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The first Continental Congress met in Philadelphia to resolve conflicts with the English. They voted to continue boycotting British goods, and to prepare colonial the malitia for a fight. They also wrote a Declaration of Rights to show the king.
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The patriots fought for independence. The loyalists remained loyal to the crown, and many fled colonies. . The Declaration ignored many colonists such as women and slaves.
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A British general disarmed the militia. Paul Revere and William Dawes raced on horseback to warn people that the British were coming. After the shooting in Lexingtonthe militia and British forcesstarted fighting.
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The Continental Congress met again in Philadelphia, for the second meeting. They made plans for making a Continental Armya picked George Washington to command it.King George III rejected the Olive Branch Petition, a last resort to keep the peace.
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While the 2nd Continental Congress met, fighting spread, Benedict Arnold and Ethan Allen took Fort Ticonderoga in NY. The militia battled the British in Boston, the British took Boston, but George Washington arrived and drove them out.
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In the beginning, British had the advantage with more money, resourses, a professional military, and the worlds largest army. The colonists had poorly trained militias and no navy. But the British werefighting citizens who believed in a cause.
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General Washington made a Continental Army with over 230,000 serving. others joined militias. But Lord Dunmore's proclamation was the British to offer freedom to slaves who fight in the army.
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Agressive Patriots launched an attack on British Settlements in Canada but were then defeated in Quebec.
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Thomas Paine wrote a pamphlet that argued for breaking away from Great Britain. Thomas believed monarchies were unfair and people should make laws. He convinced colonists it was right for independence.
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Thomas Jefferson, with the help of many people drafted the Declaration of Independence. The document expressed three ideas: All men possess the unalienable rights of "life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness.", That KIng George III had voilated the colonists rights, the colonists had the right to break away from Great Britain
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Continental Congress approve Declaration of Independence, America was born.
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The British drove the Continental Army out of New York.
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Washington and 2,400 soldiers crossed the Delaware River. They then suprised the Britishwith the big win in the battle of Trenton.
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After British suffered a major defeat at the Battle of Saratoga France and Spain agreed to help the Americans.
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The harsh winter at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, killed more than a fifth of George Washington's soldiers.
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End of the harsh winter that killed a fifth of soldiers.
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In the west George Rogers Clark, an explorer and mapper, made a frontier armywhile weakening the British. He then captured the British settlements and convinced American Indians to stay out of the war.
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Americans attacked British navy ships, because Britain had such a big army Americans attacked individual ships instead of a larger battle. Bonhomme Richard defeats Serapis.
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As the war shifted to the South, the British enjoyed serveral major victories. Even after the Southern army was degeated, Patriots continued fighting using guerrilla warfare.
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Peace negotiations begin
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Washington planned a combined American and French attack on Yorktown. After a weeks-long siege, the British were defeated.
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The Treaty of Paris officially ended the war. It set new nation's boundaries and forced the British to recognize the U.S.A.
