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Battle of Lexington and Concord
On April 19, 1775, The Battle of Lexington and Concord broke out after years of tension. In Lexington the British won but it was a colonial victory at Concord. Some important people during this battle were General Thomas Gage, Paul Revere, John Hancock, Samuel Adams, and Captain John Parker. This battle was the beginning of the American Revolution and became known as the "shot heard 'round the world." -
Capture of Fort Ticonderoga
On May 10, 1775 the Continental army planned a sneak attack led by Benedict Arnold, Ethan Allen, and the Green Mountain Boys, and captured much needed supplies and artillery. This was the first major victory for the colonies in the Revolutionary War. -
Second Continental Congress meets
On May 10, 1775 the second Continental Congress met. During this meeting, they decided to delare independence and completely break away from Great Britain. Some key people were Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock and a total of 65 delegates in the Continental Congress. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
On June 16, 1775, the first major battle occured. The British won the battle but with heavy losses such as 1,000 men from the British army killed. This battle proved to the world the colonies were up to take on the world's strongest army. Some important people in this battle were British Generals William Howe and Thomas Gage. -
George Washington named commander-in-chief
On July 3, the Continental Congress named George Washington commander-in-chief of the Continental Army. This was a great step forward for the Americans because it led to many key victories and eventually to winning the war. -
American defeat at Quebec
On December 31, 1775 the British defeated the American army when they attempted to capture the city of Quebec. Some important people in battle were Colonel Benedict Arnold and General Richard Montgomery. This was the first major defeat for the Americans and cost Montgomery his life. -
British evacute Boston
On March 17, 1776, British forces were forced to evacuate Boston. Some important people were George Washington, John Thomas, and General William Howe. This brought an end to the hated eight-year British occupation of the city. -
Declaration of Independence Issued
In mid-June, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and others were appointed to draft a formal statement of the colonies' wishes to become independent from Great Britian. It was formally adopted by the Congress in Philadelphia on July fourth. -
Battle of Long Island
General Howe led the British army and George Washington led the American Continental army. The British won the battle of Long Island, letting the British seize control of New York and isolate New England from the rest of the colonies. This was a major loss for the Continental Army. -
British occupy New York City
Howe entered New York City virtually unopposed because Washington's troops were outnumbered and spread so thinly. New York City was very difficult to defend and Howe and the British army entered and took over New York City. -
Battle of Trenton
George Washington's army crossed the Deleware on Christmas day 1776 and the battle of Trenton occurred the day after. George Washington's men killed approximatiely 100 Hessians and injured approximately 900. It was a major victory and greatly improved the morale of the Continental Army. -
Battle of Brandywine
On September 11, 1777 Generals William Howe and Charles Cornwallis attacket George Washington's troops at Brandywine Creek in Pennsylvania. The Americans were forced to abandon their posts and retreat. The battle of Brandywine was important to the American Revolution because this began the British occupation of Philadelphia. This battle killed or injured over 1,100 American and 600 British men. -
Battle of Saratoga
The Battle of Saratoga was split 18 days apart. John Burgoyne and the British won the first battle on September 19 but the second battle, on October 7, was won by the American forces led by Horatio Gates and Benedict Arnold. .This American victory was very important because it convinced the French Government to recognize the colonists' cause and become their ally. -
British occupy Philadelphia
The George Washington and the Americans had been trying to hold off General Howe and his British troops for quite some time before the battle of Brandywine which was the one of the last battles before the British took over Philadelphia on September 26 without a single shot being fired. This was a loss for the Americans and forced Congress to relocate at York, PA. -
The Article of Confederation Adopted
The colonies had declared independence and now needed a government.So, on November 15, 1777 the second Continental Congress adopted the Articles of Confederation. The Articles of Confederation provided a loose federation that would eventually be replaced by the U.S. Constitution. Some important people in this enent were Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Richard Henry Lee, and George Washington. -
Winter at Valley Forge
General George Washington and his army barely survived through the long, cold, hungry winter at Valley Forge. Washington led his troops into Valley Forge on December 19, 1777 and finally left in March of 1778. The winter at Valley Forge was called "A winter of suffering." This winter could have signaled the end of the American Revolution but Washington and his troops did not give up. -
Alliance with France
On February 6, 1778 the treaties of Amity and Commerce and Alliance were signed. Benjamin Franklin, Silas Deane and Aurthur Lee were important people because the were appointed to secure a formal alliance with France. The alliance with France was very important to the American Revolution because the French naval fleets proved to be critial in the defeat of the British. -
Battle of Monmouth Court House
Originally Washington never intended for an all out engagement but the British drew them into battle. The two armies battled until they were exhausted,and it became the longest battle of the Revolution. No one won the battle because Washinton's army planned to resume in battle the next morning but the British troops had snuck away during the night. -
Fall of Savannah
Colonel Archibald Campbell and his force of loyalists and Hessians from New York launched a suprise attack on American Mojor General Robert Howe and his American forces defending Savannah, Georgia. The Americans were severely outnumbered and defeated. This effected the American Revolution because after capturing Savannah, the British soon spread out throughout the state and virtually controlled all of Georgia. -
Spain enters the war
On June 21, 1779, Spain declared war against Great Britian. Spain's King Charles III would not sign a treaty of alliance with the United States. However, French Foreign Minister Charles Gravier managed to negotiate a treaty with Spain to join their war against the British. This ensured Britiain would have to spread their resources even thinner now that the Americans were allies with both France and Spain. It was a major advantage for the colonies. -
Siege of Charleston
On April 1, 1780, General Benjamin Lincoln and his American troops began a defense of the city that led to their surrender a month later to General Sir Henry Clinton and the British at the Siege of Charleston. This gave the British a foothold in the south. The siege of Charleston was the greatest loss of man power and equipment for the Americans and gave the British control over most of the southern colonies. -
Benedict Arnold's treason discovered
On September 21, 1780, American General Benedict Arnold was caught trying to hand over West Point to British Major John Andre in exchange for a large sum of money and a high position in the British army. Before the treason, Arnold was known as an American hero, but became known as a traitor. -
French and British battle in Chesapeake Bay
On September 5, 1781, a battle took place between a French fleet led by Rear Admiral François Joseph Paul and a British fleet led by Rear Admiral Sir Thomas Graves. The French won and it became a crucial naval battle in the American war for independence.This battle led to the siege of Yorktown. -
Siege of Yorktown
The American Continental and French troops led by General George Washington battled against the British troops led by General Lord Cornwallis. The Americans and French planned to trap Cornwallis' army at Yorktown. By the time Cornwallis learned of the troops plan it was too late for reinforcements. This was the last major land battle of the American Revolution. -
Cornwallis surrenders
On October 19, 1781, General Cornwallis' British army surrendered at the Battle of Yorktown. This marked the end of the American Revolutionary War. Peace negotiations began in 1782 and the Treaty of Paris, which recognized the United States as a free and independent nation, was signed the following year.
