-
Lexington and Concord
The first shot of the Revolution. British troops looking to to destroy rebel supplies, under command of Smith and Gage against an American militia. Minuteman forced british back. -
Second Continental Congress
A convention of delegates from the Thirteen Colonies that started meeting in the summer of 1775, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, soon after warfare in the American Revolutionary War had begun. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
Continental army built earthen fortifications and were ordered not to fire until they could see 'the whites of [their enemies] eyes. Came out as a british win but only b/c Americans ran out ammo. Heavy losses on british side, showed that ragtag army could fight effectively against large army. -
Washington assumes command of Continental Army
Washington is unnamimously voted haed of Continental Army -
American Forces fail to seize Quebec
American Forces under command of Benedict Arnold. It was a two pronged invasion force. It failed because of inaccurate information and a series of unforunate events that led to the depletion of supplies and the army. -
Paine's "Common Sense" publlished
Published in 1776, Common Sense challenged the authority of the British government and the royal monarchy. The plain language that Paine used spoke to the common people of America and was the first work to openly ask for independence from Great Britain. -
The Virginia Declaration of Rights
Virginia's Declaration of Rights was drawn upon by Thomas Jefferson for the opening paragraphs of the Declaration of Independence. It was widely copied by the other colonies and became the basis of the Bill of Rights. -
The first Viginia Constitution
listed grivences against the crown and resolved to make their own government -
Signing of the Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence, besides declaring that the colonies were now an independent nation, also set forth the reasons why we were breaking from Great Britain. It established the reasons for the colonies declaring independence. More broadly, it's lasting significance is the philosophy stating that ALL men start out equal. No one was better due to their parents or ancestors. -
Washington crosses the Delaware
Washington crossed the Delaware and took 1,400 Hessian soldiers by surprise. This was an important moral booster for the colonists as a whole. -
Battles of Saratoga
The Battles of Saratoga (September 19 and October 7, 1777) marked the climax of the Saratoga campaign giving a decisive victory to the Americans over the British in the American Revolutionary War. Also helped win the war by convincing the French that it could be won, and so they agreed to assist the Americans. -
French Allience
Franklin had been asking for french help but did not recieve it until the decisive victories at Saratoga which showed the French that the American cause was worth helping. The french sent their navy to scare the british and to regain some territory in the south east. -
Howe replaced by Henry Clinton
After the slowly worsening campaigns, Howe submitted his resignation in protest of the war and Henry Clinton was named Commander-in-Chief of the North America in February 1778 with Charles Cornwallis as his second-in-command. -
The British occupy Savannah
British Lieutenant Colonel Archibald Campbell and his force of between 2500 and 3600 troops, launched a surprise attack on American forces defending Savannah, Georgia. The Patriots lost 83 men and another 483 were captured, while the British lost only 3 men and another 10 were wounded. -
Spain declares war on Great Britan
French Foreign Minister Charles Gravier, managed to negotiate a treaty with Spain to join their war against the British. As the ally of the United States' ally, Spain managed to endorse the revolt at a diplomatic distance. -
Benedict Arnold exposed defecter
Arnold's scheme to surrender a fort to the British was exposed when American forces captured British Major John André carrying papers that revealed the plot. He defected because he believed he wasn't being appriciated and the British paid more. -
Washington names Greene head of Southern Army
Greene took command at Charlotte, North Carolina on December 2. Brig. Gen. Isaac Huger of the South Carolina Continentals was appointed his second in command. He was one of the dependable leaders in the state. -
Articles of Confederation Adopted
The Continental Congress adopted the Articles of Confederation, the first constitution of the United States, on March 2,1781. The Articles created a loose confederation of sovereign states and a weak central government, leaving most of the power with the state governments. -
Cornwallis surrenders at Yorktown
Cornwallis, surrounded by land and sea by the Americans and the French surrenders. This marks the end of the Revolution with the Patriots on top. -
US and Britan sign preliminary Articles of Peace
Franklin agreed to negotiations with the British for an end to the war. Joined by peace commissioners John Adams and John Jay, Franklin engaged the British in formal negotiations beginning on September 27, 1782. -
Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris, ended the American Revolutionary War between Great Britain and the United States of America. -
Shay's Rebellion
uprising led by veteran Shay where they stopped the debtors prisons from being filled. Quickly squashed by the gov. Important because it made the federal gov. consider how much power it should have. -
Ratification of COnstitution
When a bill of rights was proposed in Congress in 1789, North Carolina ratified the Constitution.
