-
British forces retreat from Boston and direct their attacks towards the Middle States, hoping to isolate New England from the rest of the colonies. This started with the capture of New York.
-
Gen. William Howe and Admiral Richard Howe join on Staten Island, with a combined fighting force of 32,000 men. They were met with weak opposition from Washington, forcing the remnants of his 23,000 to retreat in late August, as described by Michael Graham, in his letter, on August 27th.
-
Washington leads 2,400 across the Deleware to attempt a suprise attack on the Hessian garrison that held Trenton.
-
Washington reached Trenton, suprising the drunken Hessians. The Americans managed to kill 30, take 918 prisoners, and seize 6 Hessian cannons.
-
Shortly following his victory at Trenton, Washington managed to defeat 1,200 British soldiers at Princeton, allowing another morale-boosting victory for the Continental Army.
-
In the spring of 1777, General Howe made his way towards Philidelphia by sailing from New York to the head of Chesapeake Bay. He made landfall near the capital in late August, causing the Continental Congress to flee. Washington retaliated with an unsuccessful attempt at blocking the redcoat's progress at Brandywine Creek.
-
As Philidelphia was taken, quite a different series of events played out at Saratoga. American soldiers from all over the north, under command of General Horatio Gates, surrounded "Gentleman Johnny" Burgoyne, who was hoping for support that would never come. He was forced to surrender his army to Gates. This caused British forces from that point on, to remain near the coast near their bigger guns and supply forts.
-
The French finally recognized America's independence, signing an alliance with American forces. This treaty declared that the French were not to make peace with Britain unless Britain also recognized American's as an independent people.
-
The British were living in comfort in newly-captured Philidelphia, while Washington's men suffered through absolute torment at Valley Forge, just outside of Pennsylvania. Men barely had clothing, only scraps of food to eat, and no protection from the elements. 10,000 made camp there in the winter of 1777, but nearly 2,000 of those died by 1778 due to starvation, hypothermia, and disease.Those who survived came out strong and skilled, thanks to the help from Friedrich von Steuben.
-
The British began to set their eyes on the south, hoping for support from Loyalists, an dmaybe even a foot up in this war that they were already going to inevitably lose.
-
Near the end of 1778, a British expidition took control of Savannah, Georgia. By 1779, a royal governor had power over that colony.
-
Congress was running very low on funds. They couldnt supply the troops, and turned to multiple fund raising methods, including profiteering; selling scarce goods for profit. Soon, they resorted to hiring a wealthy Philidelphia merchant by the name of Robert Morris, who worked with his associate Haym Salomon, a Jewish refugee. They both finally managed to pay the soldiers by September 8th, 1781.
-
Marquis de Lafayette, a young and courageous French aristocrat, volunteered his services to General Washington. He helped to toughen the men, and also helped to gain French reinforcements.
-
Gen. Henry Clinton, who took Howe's place in New York, sailed, with Gen. Cornwallis, down south with 8,500 men, taking Charles Town as their first victory.
-
Cornwallis had destroyed American forces at Camden, and, with three months, had the entire colony under English control.
-
The outnumbered American forces bring the redcoats to their knees and force them to surrender in Cowpens, south Carolina.
-
cornwallis attcked Nathaniel Greene out of anger after recent defeat, causing Greene to lose many men, and write to Lafayette for reinforcements.
-
Cornwallis' troops were higly out numbered and exhausted, so he had no choice but to finally give up.
-
The American and FRench foces lined a road near Yorktown, to finally see the British formally surrender. America was finally independent!
-
The French generals, Washington, and all their men had gethered for the final surrender from the British. Gen. Charles O'Hara took the place of Cornwallis, and handed over his sword in defeat. The British troops followed suit and laid down their arms. It was day worthy of rememberence.
-
After all has finally settled down, peace talks have been initiated in Paris, involving the United States, Great Britain, France, and Spain, each looking out for their own needs and interests.
-
The Treaty of Paris, a document confirming th eindependence of the United States of America, was signed, giving new boundaries to this new nation.
