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Paul Revere’s Ride
Paul Revere is one of the most iconic heroes of the American Revolution, immortalized by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in his 1860 poem, Paul Revere’s Ride. Longfellow was writing in a time of growing national crisis, with war clouds forming between North and South, and wrote a poem more about national unity than the true story of Paul Revere -
Battles of Lexington and Concord
In this first battle of the American Revolution, Massachusetts colonists defied British authority, outnumbered and outfought the Redcoats, and embarked on a lengthy war to earn their independence. Thomas Gage was appointed Royal Governor of Massachusetts in 1774 and tasked by the British Parliament with stamping out rising unrest caused by restrictive British policies. Gage inflamed tensions between the colonies and the mother country and practiced harsh enforcement. American victory. -
Bunker hill battle
By early 1775 tensions between Britain and her colonies had escalated. The colonists began to mobilize for war, while the British Army secured gunpowder and cannon in anticipation of an uprising.After the engagement, the patriots retreated and returned to their lines outside the perimeter of Boston.British Commander-in-Chief General Sir Thomas Gage was under pressure to quash the colonial rebellion. By June, he had reinforcements and was ready to implement.British victory. The battle was bad. -
Creation of the Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence is one of the founding and most fundamental documents of the United States. On July 4, 1776, during the American Revolution, the Second Continental Congress adopted the famed document drafted by Thomas Jefferson that pronounced the independence of the thirteen states, previously the Thirteen Colonies. The Declaration was adopted at a point in time when Congress had determined that their grievances against Great Britain were irreconcilable. -
Thomas Paine’s writing of “The American Crisis”
During the first few months of the American Revolution in 1776, hope for an American victory dimmed as the British won continuous victories over the Continentals. When the rebellion almost seemed lost, Thomas Paine, American soldier and author of "Common Sense THESE are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman -
Crossing of the Delaware River
Washington's troops ambushed Hessian troops in Trenton, New Jersey, in a surprise attack. Washington wanted to boost morale in his army and encourage more men to join. The victory at Trenton was a turning point in the war. -
Battle of Trenton
After crossing the Delaware River in a treacherous storm, General George Washington’s army defeated a garrison of Hessian mercenaries at Trenton. The victory set the stage for another success at Princeton a week later and boosted the morale of the American troops. American victory The army that the British thought was all but defeated destroyed a major garrison and suffered very few casualties .In late 1776, morale in the Continental Army was at a low after losses at the Battle of White plains. -
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. American victory. One of the most decisive American battles of the Revolutionary War, Saratoga ended British general John Burgoyne's attempt to control the Hudson River Valley. In 1777, British strategy called for a three-pronged attack on New York -
The Battle of Philadelphia
On October 4, 1777, Washington led an assault on the British just outside of Philadelphia at Germantown. The battle appeared to go in the Americans' favor, but soon the tide shifted, and Washington was driven back.For nearly a year, the British occupied the American capital. Loyalist civilians welcomed the British, while Patriot civilians endured the occupation. Despite the loss of their capital city, George Washington and the Continental Army continued to put up resistance. -
The Winter at Valley Forge
In December, 1777, General George Washington moved the Continental Army to their winter quarters at Valley Forge. Though Revolutionary forces had secured a pivotal victory at Saratoga in September and October, Washington’s army suffered defeats at and Germantown Pennsylvania. The rebel capital, Philadelphia fell into British hands. Washington's steady leadership was crucial to keeping the army intact through the logistical and administrative hardships of the winter of 1777-1778. -
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. American victory. Outnumbered and outfought during a three-week siege in which they sustained great losses, British troops surrendered to the Continental Army and their French allies. After six years of war, both the British and Continental armies were exhausted. -
Treaty of Paris
Signed on September 3, 1783, this treaty ended the American Revolution and established the United States as an independent nation signing. The treaty was signed by three U.S. representatives (Benjamin Franklin, John Jay, and John Adams) and one British representative (David Hartley). The Continental Congress ratified the treaty on January 14, 1784.