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Second continental congress
All 13 colonies came
Tried to write new appeals to king but got rejected
Decided to make continental army- leader=GW
Still seeking peace/compromise with Brit. -
Ticonderoga and Crown Point
Led by Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold
Surprised/captured 2 Brit. Forts
Got gunpowder and artillery to be used for siege of Boston -
Bunker Hill
1,500 militia seized hill overlooking Boston
3,000 Brit. troops, charged up hill towards Americans
Americans were winning but ran out of gun powder - forced to retreat -
Olive Branch Petition
Issued by 2nd cont Cong
Said they were still loyal and wanted to end all hostilities
August-> king g said colonies in rebellion
Rejected petition -
Fall/Winter Invasion of Canada
Gen. Richard Montgomery went from Champlain to Montreal to Quebec
Gen Benedict Arnold went from Maine to Quebec
Narrowly missed success - Montgomery killed, Arnold wounded
Fr. Canadians didn't want to join the fight -
Common Sense
Thomas Paine wrote it
Said independence=common sense
Suggested creation of republic
Colonists liked it - sold 120,000 copies within months -
Evacuation Day
British evacuate Boston and relocate to NYC where lots of loyalists lived -
Richard Henry Lee (VA)
Presents resolution - "these united colonies are and of right ought to be free independent states -
Lee's resolution adopted
Cont congress accepts resolution
Wants to make formal explanation
Committee appointed to write it - jefferson, franklin and j adams -
Declaration of Independence
Document officially signed/approved
Jefferson=primary writer
Invoked the natural rights of all humankind-not just british
Declaration listed all reason for independence
A work of writing like no other
inspired French Lafayette to write Declaration of Rights of Man -
Battle of Long Island
Complete disaster for USA
Outnumbered and outmaneuvered
Forced to retreat - chased thru nj until delware river where GW crossed -
Battle of Valcour Island (Lake Champlain)
General Burgoyne forced to slow his plan until he took control of Lake Champlain
Gen. Arnold slowed them down and forced them retreat
Brit. won but USA won time - Burgoyne couldn't cont. plan bc of winter -
Battle of Trenton
GW crosses Del riv and marches so. to Trenton
Surprised/captured 1,000 Hessians
Good morale boost -
Battle of Saratoga
Gen. Burgoyne was left w/out other 2 parts of attack
USA won - one of most decisive battles in history
Col. St Leger defeated by US @ Oriskany
Gen. Howe never came to help bc watching GW
US Gen. Horatio Gates marched north to NY - like Gen. Howe supposed to -
Treaty of Alliance
official recognition of USA Ind.- had been secretly supplying previously
lent powerful military - made 1/2 of armed forces and most of navy Cont. Cong. made Model of Treaty - guide to Americans @France
Ben Franklin - makes treaty happen, shocked the court with his plain, american style
France bound themselves to wage war until US secured freedom -
Battle of Monmouth
GW attacked Brit. forces during their retreat to NYC
retreated bc evacuated Philly to recenter @ NYC
battle caused many Hessians to desert
GW remained in that area watching Brit. until 1781 -
Summer Army Training
French Comte de Rochambeau trained 6,00 regular troops mixed with Cont. Army to prepare for an invasion of NYC -
Benedict Arnold=traitor
Arnold awarded command of West Point
plotted to sell out WP to the 'invading' Brit.
Had already been making secret negotiations with Brit.
Brit. Major John Andre captured w/ papers of plan
Arnold flees and joins Brit. in NYC -
US Gen. Nathaniel Greene
most successful gen. - worked in the south
most of south overrun by loyalists and redcoats
used delay tactic -stand, fire, retreat, repeat-
lost battles but one campaigns - exhausted Charles Cornwallis
cleared GA, NC, SC, and left Cornwallis w/ low supplies in middle of so.
Cornwallis forced to march to Yorktown - needed supplies and reinforcements -
Battle of Yorktown
Cornwallis surrounded/trapped at Yorktown waiting for Brit. reinforcements
GW and Rochambeau march from NYC to VA
French Admiral de Grasse launched fleet from West Indies
defeated Brit. fleet w/ supplies and reinforcements
Cornwallis surrounded and surrendered
Basically last battle of war -
Treaty of Paris
Brit. formally recognized US ind.
Ben Franklin, John Adams, and John Jay negotiated
didn't agree with France and didn't include them in treaty
granted generous boundaries to MI riv, Great Lakes, and Fl