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Battle of Lexington/ Concord
The Battles of Lexington and Concord were the first military engagements of the American Revolutionary War. It was significant because it gave the colonists confidence that they could take on the British and defeat them. -
Battle of Fort Ticonderoga
A surprise attack that the colonists forced upon the British that the colonists won. It was significant because it was the colonists first win. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
The British defeated the Americans at the Battle of Bunker Hill in Massachusetts. Despite their loss, the inexperienced colonial forces inflicted significant casualties against the enemy. This was significant because it was another moral booster for the colonies. -
Common Sense
Common Sense is a pamphlet written by Thomas Paine in advocating independence from Great Britain to people in the Thirteen Colonies written in a clear and persuasive fashion. This was significant because it played a crucial role in the colonists thoughts on the current issue with the British. -
Declaration of Independence
Declaration of Independence is the pronouncement adopted by the Second Continental Congress. The significance was that it was written to show a new theory of government, reasons why they were separating from England, and a formal declaration of war. It gave the 13 colonies freedom from England's laws. -
Battle of Long Island
The Battle of Long Island resulted in a British victory and they captured New York City and Long Island from the Continental Army. This was significant because the Continental Army was forced to retreat all the way to Pennsylvania. -
Washington Crosses the Delaware
Washington crossed the Delaware River so that his army could attack an isolated garrison of Hessian troops located at Trenton, New Jersey. This was significant because it was a surprise attack and they had a decisive victory that helped turn the war back to the American's favor. -
Battle of Trenton
Leaderless, the remaining men of the Trenton garrison threw down their weapons and surrendered. The Americans captured 900 prisoners as well as a sizable store of guns and ammunition. More than 20 Hessians, including the mortally wounded Rall, were killed, and some 80 were wounded. No Americans were killed in action, and just five were wounded. This was significant because the Americans had made themselves the favorites to win. -
Battle of Princeton
The American victory at the Battle of Princeton was one of the most consequential of the American Revolution. George Washington and his soldiers marched north from Trenton and attacked a British force south of the town. It was significant because the victory bolstered American morale and provided great confidence to his soldiers. -
Battle of Saratoga
two crucial battles, fought eighteen days apart, and was a decisive victory for the Continental Army and a crucial turning point in the Revolutionary War. It was significant because it gave the Patriots a major morale boost and persuaded the French, Spanish and Dutch to join their cause against a mutual rival. -
Winter at Valley Forge
After failing to retake Philadelphia, Washington led his 12,000-man army into winter quarters at Valley Forge. 2,000 died. It is significant because this was where the Continental Army, a collection of disparate colonial militias, emerged under Washington's leadership as a cohesive and disciplined fighting force. -
Treaty of Amity and Commerce/ Treaty of Alliance
The Treaty of Amity and Commerce recognized the United States as an independent nation and encouraged trade between France and the America, while the Treaty of Alliance provided for a military alliance against Great Britain. It was significant because it was critical to the United States winning its independence from Great Britain. -
Battle of Charleston
Americans suffer their worst defeat of the revolution with the surrender of Major General Benjamin Lincoln to British Lieutenant General Sir Henry Clinton and his army of 10,000 at Charleston, South Carolina. It was significant for the British because they gained control of South and the Americans lost many soldiers due to the surrender. -
Battle of Springfield
The British goal of reaching Morristown was thwarted and the Battle of Springfield marked the last invasion of the British into New Jersey and removed the danger of final defeat of the Continental forces. This is significant because it was one of the last major battles of the Revolutionary War in the north and effectively put an end to British ambitions in New Jersey. Because the decisive battles of the war moved further south, the Battle of Springfield became known as the "forgotten victory." -
Battle of Camden, SC
It was a lopsided victory for the British during the American Revolutionary War. Despite the proliferation of dysentery among his men, Continental General Horatio Gates chose to engage British General Charles Cornwallis’s force. It was significant because it was the worst American defeat in the field and left the British in temporary control of the southern colonies. -
Battle of Cowpens
It was an engagement during the American Revolutionary War fought near the town of Cowpens, South Carolina, between U.S. forces and British forces as part of the campaign in the Carolinas. It was significant because it was the turning point of the Revolutionary War in the southern colonies. After losing several battles in the South, the Continental Army defeated the British in a decisive victory at Cowpens. -
Battle of Kings Mountain
It was a military engagement between Patriot and Loyalist militias in South Carolina during the Southern Campaign of the American Revolutionary War, resulting in a decisive victory for the Patriots. It significant because it was an important American victory during the Revolutionary War. The battle was the first major patriot victory to occur after the British invasion of Charleston, SC. -
Battle of Yorktown
It marked the conclusion of the last major battle of the American Revolution and the start of a new nation's independence. It's significant because it also Washington's reputation as a great leader and eventual election as first president of the United States. -
Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris, signed in Paris by representatives of King George III of Great Britain and representatives of the United States of America on September 3, 1783, officially ended the American Revolutionary War. It was significant because the war was finally over due to this treaty.
