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Battles at Lexington and Concord
This battle, fought by the Americans and the British and won by the Americans, officially began the American Revolution. This was the battle that Paul Revere told the Americans that the British were coming, but he did not yell because they were trying to be discreet. By the summer of that year, a full scale war for independence had broken out. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
In this battle, the British defeated the Americans, even though the Americans did not feel the same way. As the British advanced on the Americans, General Prescott told them, "Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes," which became a very famous quote. This battle was a morale builder for the Americans and showed that if the British really wanted to go to war with them, it would be long, tough, and costly. -
Invasion of Quebec
In this battle, patriotic troops, led by Colonel Benedict Arnold and General Richard Montgomery, tried to take control of the British inhabited city of Quebec. This battle was the first major defeat for the Americans in the war. This battle showed Americans, just like the Battle of Bunker Hill showed the British, that if they wanted to go to war and win, it would be harder than they previously thought. -
Battle of Trenton
In this battle, General George Washington and his troops crossed the Delaware with his troops to assault the British. Washington's force of 5,000 defeated the 5,500 British troops on January 3, 1777. With this defeat, Washington brought his troops to New Jersey to set up camp, safe from the British for the winter. This showed American troops that they could unite to defeat a British army, and it showed that George Washington could unite them. -
Battle of Saratoga
On September 19th, British General John Burgoyne gained a small, but costly, victory over American forces led by Horatio Gates and Benedict Arnold. Then on October 7, Burgoyne attacked again and forced the British to retreat. Ten days later the British were forced to surrender. This battle was very important because it forced the French government to recognize the American's cause and join the war as their ally. -
Battle of Yorktown
On this day, General George Washington led a force of about 17,000 troops to fight about 9,000 British soldiers led by General lord Charles Cornwallis. After three weeks of non-stop fighting, Cornwallis surrendered to Washington on October 17, 1781, in the field at Yorktown. The Americans victory over the British led to peace negotiations that began in 1782 and the Treaty of Paris being signed on September 3, 1783. Some argue that this was the most important battle in the Revolution
