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Signing the Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was a document which stated the independence of the United States from Great Britain. Thomas Jefferson was the one who wrote the first draft and was later signed by all 13 colonies. This was signed on the 4th of July.There are 24 copies of the Declaration in the U.S. -
Battle of Trenton
The Battle of Trenton was a battle between General Washington and the Hessian. The battle began when General Washington and his army decided to cross Delaware. He planned to attack the Hessian in order to cross. Colonel Johann Rall was informed about the attack but didn't take any action which led them to be unprepared.Colonel Johann Rall was shot and the Hessians surrendered with 1,032 casualties. -
Battle of Princeton
After the battle of Trenton, General Cornwallis was concerned by the U.S victory and decided to seek revenge by taking his troop to Trenton where General Washington's exhausted troops stayed at. Cornwallis assumed that the Continental Army would try to escape but instead, Washington burned their camps and found their way around the British camps. The Continental Army outnumbered the British, leaving the British to move from New Jersey and seek another base. -
Battle of Saratoga
The battle of Saratoga was a pivotal point of the American Revolution. The British and Hessian surrendered due to the lack of supply which made it a victory for the Americans.Afterwards,the French sought to avenge for its defeat during the French and Indian War from the British and allied with the U.S. -
The Articles of Confederation
After the Declaration of Independence, the Continental Congress decided that the U.S needed a national government. The British capture of Philadelphia had sped up the process. In the Articles of Confederation, they agreed to have a state by state vote and a state tax based on the cost of land. When it was sent for ratification many realized that there were flaws in the system but they still thought it was better than not having any form of government. -
Slaves During the Revolutionary war
During the war, slaves were allowed to join the war with their masters permission. Some states also enabled slave owners to substitute their sons with slaves if their son was drafted to the military. While the South opposed with arming slaves, they let free African Americans to enlist.They also recruited free enslaved African Americans as pilots or seaman. African Americans were not only limited to join the war for America, they were also able to join for the British. -
French alliance
During the war, representatives from the U.S and France signed the Treaty of Amity and Commerce and the Treaty of Alliance in Paris. The continental congress chose Benjamin Franklin, Silas Deane and Arthur Lee to form an alliance with France. The Treaty of Amity and Commerce sought the U.S as an independent nation and allowed trade between France and the U.S. The Treaty of Alliance contributed military alliance to the U.S against Great Britain. -
Secret Soldiers
While women were not allowed to fight or join the military in general, some women still joined to fight during the Revolutionary War. They did this by disguising themselves as men. Many of the women that joined were young, unmarried and poor. They were able to earn money by enlisting. -
Battle of Newton
During the war, majority of the Native Americans sided with the British while the rest were with the Americans.Majority sided with the British because they realized that if the U.S becomes independent then it will become a threat to their interest and way of living. Four out the six Iroquois nation sided with the British. Under General Washington,the raid led by General John Sullivan left the towns destroyed. This left a bad reputation of General Washington amongst the Iroquois nation. -
Battle of Camden
The Battle of Camden was a victory for the British. General Horatio Gates decided to ambush the British troops but it backfired. The Continental Army were attacked by the British aggressively with bayonets. This led for the Continental Army to have 2,000 casualties. -
Battle of Cowpens
The Battle of Cowpens was fought in South Carolina.General Nathanael Greene decided to divide to troops in order to have an effective attack on the British. With this victory, it helped provided a hopeful outlook for the U.S in the war. -
James Armistead
James Armistead was a slave that volunteered to be a spy for the Continental army to receive information from the British. He was a double agent, giving false information to the British. They had put him under the British troops which gave him information of the Red Coats movement. With this, he was able to inform General Washington which allowed them to form a blockade from their enemies attack. -
Battle of Yorktown
The Battle of Yorktown was crucial to the end of the Revolutionary War. The battle led by General Washington with the French and Continental army, continuously bombarded the base for the British which had forced the British troops to surrender. With this victory, all fighting within the colonies ended thus ending the fighting for the war. -
The British Peace Negotiations
The British Parliament vote to end war with the U.S. With this, they recognize the U.S independence and begin to authorize peace negotiations. Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and John Jay were informed to not form a separate peace with Great Britain but they still went ahead and did. -
Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris had formally ended the Revolutionary War. The treaty was signed by Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and John Jay at the Hotel d'York in Paris. In the Treaty, France gave up its territory in North America which ended military threat to the British. With this treaty, the British were finally able to acknowledge the U.S as an independent nation.
