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Battles of Lexington and Concord
800 British troops were on the march to seize an arsenal of weapons stored in Concord. They were met at Lexington by a militia of 70 minutemen, and killed 8. Most weapons had been hidden by the time the British reached Concord. Marching back to Boston, the Redcoats were shot at by 4000 Patriots. 70 British soldiers were killed; 170 were either wounded or missing. Victory went to the Patriots because they only suffered 90 casualties. -
Capture of Fort Ticonderoga
The British outpost of Fort Ticonderoga was captured on May 10, 1775. A small militia, mainly consisting of men from Vermont, aptly named the Green Mountain Boys, was led by Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold. The militia was able to overpower the British troops, gaining much needed weapons from the fort to support the Patriots in the war. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
As a result of being trapped in Boston, the British tried to gain an advantage over the colonists by winning high ground. To do this, they planned to capture Breed's Hill and Bunker Hill. The British attacked and won, but suffered heavy losses. -
Battle of Long Island
The Battle of Long Island was the first major battle after the Declaration of Independence was signed. British forces outflanked the Americans at Long Island, New York. Victory went to the British because they only suffered 59 casualties, while the Amercians suffered over 300. -
British Capture New York City
After a series of losses by American forces at the Battles of Manhattan and White Plains, New York, the British would go on to take New York City. They would remain in control of it for quite a few years. New York City was used as a base by the British from October 28, 1776, until the near end of the Revolutionary War. -
Battle of Trenton
2400 troops, led by George Washington, secured an easy victory at the Battle of Trenton. After crossing the partially frozen Delaware River, Washington and his army were able to capture almost all of the 1400 Hessians (German mercenaries) stationed in Trenton. Only 5 minutemen were killed. -
Battle of Princeton
Shortly after the Battle of Trenton, American forces were spotted by British commander, General Cornwallis near Princeton, New Jersey. The British were unable to successfully catch the Americans off guard. Capturing approximately 200 Redcoats, the Americans won the Battle of Princeton easily, and successfully captured the town. -
British Siege of Fort Ticonderoga
British surrounded Fort Ticonderoga on July 2, 1777. It had been captured by the Americans on May 10, 1775. Due to the British having 8000 troops compared to the colonists' 3000, victory (recapture) went to the British on July 6, 1777. -
Battle of Brandywine Creek
15000 British troops fought against 10500 American troops at the Battle of Brandywine Creek. This took place on the outskirts of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Victory went to the British, due to their superiority in training and in numbers. They would later go on to capture Philadelphia. -
Battle of Saratoga
Widely known as a turning point in the Revolutionary War because it is such a significant victory for the Amercans, the Battle of Saratoga began on October 7, 1777. While the British initially had an advantage, the Patriots received reinforcements, boosting their troop number to over 12000, while the British had only about 6600. The British never received reinforcements in time, which led to their surrender on October 17, 1777. After the battle the French joined the war on the Patriots' side.
