named five members commission to negotiate a treaty–John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, John Jay, Thomas Jefferson, and Henry Lauren's. However, Lauren was captured by a British warship and held in the Tower of London until the end of the war and Jefferson did not leave the U.S in time to take part in the negotiations.
