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Battle Of Lexington and Concord
On April 19, 1775, part of the British occupation force in Boston marched to the nearby town of Concord, Massachusetts, to seize a colonial militia arsenal. Militiamen of Lexington and Concord intercepted them and attacked. The first shot—the so-called “shot heard round the world” made famous by poet Ralph Waldo Emerson—was one of many that hounded the British and forced them to retreat to Boston. Thousands of militiamen from nearby colonies flocked to Boston to assist. -
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Declaration Of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was approved at the Second Constitutional Congress. The Declaration of Independence introduced a fundamental change in the view of government. Thomas Jefferson declared that governments were created to serve the people, and could only act with consent of the people. It created the democratic government. -
Battle of Saratoga(Surrender of Burgoyne)
General Burgoyne attacked for the third time at the Battle of Saratoga. This time Burgoyne and his forces were defeated. General Burgoyne was forced to surrender.
This was a major victory for the American forces and a key turning point in the war. -
France Enters the War
After the Battle of Saratoga, Congress decided to seek French support in the war. They sent Benjamin Franklin, who could speak French, to meet with King Louis XVI and the French foreign minister. France wanted to get revenge on Britain for the defeat in the French and Indian War. They also wanted to ensure that Britain and America don't resolve their differences. In February 1778, France and America signed a treaty which put France at war with Britain. This treaty was the first document to offic -
Battle of Stony Point
On the night of July 15-16, 1779, Brigadier General Anthony Wayne of Pennsylvania led the American Light Infantry in a midnight assault against a British force that had occupied Stony Point. Approximately one hour later, the garrison had been captured by two American columns that had outflanked the front line defenses; the main assault column waded through the shallow waters of Haverstraw Bay on the south, while a secondary column approached around the north side of the Peninsula. -
Battle of Charleston
This was a severe blow to the colonies. It was the greatest loss of manpower and equipment of the war for the Americans and gave the British nearly complete control of the Southern colonies. -
Articles Of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation defined the federal government powers separate from those of the states. The Articles were adopted in March 1781. In the interim, the Congress continued to act on behalf of the federal government, and they directed the war effort. -
Battle of Yorktown
By the summer of 1781, the American troops managed to force Corwallis and his army to Yorktown, Virginia. The French naval fleet was on its way to Chesapeake Bay to support the American soldiers surrounding Yorktown. -
Treaty Of Paris Ratified
When the British heard of the surrender at Yorktown, the House of Commons was in an uproar. They now were concerned of losing the war. The British prime minister North resigned and was replace by Lord Shelborne.Lord Shelborne wanted to negotiate an end to the war. He sent Richard Oswald to Paris to meet with the American representatives Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and John Jay.The Treaty of Paris was signed on September 3, 1782. The treaty was ratified on April 17, 1783.
