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Important Invention: Bayonet
Rifle with spear/knife hooked on the front for close combat. Had a big impact on how the war was fought and how the US defeated the British. -
Domestic Event: Guerilla Warfare against British Implemented
Use of hit and run tactics and taking out the generals first to defeat the British. Taking advantage of home land and terrain. The British weren't even expecting this type of warfare and the US used it to their advantage to make the British surrender. -
Significant Battle: Lexington and Concord
The Battles of Lexington and Concord were the first ones fought that launched the American Revolution. The night of April 18th, 1775, British troops began to march from Boston to Concord to seize a stockpile of the colonists’ arms. A militia of colonists intercepted the British at Lexington. Fighting broke out on the town green of Lexington, which sent the British retreating and started the Revolutionary War. -
Important Individual: George Washington
Congress ordered General George Washington to take command of the Continental Army going against the British in Boston. He was a very commanding leader and was very tactical in his ways of fighting against the British. -
Important Invention: Long Rifles
Made with grooves in the rifle for longer range and more accurate shooting. Was very useful for guerilla warfare because shots could be fired without the British even spotting the US soldier. -
Significant Battle: Bunker Hill
General Major William Howe was leading the British to seize the Bunker Hill and Breed’s Hill outside Boston. Colonial militia lead by Colonel William Prescott defended the hill from fortifications on top. British troops charged the hill twice and had to retreat, but the third time the Americans were low on ammunition and the British reached the top and forced the Americans to retreat. Although the colonists lost, they killed or injured over 1,000 British troops and lost only around 400 of their -
Domestic Event: Valley Forge Cure for Smallpox
They used inoculation which is putting small amounts of smallpox disease on a healthy person so they become immune to the disease. This was a very important cure because it helped the soldier get through the cold winter of valler forge. -
Important Individual: Samuel Adams
Samuel Adams was an American Revolutionary who lived from 1722 to 1803. He played a key role in leadership of the colonies, and before the revolution broke out organized the repeal of the Stamp Act and the Boston Tea Party. During the war, he was a Massachusetts legislator, where much fighting took place, as well as a delegate of the Continental Congress. He urged for a final break from Britain, and was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. -
Important Individual: Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin lived from 1706 to 1790, and was an important Founding Father during the American Revolution. Franklin help to write both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. He was also an American ambassador to France, which was key in the revolution because he helped win French support of the colonies in the war. He also help negotiate the 1783 Treaty of Paris, which stated, “The Most Christian King renounces for ever the possession of the Islands of Bermudas as well as of -
World Event: France Declares War on Britain
In 1778, France joined in the American Revolution in support of the Colonies. France had the goal of both preventing Britain from getting too powerful, as well as get revenge for being defeated in the Seven Years War. France’s navy was important in the fight against Britain, and they fought with the colonies until the end of the war in 1783. France proved to be vital in the colonies’ success. -
Important Individual: Baron Friedrich von Steuben
Trained the troops to defeat the British. He was a great commander and got the troops ready to rally against the British. -
Domestic Event: Baron Friedrich von Steuben Training at Valley Forge
Von Steuben taught the soldiers how to be aggressive with their warfare and overall played a huge roll on the outcome of the revolutionary war. Baron Friedrich van Steuben states, “I made this guard my military school. I drilled them myself twice a day ; and to remove that English prejudice which some officers entertained, namely, that to drill a recruit was a sergeant's duty and beneath the station of an officer, I often took the musket myself to show the men the manual exercise which I wished -
World Event: War of Bavarian Succession
The War of Bavarian Succession lasted from 1778 to 1779 and was between Austria and Prussia. Austria attempted to acquire Bavaria from Prussia, and Prussia declared war. Little actual fighting occurred, both sides mainly tried to cut of communication and resources from the other. France was Austria’s ally, but did not aid them, presumably due to involvement with the American Revolution. -
Important Invention: Invisible Ink
Used to write secret letters between writers and George Washington. Was very important for the war because it was easy and secretive communication and a good way to work against the British. -
World Event: The Gordon Riots
The Gordon riots occurred in London in 1780 and started as a protest against Catholics in London. An act had been passed that removed some penalties and disabilities for Catholics living in England, which lead to protesting by Protestants. These protests turned into mass riots and looting, and were some of the most violent in the 18th century. Since they occurred at the height of the American Revolution, some believed that they were an attempt by the French or Americans to sabotage Britain. -
Significant Battle: Yorktown
The Battle of Yorktown was the final battle of the American Revolution, where General George Washington’s army defeated the army of Lord Cornwallis in Yorktown, Virginia. French troops fought alongside the Americans, lead by Lieutenant General de Rochambeau. The French navy created a blockade to prevent Cornwallis’s army from being resupplied while the American and French armies attacked British lines at Yorktown on land. The Americans and French outnumbered British over 2-1, and repeatedly bomb
