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Washington Takes Command
George Washington modestly accepts the post of commander of the Continental Army He is strongly recommended by John Adams -
Period: to
American Revolution
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Common Sense Published
Paine accuses Britain of child abuse Influential pamphlet provides valuable morale for patriots -
Battle of Boston
British are forced to evacuate Boston But there are no shots fired -
Declaration of Independence
Congress adopts Declaration of Independence Signing starts about a week later -
Battle of New York
George Washington holds Harlem Heights Loses New York and Long Island to the British -
Washington crosses the Delaware
Takes drunken Hessians by surprise and captures Trenton Hits them on the day after after Christmas -
Washington takes Princeton
He takes Princeton shortly after Trenton This is also a surprise attack -
Howe takes Philadelphia
He and his troops peacefully occupy Philadelphia Spend rest of the winter there -
Battles of Saratoga
Horatio Gates defeats Elnglishman john Burgoyne at Saratoga Greatly increases patriot morale -
Washington retires his army to Valley Forge
Famous grueling winter at Valley Forge Trained by Baron von Steuben -
French Alliance
The Americans and the French sign the French Alliance This will bring much-needed help to the colonists later on(in the form of Rochambeau) -
Battle of Monmouth Courthouse
Colonists win decisive battle in NJ Fought just after the British left Philadelphia for New York -
Battle of Savannah
The redcoats easily occupy Savannah This is in an effort to isolate the South from the Middle and Northern colonies -
Spain Declares War on Britain
The Spanish also send lots of supplies and money to the Americans They trouble British forces on the Western front -
The Serapis is Sunk
John Paul Jones slowly but victoriously captures the Serapis, a huge British man-of-war When asked if he wanted to surrender, he said "I have not yet begun to fight" -
Battle of Charleston
The British capture the Americans ' stronghold in the South, Charleston They also capture almost all of the Southern Army -
Battle of Kings Mountain
An hour long battle where the patriots capture one-third of Cornwallis' army They are led by Isaac Shelby and John Sevier -
The Articles of Confederation are Adopted
This is the first system of law before the Contsitution Lots of loopholes that led to the writing of the constitution -
French Fleet Drives the British form Chesapeake Bay
They start to move the British out of the North This is shortly before they trap them at Yorktown -
Cornwallis Surrenders at Yorktown
General Cornwallis surrenders to George Washington though Washington is helped by Rochambeau and Admiral de Grasse He surrounded by land and sea at Yorktown -
King George Surrenders
He finally accepts defeat The Americans and the British sogn the Articles of Peace -
Treaty of Paris
Big peacekeeper between Britain, US, France, and Spain Keeps the British out until 1812