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March of 1776
This is when they British decided to leave Boston and travel to the Middle States in hopes of capturing New York in order to isolate New England to stop the rebellion. -
Early 1776
Since early 1776 the French had secretly been sending weapons to the Patriots. -
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Timespan
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Summer of 1776
British brothers, General William Howe and Admiral Richard Howe decided to join forces in Staten Island. Once in Staten Island they would sail into the New York Harbor. Together they made the largest British expiditionary force with 32,000 men, including German mercenaries. -
Late August
With Washington's mere 23,000 men, the Patriots were outnumbered, untrained and short of supplies. The battle ended in a win for the British by late August with an American retreat. -
Late fall
By this time, the British had pushed Washington and his troops across the Delaware River into Pennsylvania. Washington had only 8,000 men left from a starting 23,000 because they had either been killed, captured or had just gone home. -
Battle of Trenton
Washinton and 2,400 men snuck across the Delaware River on Christmas night through a storm, walked nine miles to Trenton, New Jersey and surprise attacked the British. The Patriots managed to kill 30 men, capture 918 and take six Hessian cannons., -
Terms of Enlistment
On December 31, Washington's terms of their enlistment were due and he needed to win some battles in order to keep the hope alive. -
Princeton, 8 days later
The Patriots one a battle at Princeton where 1,200 British men were stationed. -
Spring of 1777
General Howe made his way to Philadelphia, the capital, to seize it. When he got there, Washington unsuccessfully tried to stop him and the British captured Philadelphia. -
Battle of Saratoga
General John Burgoyne took his army to try and isolate New England, but when they arrived at Saratoga, the Patriots surrounded them. The British general surrendered to Patriot General Gates on this day. Since then, Britain changed their strategy and stayed close to the shore. -
Winter of 1777-1778
At Valley Forge, a winter camp that Patriots stayed at during this long, cold winter in the Pennsylvania Woods, the soldiers did not have what they needed. They were starving, freezing and losing hope while the British soldiers found places to stay inside the warm homes of the colonists. -
Treaty of Cooperation
Ever since the victory for the Patriots at the battle of Saratoga, the Patriots looked more promising to the French. The French then agreed to form an alliance, a treaty of cooperation, stating that the French would not make peace with the British and the British recognized the Patriots as free and independent. -
The Transformation
A Prussian captain, Friedrich Von Steuben, came to teach the Patriots fighting techniques and how to become a better overall army. -
Summer of 1778
After losing the battle of Saratoga, the British decided to find new strategies. They started to move down south in hopes of getting loyalists on their side to help them fight the Northern colonies. -
End of 1778
A British expidition took Savannah, Georgia. -
Spring of 1779
A royal governor of Britain ruled Georgia. -
Lafayette
A young French arisocrat came to help the Patriots. In 1779 he got French reinforcements and led battles. -
Two months after Cowpens
British general Carnwallis wanted revenge from his defeat in Cowpens.They fought at Guilford Court House, North Carolina. Although the British won, they had last one quarter of their troops. -
May 1780
British general Clinton and generaklCornwallis captured Charles Town, South Carolina. -
The New Generals
Replacing General Howe was General Clinton and general Charles Cornwallis. They sailed south with 8,500 men. -
Most of 1780
For most of 1780, Britain won many battles and as they made their way north, many African Americans joined them. -
The French Arrive
6,000 French troops land in Newport, Rhode Island to aid the Patriots. -
The take back
In August, the British won in a battle at Camden, South Carolina. Within three months, they had forts in many places in the state. However, eventually the Patriots managed to make the British leave South Carolina. -
Cowpens
The Patriots met the fleeing British in Cowpens, South Carolina and although the Patriots were outnumbered, the British ended up surrendering. -
1781
In 1781, the Continental Congress made a rich Philadelphian, Robert Morris, the superintendent of finance. -
Finally paid off
Since Morris and Salomon were in charge, on this day the troops were finally paid what they had earned, what they deserved. -
Surrender
British general Cornwallis finally surrenders at Yorktown when the British were outnumbered two to one. -
Yorktown
On this day, on a road near Yorktown, the British finally surrendered. -
Acceptance
Washington accepted General Cornwallis' surrender. -
Victory
The Treaty of Paris was signed which confirmed U.S. Independence. The boundaries stretched from the Atlantic Coast to the Mississippi River and from Canada to Florida.
