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Battle of Lexington and Concord
Known as the "shot heard 'round the world," the Battle of Lexington and Concord was the first official battle of the American Revolution. General Thomas Gage, military governor of Massachusetts, dispatched soldiers to capture colonial leaders and supplies that the colonists were keeping at Concord, but Paul Revere warned Patriots about General Gage's plan. Colonial militiamen gathered, fail to stop the British at Lexington, but amassed and drove the British back to Boston from Concord. -
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Revolutionary Period
The Revolutionary Period included the American Revolution (or the war with Great Britain), which began with the battle in Lexington and Concord that was led by General Gage and ended as a result of the second Treaty of Paris in 1783. -
Capture of Fort Ticonderoga
Fort Ticonderoga was held by the British after the Seven Years' War. In May 1775, Ethan Allen and Captain Benedict Arnold of the Connecticut militia led the Green Mountain Boys of Vermont on a raid of Fort Ticonderoga and captured the fort without a shot being fired. The capture was the first offensive victory for American forces in the Revolutionary War. It secured the strategic passageway north to Canada and secured the patriots an important cache of artillery to be used in future battles. -
Second Continental Congress
In May 1775, with Redcoats once again storming Boston, Patriot leaders met in Philadelphia and created the Continental Army, appointing George Washington to be the supreme leader of the army. In the Congress, most still wanted reconciliation with Great Britain, at least at first. However, as conflict and tension grew, the colonists recognized the need to respond and they eventually wrote the Declaration of Independence. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
The Battle of Bunker Hill began on June 17th, 1775, when British troops attacked American fortifications on Breed's Hill and Bunker Hill. Despite the British victory, the war had severely taken a toll on their amount of troops and supplies and ultimately was a moral victory for the colonists, as they proved they could hold their own against the superior British Army. The fierce fight confirmed that any reconciliation between England and her American colonies was no longer possible. -
Washington named Commander in Chief
John Adams nominated George Washington to lead the newly formed Continental Army during the Second Continental Congress, and he was unanimously named Commander-in-Chief on June 19th. His experience in the French and Indian War would prove to serve him well in his leadership, as he led the army to significant victories such as the capture of Boston along with major defeats including the loss of New York City. After the winter at Valley Forge (1777), the French recognized American Independence. -
Battle of Quebec
Patriot forces under Colonel Benedict Arnold and General Richard Montgomery attempted to capture the British-occupied city of Quebec, and with it win support for the American cause in Canada. The British army was too strong causing the attack to fail, and the effort cost Montgomery his life. The Battle of Quebec was the first major defeat of the Revolutionary War for the Americans. -
Common Sense
Written and published by Thomas Paine, 'Common Sense' was a pamphlet that called for independence and a new, republican form of government. The pamphlet was directed at the colonists in America to push them towards independence and criticized Britain's monarchy and government in general. Paine was very successful, 'Common Sense' was the most widely read pamphlet of the American Revolution, and his words convinced many colonists of the need to separate from Britain. -
Congress Adopts the Declaration of Independence
Written by Thomas Jefferson, the Declaration of Independence stated the beliefs of the colonists, listed actions the king took against the colonists and declared that the colonies would separate from Great Britain. The colonists' beliefs revolved around John Locke's idea of natural rights - the right to life, liberty, and property - and the violation of natural rights justified the creation of a new government. -
Battles of Trenton
At the time, it was normal to refrain from fighting during the winter, and Washington knew he couldn't win if he fought on British terms, so Washington decided to cross the Delaware and surprise the British. By surprising the British and attacking when the British troops were unprepared, Washington was able to defeat the British at Trenton, capturing 1,000 Hessian soldiers. Then, on January 3, 1777, Washington defeated the British again at Princeton, restoring confidence in the American troops. -
America Chooses a Flag
During the American Revolutionary War, Congress decided that the country needed a flag to represent the united colonies. On June 14th, 1777 the Second Continental Congress passed a Flag Resolution and adopted the "Stars and Stripes" Flag sewn by Betsy Ross. -
American Victory at Saratoga
British General John Burgoyne moved slowly towards Albany, New York, but didn't realize that no reinforcements were coming from General Sir William Howe. His troops became stuck at Saratoga with little food and a lack of horses. After a series of skirmishes with the Patriots, General Burgoyne surrendered at Saratoga, a turning point in the war that would convince the French to ally with the Americans. -
Valley Forge
Washington led his troops to Valley Forge as a place to stay for the winter, but early into the six-month encampment, disease and starvation killed many of the troops, many deserted, and several officers resigned. It was at the winter camp where George Washington proved his ability to lead and, with the help of former Prussian military officer Friedrich Wilhelm Baron von Steuben, transformed a battered Continental Army into a unified, world-class fighting force capable of beating the British. -
Treaty of Alliance
After the Americans won at Saratoga, France was convinced that supporting the Americans meant they would be backing a winner. In the Treaty of Alliance, France agreed to support and provide a military alliance with the United States against Great Britain, under the condition that France would be permitted to conquer the British West Indies and the Continental Congress would recognize these conquests. -
Siege of Charleston
The Siege of Charleston, South Carolina took place after the British began to shift their strategic focus towards the Southern Colonies. After weeks of siege, Army Major General Benjamin Lincoln surrendered forces numbering about 5,000 to the British along with numerous vital weapons and supplies. The capture of the city and its harbor gave the British a vital base from which to conduct operations in their attempt to rally the support of American Loyalists and reconquer the southern states. -
Battle of the Chesapeake
The Battle of the Chesapeake was a crucial naval battle in the American War of Independence. It resulted in a French naval victory over a British fleet that took place near the mouth of Chesapeake Bay in September of 1781. The battle resulted in a tactical French victory, effectively blocking the mouth of the Chesapeake and preventing British ships from reinforcing the besieged British Army, sealing Cornwallis' fate at Yorktown. -
Siege of Yorktown
The Battle/Siege of Yorktown, although it did not end the war, was the last major battle of the war. British General Lord Charles Cornwallis and his army were surrounded by American and French forces with no way out of Yorktown, leaving him no choice but to surrender to the American forces, led by George Washington. His surrender broke the resolve of the British government, leading to the official end of the American Revolution. -
Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris (1783) ended the war between Americans and the British. Britain recognized American independence and relinquished claims to lands south of the Great Lakes and east of the Mississippi River. In return, British merchants were allowed to pursue legal claims for prewar debts. This Treaty was actually the second Treaty of Paris, after the one signed in 1763 after Great Britain and Prussia's victory over France and Spain during the Seven Years' War.