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Paul Revere’s Ride
This popular folk ballad about a hero of the American Revolution is written in anapestic tetrameter, which was meant to suggest the galloping of a horse, and is narrated by the landlord of an inn who remembers the famous “midnight ride” to warn the Americans about the impending British invasion. -
Battles of Lexington and Concord
The Battles of Lexington and Concord on 19 April 1775, the famous 'shot heard 'round the world', marked the start of the American War of Independence -
Battle of Bunker Hill
Battle of Bunker Hill was the first major battle of the American Revolution, fought in Charlestown (now part of Boston) during the Siege of Boston. -
Creation of the Declaration of Independence
By issuing the Declaration of Independence, adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, the 13 American colonies severed their political connections to Great Britain. The Declaration summarized the colonists' motivations for seeking independence. -
Thomas Paine’s writing of “The American Crisis”
His purpose in writing this essay about the crisis is to rally support for the American cause by emphasizing the fundamental importance of freedom. Paine uses persuasive language and revolutionary rhetoric to encourage readers to join and stay committed to the cause for American independence. The American Crisis played a pivotal role in inspiring the American Revolution. -
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Crossing of the Delaware River
On the evening of 25 Dec. 1776, Washington ordered his troops to gather near McKonkey's Ferry on the Pennsylvania side of the Delaware River. From here a contingent of boats successfully transported troops and artillery equipment over the ice-filled river to New Jersey. This secured the Continental Army's first major military victory of the war. This war started on the 25th of December and ended the next day the 26th. -
Battle of Trenton
The Continental Army captured nearly nine hundred Hessian officers and soldiers as well as a large supply of muskets, bayonets, swords, and cannons. The victory set the stage for another success at Princeton a week later and boosted the morale of the American troops. -
The Battle of Philadelphia
The large battle was fought all day, but Washington was flanked and defeated, opening the door for the British Army to march into the American capital. The Philadelphia Campaign was a British military campaign during the American Revolutionary War designed to gain control of Philadelphia -
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Battles of Saratoga
The Battle of Saratoga was a turning point in the Revolutionary War. The American defeat of the superior British army lifted patriot morale, furthered the hope for independence, and helped to secure the foreign support needed to win the war. The Battle of Saratoga was a turning point in the Revolutionary War. -
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The Winter at Valley Forge
On December 19th, 1777, 12,000 soldiers and 400 women and children marched into Valley Forge and began to build what essentially became the fourth largest city in the colonies at the time, with 1,500 log huts and two miles of fortifications -
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Battle of Yorktown
The Battle of Yorktown proved to be the decisive engagement of the American Revolution. The British surrender forecast the end of British rule in the colonies and the birth of a new nation—the United States of America. Victory at Yorktown led directly to the peace negotiations that ended the war in 1783 and gave America its independence. -
Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris was signed by U.S. and British Representatives on September 3, 1783, ending the War of the American Revolution. Based on a1782 preliminary treaty, the agreement recognized U.S. independence and granted the U.S. significant western territory. This ended the American Revolution and formally recognized the United States as an independent nation.