-
Battles of Lexington and Concord
The first battle of the Revolutionary War fought in Massachusetts. British troops moved from Boston toward Lexington and Concord to arrest revolutionaries and seize the colonists' military supplies. -
Meeting of the Second Continental Congress
On June 14, 1775 they established the Continental Army and made George Washington the General of the Army. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
The Battle of Bunker hill was the first major battle. It was a victory for Britain, and an emotional victory for the patriots. It took the British three tries to get to the hill, and only worked the third time because they ran out of ammunition. The British lost many more lives than the Patriots. -
Failed Seizure of Quebec under Benedict Arnold
Montgomery was killed in the first assault, and after several more attempts at penetrating Quebec's defenses, his men were forced to retreat. Arnold's division suffered a similar fate during their attack on the northern wall of the city. -
Common Sense Published
Thomas Paine made a big impact with his book "Common Sense". The main impact was to help cause the American colonists to decide to fight for independence. In Philadelphia, nearly 120,000 copies were in circulation by April. Paine's brilliant arguments were straightforward he wanted independence from England and the creation of a democratic republic. -
Adoption of the Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence led to our independence from King George III. The acts were a part of a major cause of the American Revolution because they were written and passed to give England complete control over the thirteen colonies. -
Battle of Trenton
The Hessian army was crushed in Washington's raid across the Delaware River and the Americans were invigorated by the easy defeat of the British Hessian forces. -
Battle of Saratoga
The Battle of Saratoga was the turning point of the Revolutionary War. Horatio Gates surrendered to American forces at the Battle of Saratoga which marked a turning point in the Revolutionary War. -
Paoli Massacre (Battle of Paoli)
The use of the bayonet coupled with the notion that the British stabbed or burned the Americans who tried to surrender, made martyrs of those maimed and killed at Paoli. For the rest of the war, the British lived in fear that Wayne's troops would try to avenge the affair that came to be know as the Paoli Massacre. -
Washington’s Encampment at Valley Forge
A major turning point in the American Revolutionary War. The defeats had led some members of the Continental Congress to want to replace Washington, believing he was incompetent.