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Battles of Lexington and Concord
The British were planning a secret attack on Lexington with General Gage to capture Samuel Adams, John Hancock and gunpowder, but were compromised by spies. Latterns showed the British would attack by sea and so Paul Revere, William Dawes, and Samuel Prescott ran through the cities warning of the coming British. Several Americans were killed at Lexington, but the British retreated at Concord.This built the rift between the two groups and led to more battles down the road. -
Battle at Fort Ticonderoga
Benedict Arnold led a group of men went to capture Fort Ticonderoga with the help of Ethan Allen. The American forces met on the shore across from the fort. They split the troops into groups to go into boats and attack.The fort was seized without a single gunshot or blood shed. It served as a base and also brought up American morale. The artillery and cannons it had were also used in later battles against the British. -
Battle of Bunkerhill
Artemas Ward gave an order to American troops to go towards Bunker hill so they could attack the town and British ships but instead went to Breeds hill on accident. British General William Howe led his men up the hill. They rushed in two waves and eventually won at a large cost with many deaths. This caused the Proclamation of War and for it to be treated like a foreign war by the King of England. -
Battle of Saratoga
Burgoyne made a plan to attack America by going through Canada. At first, the Americans at Fort Ticonderoga moved back but the farther west they went, the more supplies was wearing thin. Eventually, Burgoyne's army was broken up and captured in Saratoga. America had just suffered a harsh loss and this was what they needed to keep their spirits high. This is also what prompted France to join the battle. -
Battle of Monmouth
George Washington gave Charles Lee a small battalion to lead and Washington could take his men up to Valley Forge. Lee fled from the battlefield however and Washington caught up with him at Monmouth courthouse and cursed him. Washington then decided to attack against the British. Eventually the British used fire that night as a ruse to make it seem like they were camping out while they were actually fleeing to New York. The Americans won the battle and Washington was awarded for his bravery. -
Battle of Yorktown, December 1781
General Cornwallis entrenched his army at Yorktown, hoping to get reinforcements but George Washington led his men down from New York to Yorktown. With the help of General Rochambeau and the Marquis de Lafayette, the patriots fought on the lines of Yorktown and won against the British. This battle didn't end the war however it did cause a positive changed politically for George Washington. All potential of a officers' rebellion was quelled and he went on to fight more battles, and lead the war.
