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American Revolution Battles
American Revolution Battles -
The Battles of Lexington and Concord
This battle was the first of the American Revolutionary War. Colonists ambushed the British after they attempted to march from Boston to Concord in order to confiscate their weapons. -
The Siege of Fort Ticonderoga
The Green Mountain Boys of Vermont surprise attacked this British garrison at dawn. This battle provided the Continental Army with artillery that would be used in future conflicts. -
The Battle of Chelsea Creek
American militiamen raided Chelsea in hopes to find livestock and to burn the supplies used by the British. This battle was the first naval engagement of the Revolutinary War. -
The Battle of Bunker Hill
Over 1000 militiamen constructed ramparts on top of Breed's and Bunker's Hill. The British lost about 2000 men but still managed to win when the colonists retreated to gather more ammunition. -
The Battle of Quebec
General Mongomery planned to capture Montreal then march to Quebec, nearly half of the 1000 men sent of the journey have died due to shortness of supplies and illnesses. They were too weak to successfully capture the town and the Americans were forced to surrender. -
The Battle of Long Island
George Washington ordered 5 regiments of the Colonial Army to New York, his intent was to defend New York falling to the British. Half of his men were captured, which eventually led him to retreat. This was the first battle to take place following the signing of the Declaration of Independence. -
The Battle of White Plains
The British and American forces met in battle at the village of White Plains under General Howe and General George Washington. The British were successful in forcing an American retreat from White Plain village. The Battle of White Plains ended in victory for the British. -
The Battle of Fort Washington
Following the defeat at the Battle of White Plains in October, General William Howe chose to directly assault the Continental Army and turned his attention to Fort Washington. The American forces under George Washington suffered a terrible defeat at the hands of British General Howe with over 3000 casualties and the loss of cannons and thousands of military supplies and were forced to retreat toward the Delaware River. -
The Battle of Trenton
George Washington sent one part of his army to secure the Highlands of the Hudson. They surprised the German Hessians holding the roads leading inland from the town of Trenton. It was a significant victory for the Americans and a crushing defeat for the Hessian army. -
The Battle of Princeton
George Washington was able to mount a night attack and defeat the British troops at Princeton. Washington then led his army to the safety of highlands of New Jersey where he set up a winter encampment at Morristown. -
The Battle of Oriskany
General Nicholas Herkimer attempted to take his 800 colonial militiamen to re-enforce the Americans at Fort Stanwix. His army was ambushed 2 miles west of Oriskany Creek by a force of about 1,200 British and their Iroquois allies. The battle that followed resulted in heavy casualties for both sides following bloody hand-to-hand combat. -
The Battle of Bennington
About 2,000 New Hampshire militia rushed to the defense of Bennington, the British force was overpowered by superior numbers and they were forced to surrender. The Battle of Bennington was part of the Saratoga campaign and ended in victory for the American colonists. -
The Battle of Brandywine
Sir William Howe set out to capture Philadelphia. He surprised the right wing of the American army, drove it back, and General George Washington was forced to retreat. Sir William Howe occupied Philadelphia and captured the forts below the city of Philadelphia. -
The Battle of Saratoga (Freeman's Farm)
General John Burgoyne had begun his advance south but was stopped about 10 miles below Saratoga. A militia of sharpshooters from Virginia, under Daniel Morgan, harassed the British. Burgoyne lost two men for every one on the American side but were saved by the arrival of German Hessian forces under Riedesel. -
The Battle of Germantown
George Washington directed an advance, under cover of darkness, of four different units of American troops. The four columns of American soldiers were to converge near General William Howe's headquarters and catch the British by surprise, but they were greatly outnumbered. The American army were forced to retreat. -
The Battle of Saratoga (Bemis Heights)
The American forces led by Horatio Gates were positioned in their fortification on Bemis Heights which was located nine miles south of Saratoga. The British forces tried to push through the American line on Bemis Heights, the Americans took the fight and successfully assaulted the British line, forcing them into a retreat toward Saratoga. -
The Battle of Monmouth
Washington, with the help of Baron von Steuben, marched his army northward to rejoin other American forces encamped along the Hudson River. Sir Henry Clinton, the British commander, seized the first moment to continue his march to New York. Both the Americans and the British claimed victory at the Battle of Monmouth. -
The Capture of Savannah
The city of Savannah, Georgia, had been captured by a British force under Lieutenant-Colonel Archibald Campbell. The Continental Army, with help from Comte d'Estaing's French ships and troops attempted to retake Savannah, but it failed. -
The Siege of Charleston
Sir Henry Clinton, with a large army, landed on the coast between Savannah and Charleston. He marched overland to Charleston and besieged it from the land side. The Americans held out for a long time but Benjamin Lincoln surrendered. -
The Battle of Camden
American General Horatio Gates arrived in the South and immediately marched for Camden, South Carolina to capture the outpost there. The experienced British soldiers easily intimidated the inexperienced militia that made up two-thirds of the force led by General Gates. Many militia fled before even firing a shot and General Horatio Gates had no alternative but to retreat. -
The Battle of King's Mountain
General Cornwallis invaded North Carolina and ordered Major Patrick Ferguson to lead an expedition to the settlements on the lower slopes of the Alleghany Mountains to get recruits. They found the British soldiers encamped on the top of King's Mountain. In about an hour they had killed or captured every British soldier in the ensuing battle, forcing General Cornwallis to retreat from Charlotte, North Carolina. -
The Battle of Cowpens
The small force led by General Daniel Morgan met the enemy at Cowpens and quickly killed or captured nearly all of the British who had become undisciplined and broken ranks. A great victory for the American Continental Army. -
The Battle of Guilford Courthouse
The Americans crossed the river to North Carolina and took up a very strong position near Guilford Court House. Cornwallis attacked the Americans who defended before Nathanael Greene ordered a retreat. The British, under the command of Lord Cornwallis, won the Battle of Guilford Courthouse. -
The Battle of Eutaw Springs
British soldiers who had been left behind by Cornwallis attacked Nathanael Greene and his American force at Hobkirk's Hill, near Camden. But Greene beat them off and began the siege of a fort on the frontier of South Carolina. Nathanael Greene had forced the British from the Southern states. -
The Battle of Yorktown
The Americans and their French allies decided to besiege Cornwallis at Yorktown. The British fleet was attacked and defeated, the British laid down their arms and surrendered. The British army was decimated and the Revolutionary war was virtually over.
