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Battle of Lexington and Concord
On April 18th 1775, the British started a march to Concord. Their mission was to destroy the colonists' artillery and ammuntion stored there. The next day, they were stopped at Lexington by the local militia. The British eventually defeated the militia, but once they got to Concord, they lost to the Patriots. On the way back to Boston, they suffered heavy losses from colonist attacks. -
Fort Ticonderoga
Benedict Arnold and Ethan Allen joined forces when they found out they were planning to capture the same base, Fort Ticonderoga. It was rich in military supplies and was a key location. Their armies attacked Fort Ticonderoga together and took the British by supprise. Fort Ticonderoga surrendered to the Patriots on May 10th, 1775. -
The Battle of Bunker Hill
On June 16th, 1775, a militia commanded by Colonel William Prescott set up posts on Bunker Hill and Breed's Hill. THe next day, June 17th, the British charged at the Patriots. Low on ammunition, Prescott gave the order to not fire "until you see the whites of their eyes". The Americans opened fire on the British and they had to fall back. The British charged two more times before the Americans ran out of ammunition and had to retreat. Even though the British won, they took heavy losses. -
The Battle of Long Island
The Brittish and the Patroits battled at Long Island in late August, 1776. The Patriots fought hard and bravely, but were badly outnumbered by the British. After the defeat, Washington retreated from New York. The British chased the Continental Army across New Jersey and into Pennsylvania, where they then let Washington go. -
The Battle of Trenton
While the Patriots were struggling through the winter, British forces were set up in Princeton and Trenton. Washington wanted to catch the British by supprise, so on Christmas night, 1776, Washington led 2,400 of his troops across the Delaware River to surprise the British troops at Trenton the next day. Washington then marched to Princeton, where his army then scattered the British force. This success was a huge morale booster for the Patriots. -
The Battle of Saratoga
General Burgoyne of the British had retreated to Saratoga, New York, after a militia group, the Green Mountain Boys, defeated them. Burgoyne found himself alone and in serious trouble. Patriot troops had already stopped St. Leger at Fort Stanwix. Now, they blocked and surrounded Burgoyne's army. After a desperate attack by Burgoyne, the American's still held firm. On October 17, 1777, General Burgoyne surrendered to the Americans. This huge victory completely changed the course of the war. -
The Battle of Cowpens
In October 1780, Nathanael Greene became the commander of the Continental forces in the South. Instead of leading one big attack on General Charles Cornwallis's forces, Greene split his army in two. In January, 1781, one section defeated the British at Cowpens, South Carolina. Later on, Cornwallis gave up trying to conquer the Carolinas. -
The Siege of Yorktown
As Washington waited outside New York, he heard reports of fighting in the South. In 1781, Washington sent Lafayette and Anthony Wayne to Virginia to stop Cornwallis. They succeded, pinning Cornwallis down in Yorktown. Washington then changed his plans to attack Cornwallis. He kept these new plans a secret to mislead the British. American and French forces then began a siege, and on October 19, Cornwallis surrendered his troops. This was the last major battle of the American Revolution.
