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INTRODUCTION
As the leaves were just changing color in October 1774, the colonies were experiencing a lot of trouble because of unfair taxation, lack of representation in the British Parliament, and the restriction of colonial freedoms; -
LEXINGTON AND CONCORD: Outbreak of the Revolutionary War
The night before the outbreak of the Revolutionary War, the steeple of this Boston church glowed with the light of two lanterns. The lights were a signal to the Patriots that British troops, known as "redcoats" were coming to search for weapons in Concord by crossing the river to Charles Town. The next morning seventy armed citizens, known as Minuteman, confronted the redcoats as they marched toward Concord. No one knows who fired the first shot, but when it was over, eight Minuteman lay dead -
THE SECOND CONTINENTAL CONGRESS BEGINS
A few weeks after the outbreak of war, representatives from the thrirteen colonies formed the Second Continental Congress that would serve as an emergency government while the war spread as American fighters in the colony of New York caputred Fort Ticonderoga, at the same time, armed militias took up positions in the hills arround Boston. -
THE BATTLE OF BUNKER HILL (1)
The battle of Bunker Hill was the second, and the blodiest, battle of the Revolutionary War. Started after American militiamen contructed a crude dirt fort at night atop a hill in Charles Town overlooking Boston's harbour. In the morning, the British began shelling the fort from ships in the harbour and from land batteries in Boston. -
THE BATTLE OF BUNKER HILL (2)
After the bombing, Charles Town was burning. Then wave after wave of redcoats attacked, but the poorly equiped Americans didn't start fighting until they could see "the whites of the enemy's eyes".
The battle continued until the militiamen ran out of gunpowder. In the end the redcoats suffered twice as many casualities as the Americans but the British still managed to to win the bloody battle of Bunker Hill. -
WASHINGTON TAKES COMMAND IN BOSTON
A month after the Americans defeat the Bunker Hill, General Washington took command of the militias around Boston. His plan was to drive the redcoats from the city if Britain refused to accept America's offer of peace. -
ORDERS FROM GENERAL WASHINGTON
General Washington went into action when he learned the King has declared war on all the colonies. Orders were given to have cannons in from far-off Fort Ticonderoga. But this could be done in the winter time in order to drag over snow the heavy guns on sleds to British Canada but were defeted when they tried to capture the city of Quebec. By March 1776, the cannons were in Boston and were pointed directly at the enemy. Realizing their position was hopeless, the British dumped their own cannons. -
THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
Thomas Jefferson and other members of a special congressional commitee were busy at work writting the Declaration of Independence. They wrote that all men are born with certain god-given rights and are created equal. They declare that American must be independent to form a new, democratic, nation. The United States of America was born, within the walls of the State House of Colony of Pennsylvania when the Declaration of Independence was presented to Congress. -
WAR IN NEW YORK, NEW JERSEY, AND PENNSYLVANIA
Many Americans were just learning that Independence had been declared when war broke out in New York and spread to New Jersey and Pennsylvania. It began when British soldiers and hires German troops assembled to attack New York City. After a lot of fighting, British forces took control of the city and chased Washington's army across New Jersey into Pennsylvania. -
BATTLE AT TRENTON AND PRINCETON
On Christmas night, Washington and his men went on offensive. They crossed the icy Delaware River and slipped back into New
Jersey. With the element of surprise on their side, American forces went on to win important battles at Trenton and nearby Princeton. -
BATTLE AT BRANDYWINE CREEK
New York was invaded from Canada by a huge enemy force. At the same time, a second British force attacked from the oposite direction and defeated Washington's Army in Pennsylvania in a battle at Brandywine Creek.From there, the British marched on and took Philadelphia, America's capital city. -
THE SARATOGA VICTORIES
In New York, near the town of Saratoga, forces lead by General Horatio Gates beat the British twice and captured a large number of enemy soldiers. The Saratoga victories were very important. In fact, because of them, France decided to enter the war on the side of the United States. -
YORKTOWN: The last Battle of the Revolutionary War
A Large force of the British troops led by General Cornwallis had reached Yorktown, Virginia, where the last battle of the Revolutionary War was to be fought. On the outskirts of Yorktown, the British set up an encampment positioned their weapons and built walls and trenches.
While they waited for more troops to arrive, Washington's army and five thousand French troops marched south to Virginia.
When Washington reached Yorktown, a French fleet battled the enemy and forced them to turn back. -
END OF REVOLUTIONARY WAR
The British Army surrended on 19/OCT/1781 but the War did not oficialy end until 1783, when a peace treaty was approved in which Great Britain formally recognized the independence of the United States of America.
