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Concord
The British found an empty arsenal. As the British were heading back to Boston, between 3,000 and 4,000 minutemen fired at the troops from behind stone walls and trees. Britain held Boston and British troops in Boston under siege. -
Lexington
The British commanders ordered the minutemen to drop their weapons and lay down. The 70 minutemen started to move. Someone fired 1 shot, then the Redcoats fired shots, at the militia. It only lasted 15 minutes. -
Philadelphia
The Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia, to debate their next move. They appointed George Washington as commander. Some wanted independence and the others wanted to restore their friendship with Britain. -
Bunker Hill
The British general Thomas Gage decided to strike at militiamen near Bunker Hill. The colonists held their fire until the last minute. The colonists lost 450 men, and the British had over 1,000 casualties. Named the deadliest battle of the war. -
New York
The British attempted to seize New York. The British sailed into the New York Harbor with 32,000 soldiers. -
Trenton
George Washington led 2,400 men in small rowboats across the Delaware River, and went to Trenton and defeated a garrison of Hessians. -
Saratoga
General John Burgoyne had a plan to lead an army down a route of lakes, where he would meet British troops- they would join forces to isolate New England from the rest of the colonies. American troops surrounded him at Saratoga, he surrendered on October 17, 1777 -
Valley Forge
More than 2,000 soldiers died. They fought to stay alive at winter camp. -
Marquis De Lafayette
Lafayette lobbied France for french reinforcements and led a led a command in Virginia. He was a foreign leader. -
Yorktown
French and American troops surrounded the British on the yorktown Peninsula and started bombarding them night and day. -
Treaty of Paris
Confirmed U.S. independence and set boundaries of the nation.
