Surrender of lord cornwallis canvas john laurens 1820

The American Revolution Timeline

  • The Boston Massacre

    The Boston Massacre
    In 1768, British troops were assigned to go to Boston,and this upset a lot of local colonist. Riots began when about 60 colonists threatened a British soldier,so a British officer brought several soldiers to assist him. The crowd had gotten bigger and many colonist were threatening the British soldiers. The soldiers then fired into the crowd killing 5 colonist. Crispus Attucks, who was mixed with African and Native American, was the first to die of the 5 people who were killed that day.
  • The Boston Tea Party

    The Boston Tea Party
    The British government began taxing items shipped to America,and this upset local colonist.In 1773 all taxes were dropped except for the one on tea,which was called the Tea Act.This act allowed the East India Company to sell tea in America.The tea was shipped to America to distribute among company agents.Colonists feared that the tea monopoly would put merchants out of business.Because of this,100 men got onto ships and dumped tea chest in the ocean.After that the "Intolerable Acts" were passed.
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    1st Continental Congress

    The First Continental Congress was held in Philadelphia on September 5, 1774. It was a convention attended by 56 delegates representing the 12 colonies, who gathered out of a desire of unity. The first congress wanted fair treatment from Britain rather than independence,and encouraged colonies to train militias. The Congress also declared that Parliament had no right to pass laws that affected America. The Continental Association was set up at the First Continental Congress.
  • Lexington and Concord

    Lexington and Concord
    The battle of Lexington and Concord took place in Massachusetts.The English army found out that the colonist were hiding their weapons,and wanted to get them.Paul Revere and other Patriots rode into town to warn the militias that the British were coming.The Americans then fought the English troops who came to collect their weapons.Nobody knows who fired the first shot at the battle of Lexington and Concord.This is an important event because it kicked off the start of the American Revolution.
  • 2nd Continental Congress

    2nd Continental Congress
    The 2nd Continental Congress was held in Philadelphia.At this event,the congress discussed several governmental issues.The congress put together an army and made George Washington commander in chief.With the eruption of war,the congress motivated the colonies to get new republican governments.The 2nd Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.John Adams,who was a lawyer,helped draft the Declaration.This event was a turning point from peace to rebellion.
  • Battle of Bunker Hill

    Battle of Bunker Hill
    The Battle of Bunker Hill took place in Boston,Massachusetts.At this event,the British troops attacked the Patriots on a pair of hills.The English troops and the American army both wanted to rule the land on the high ground.After running out of supplies and ammunition,the American army retreated.This is an important event because it's the first major battle of the American Revolution.
  • The Declaration of Independence

    The Declaration of Independence
    The Declaration of Independence is a document made in Philadelphia that declares America's independence from Britain.The Declaration explains the colonies' many reasons for breaking apart from Britain.Most of the Declaration was written by Thomas Jefferson,and the other delegates just discussed his draft.The Declaration was signed by many other representatives as well.On July 4,1776 the final draft of the Declaration of Independence was adopted.
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    Battle of Saratoga

    The Battle of Saratoga took place in Saratoga,NY. The American troops surrounded the English force who traveled south from Canada. The Americans fought two battles with the English to keep them from getting away. The English force surrendered after battling the Americans twice,which declares the Americans as the winner of this battle. Lafayette,who was a young French nobleman,helped the American cause.
  • Valley Forge

    Valley Forge
    On December 19,1777,George Washington led his defeated troops to stay in Valley Forge,Pennsylvania.The Patriots spent the winter of 1777 in Valley Forge suffering and losing hope.The soldiers barely had any food or clothing during this harsh period,and the congress couldn't afford to supply them with anything.During this time,about 2,500 soldiers died,and many were ill due to small pox.George Washington didn't give up,and he improved his troops so that by the spring he had a well trained army.
  • Battle of Trenton

    Battle of Trenton
    The night before the Battle of Trenton, George Washington led his troops across the Delaware River moving into New Jersey. Washington's army caught the defenders of Trenton by surprise and captured many prisoners. On December 25,Washington led his troops to Trenton and split them into 2 groups. The Trenton defenders were worn out and shocked by the attack. Washington's troops captured about 900 Hessians and killed about 100. Because of the win at Trenton, the Americans confidence was boosted.
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    The Battle of Yorktown

    George Washington and his army surrounded Cornwallis and his troops in Yorktown,Virginia on September 28, 1781.On October 16, 1781,Cornwallis tried to move his soldiers to Gloucester so that he could unite with his other troops,but a storm pushed the troops back.After a while,British troops started running out of supplies and things weren't looking good,so there was no choice but to surrender.On October 19, 1781,Charles Cornwallis' army surrendered to George Washington's army and French allies.
  • The Treaty of Paris

    The Treaty of Paris
    The Treaty of Paris, written in Paris, France, officially ended the Revolutionary War. Statesmen from America, along with representatives of King George III arranged and settled the treaty .The Treaty of Paris officially announces America's independence from Britain.
  • The Most Important Event

    The Most Important Event
    I think that the most important event of the revolution is the adoption of the Declaration of Independence.This event is the most important because this is what made America it's own country,and it gave the colonist their independence from Britain.The Revolutionary War started because colonist thought that England had greater control over them,and because they had no freedom.So I think that the DOI is a major event in the revolution because it led the colonist to gaining their independence.