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Introduction
During the Revolutionary War many great events happened to the British and the Americans. The British had always been a strong army, but when the winter at Valley Forge came along, the Americans had gotten up to the experienced level that the British had been at all along. Many people had turned against the British at the battle of Brooklyn, New York. The French and Spaniards actually helped the Americans at the battle of Saratoga, New York. These events were great experiences for the Americans -
Winter at Valley Forge:
Date: Late in 1775
Although the Battle of Saratoga was a victory, the war had gone on. Washington’s army was making their way to Valley Forge, from Saratoga, when Congress declared a day of Thanksgiving. The soldiers had been with no shelter or warmth, food or water, for days so when they heard this, it was a time to celebrate. Since it was cold and miserable in Valley Forge, Washington had ordered a volunteer trainer from Prussia, Baron Freidrich von Steuben, to distract them from their misery. -
The Battle in Brooklyn, New York:
Date: August 27,1776
British soldiers had gone into the homes of Americans and took their valuables. Because of this, many of the British supporters had turned into their enemies, and this brought on a war. The British had only lost 377 men but the Americans had lost 1,407 men in this war, so it looked like the British had won the was
The British thought that George Washington was going to surrender the battle, so General Howe ordered fewer troops to fight. Although the Continental Army was defe -
Battle at Trenton, New Jersey
Date: December 25, 1776
With moral low and Washington’s soldiers threatening to go home, he planned a surprise attack on the Hessians at Trenton. After crossing the almost frozen Delaware River, he caught the enemy of guard, totally overwhelming them.
The news of the victory electrified the patriots. It told them that they could stand up to the British and win! -
The Crisis
Date: By the end of 1776
The Crisis is a pamphlet written by Thomas Paine
Washington knew he had to do something quickly, so he gathered his troops together and read them this pamphlet -
The Battle of Saratoga, New York:
Date: October 17,1777
Burgoyne finally reached Saratoga Springs on the Hudson River. This area had a lot of militia men. Because of this, Burgoyne ordered at attack but the militia men had kept beating them. Eventually, Burgoyne had surrendered and this was a turning point in the war. Before the victory at Saratoga, the Americans had shown that they weren’t going to surrender and that they were going to win. To help out the Americans, the French sent money, weapons, troops, and warships to Ameri -
Battle at Monmouth
Date: June 28, 1778
At the Battle of Monmouth in New Jersey, Washington led his troops to attack the retreating British. Even though the Americans won, the British slipped away during the night and safely sailed to New York.
Washington had won this war and the Americans were one step closer to winning the overall war and taking back their rights, liberty, and freedom. -
Guerilla warfare in the South:
Date: late 1780
Guerillas had kept the faith in the Americans when Cornwallis was trying to conquer them. Francis Marion, a guerilla, had physically helped the Americans by harassing the British with hit-and-run raids. This had caused the British to run away into the forests and swamps in the Carolinas. Late in 1780, Washington sent General Nathaniel Greene to slowly move the British through the South, and to do this, Greene led Cornwallis’s troops through an exhausting chase through the souther -
Battle at Yorktown, Virginia
Date: October 6-19, 1781
In New York, Washington gained 16,000 troops, and 29 French warships were scheduled to arrive. The warships surrounded the Chesapeake Bay and trapped Cornwallis and his army.
They surrendered at Yorktown on October 19, 1781. General Benjamin Lincoln lead the British. General Washington was in front of the American flag with his French, Polish and Prussian soldiers. It was a great win for the Americans. -
Signing of the Treaty of Paris
Date: Early in 1783
In early 1783, representatives from the United states and Britain signed a peace treaty in Paris. The treaty had three major parts. First, Great Britain agreed to recognize the United States as an independent nation. Second, Britain gave up its claims to all lands between the Atlantic Coast and Mississippi River, from Canada south to Florida. Third, the United States agreed to return all rights and property taken from Loyalists during the war. Loyalists were skeptical of the
