Battles and Important Events

Battle of Lexington and Concord

• "Shot Heard 'Round the World"-Who Fired? Nobody knows!
• April 18, 1775
• British won at Lexington... 60 minutemen vs 250 British Soldiers... British Marched to Concord for Patriot's Weapons
• At Concord, thousand of Patriots vs 250 British Soldiers!
• British RETREATED!!

Battle of Bunker Hill

• Fought on mainly on Breed's Hill
• June 1775
• Britain won the hills after 3 trips up the hill, Patriots ran out of ammunition
• Patriots STOOD UP to the greatest army in the world.... GREAT CONFIDENCE!!!

Olive Branch Petition

• Written request in July 1775
• Requested PEACE from King George III
• Colonists sent- they wanted a "Reunion"

Common Sense

• Written January 1776
• Written by Thomas Paine
• A document written to convince many Loyalists to join the Patriots' side.
• Sold over 100,000 copies!!!

Declaration of Independence

• July 4, 1776
• Told King they wanted to Separate!
• It told the King all the things that he did wrong to them
• King REJECTED!! All writers and signers committed Treason!!
• It was actually signed on August 2, 1776!!

Battle of Trenton

• Christmas night of 1776
• Surprised Hessians
• Washington's first battle in charge
• Famous for crossing the iced Delaware river
• The Patriots captured over 900 men
• The British Cornal died

Battle of Princeton

• January 1777
• Part of the 10 days that changed the world
• George Washington put himself in the line in order to fire
• He(GW) showed courage and bravery
• They used campfires to distract the British
• The Patriots declared victory

Battle of Saratoga

• Sept.-Oct. 1777
• British surrendured under Burgoyne- 6,000 men
• TURNING POINT OF WAR
• Patriots WIN!! :)
• French intervention will result

Winter at Valley Forge

• December 1777- Spring 1778
• 10,000 troops sent; 25% died
• Training here resulted in strong, tough army
• News of French intervention gives HOPE
• New leader from France give new tactics

French Intervention Starts Oficially

• Februrary 1778
• For Patriots: new military leaders from French
• For Patriots: soldiers from French
• For Patriots: money$ from French
• For Patriots: weapons from French

The Battles Move South and West

• Feb. 1778 -May 1780
• More patriots due to French intervention
• "Swamp Fox" (Francis Marion) has NEW (and good) STRAGETIES!!
• British thought loyalists would help them, but the loyalists were now neutral
• More patriots from Caribbean... (FROM FRANCE)

Cornwallis's Surrender

• Oct. 19, 1781
• The Revolutionary War is OVER!!
• The Patriots WON! VICTORY!!!!!!!;)

Treaty of Paris

• September 1783
• U.S. freedom for all 13 colonies
• New land boundaries..U.S. extends to Mississippi River
• Loyalists flee to Canada, England or Caribbean
• Native Americans continue to lose millions of acres
• African Americans still enslaved...:(