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First Continental Congress
During the coninental Congress meeting, each of the 13 colonies except Georgia sent representatives who were colonial representatives. These representatives were not happy with the relationship between Britain and the colonies. The meeting turned out to be a big debate between many colonies. They disagreed between peace or violence. In the end, Continental Congress's goal was ask the king to fix the colonists' problems by making him aware of each of their problems. -
Paul Revere's Midnight Ride
Paul Revere met with Patriot leaders in Charlestown and developed a plan to warn cities that the British were coming to Concord. Revere arranged the amount of lanterns put in the bell tower: one if they were coming by land, two if they were coming by sea. After this, he took off to Concord and warned the cities along the route about the British arriving soon. He was the reason we were able to prepare for the British and able to fight them off. To this day, Paul Revere is an American hero. -
The Battle of Lexington
The start of the Revolutionary War was during the Battle of Lexington. Also known as the "Shot Heard 'Round the World," the first shot in Lexington began the war. However, no one is quite sure who fired it or which side it was fired from. Once the shot was fired, both sides began shooting. The battle lasted only a few minutes, until 8 minutemen lay dead along with 10 wounded. The British then moved on to Concord. -
The Battle of Concord
Because of Samuel Prescott, the citizens of concord were warned about the British coming. They were able to hide most of the weapons before the British made it. When the British finally did arrive, they saw that the stockpile was gone. Angry, the British set fire to a few buildings. Soon enough, the minutemen began firing. The British were easy to spot and hit because of their bright red jackets. After a while, the British retreated. -
Second Continental Congress
Delegates from 12 colonies met for a second meeting in Philadelphia for the Second Continental Congress. By the time of this meeting, war had already started with the Battles of Lexington and Concord. After disagreeing for a while, they authorized the Massachusetts militia to become the Continental Army. They also called George Washington to lead this army. However, the delegates also signed the Olive Branch Petition declaring peace, which King George refused to read. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
The Battle of Bunker Hill took place on and around Breed's Hill during the Revolutionary War. The battle consisted of 2,400 British troops and 1,500 Americans. The Americans shot at the British for a while, until they ran out of ammo. Because of this, the Americans were forced to flee to avoid being shot at. This battle is known to be an American defeat. -
Dorchester Heights
After Bunker Hill, George Washington decided to move his army to an area that over-looked Boston: Dorchester Heights. Soon enough, George Washington commanded his troops to work through the night digging trenches and setting up cannons on Nook's Hill. The next morning, British general William Howe awoke to see cannons overlooking his position. When seeing this, he knew he would have to retreat. After this, the Patriots had a good lead of the war. -
Battle of Saratoga
The turning point in the Revolutionary was the Battle of Saratoga. This took place in New York. This war was won by the Americans, which was a pretty amazing defeat. "This event will make one of the most brilliant pages of American history," Patriot James Thacher said. This was the best defeat yet for the Americans, and it led to even greater victories. -
Battle of Yorktown
During the Battle of Yorktown, George Washington was informed that Lieutenant General Cornwallis' army set up camp near Yorktown, Virginia. After hearing this, Washington decided to move his army and quietly away from New York City with the goal of sneaking up on Cornwallis' army and attacking. Soon enough, Washington personally fired the first gun. For the next three days, French and American guns shot at the British. Finally, Cornwallis' army surrendered.
