-
John Locke
John Locke was an English philosopher who contributed very much to the start of the Enlightenment. He was widely known for his publication, "Essay Concerning Human Understanding" and also "Two Treaties of Government". He believed that kings did not have the "divine right" and instead believed that a government should run on the consent of the governed. Also, he famously stated that a person has 3 natural rights: life, liberty and property; this greatly influenced the Declaration of Independence. -
French and English Enlightenment
The French and English Enlightenment, also known as the Age of Reason was a time period where enlightenment philosophers, like John Locke, Charles Montesquieu, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, questioned authority. They began to base their beliefs upon the human rights. These philosophers and others produced, books, essays, pamphlets and much more.Examples: "A Treatise of Human Nature", "Common Sense", "Spirit of the Laws", etc. These ideals inspired the American Revolution by informing the Americans. -
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson, born in 1743, was part of the Continental Congress, the third president of the United States and also the main author of the Declaration of Independence during the Revolutionary War. He was the governor of Virginia where he signed the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, this would later have an impact in the 1st Amendment to the U.S Constitution. -
Lexington and Concord
In the morning of April 19, British General Gage, had a plan to send soldiers over to Lexington to capture Colonial leaders Sam Adams and John Hancock. After this destination the troops next visit would be in Concord to retrieve gunpowder. This is where the 240 British Soldiers fought with the 70 minuteman. There were 7 American casualties and over 273 British soldiers that were either dead, wounded or missing. This battle was the battle that kicked off the Revolutionary War. -
Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress was a group of delegates from the thirteen colonies that convened during the Revolutionary War. They are the ones who drafted the Olive Branch Petition, appointed Colonel George Washington as the commander-in-chief and drafted the Declaration of Independence in the summer if 1775 which ultimately led to the Revolutionary War with Great Britain. -
George Washington
Shortly after the battle at Lexington and Concord, the Continental Congress elected George Washington as commander-in-chief of the Continental army. He was a very skillful commander and motivated the Americans to keep fighting. Later, while assisting the Constitutional Convention, he was elected as the first President of the colonies by a unanimous vote. He served for two terms; from 1789 to 1797. Later in 1783, he signed the Treaty of Paris between Great Britain and the US which ended the war. -
Bunker Hill
On June 17, 1775 Major General Howe and Brigadier General Pigot directed British forces to Breed's Hill, where most of the fighting would take place. Commander William Prescott instructed his militia (minutemen) to not fire in order to conserve ammunition. However, they did attack and this started the battle. At the end, the Americans had cut down on about 1,000 British soldiers, while about 400 Americans were either dead or wounded. This battle gave the Patriots confidence to fight the British. -
Olive Branch Petition
The members of the Continental Congress, after seeing the high casualties that the militias had experienced at Bunker Hill, decided to beg the King of England to prevent anymore hostile actions until they could come up with an agreement. The King refused and instead declared the colonies to be in a state of rebellion on August 23, 1775. The Olive Branch Petition was the last attempt by the colonists to avoid going to war, so it led to the Revolutionary War. -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence that was signed on July 4, 1776 is a founding document for the United States.This document announces the separation of all 13 colonies from Great Britain. Therefore, when the founding fathers signed this document, they basically committed treason. It explained by the 13 colonies were separating from Great Britain and has all the signatures of the members of Continental Congress. -
Battle of Trenton
The Battle of Trenton was during the Revolutionary War and a rather inspiring one for the American troops. General Howe had paused the fighting possibly due to the harsh winter, but during this time General Washington's troops were during there most vulnerable point due to the lack of supplies. Yet, on December 25, 1775, Washington and his troops crossed the Delaware River and headed towards Trenton to surprise attack the British troops. They managed to defeat them and even took 900 prisoners. -
Battle of Saratoga
General John Burgoyne had the plan to invade the American troops from Canada and unite with General Howe's troops. That way they they could claim New England which had various advantages. This battle was fought in two stages.The first stage was won by the British in Fort Ticonderoga where the British had established artillery on high ground.
During the second stage, British General Burgoyne's plans unraveled which gave the Continental Army time to concoct a new plan and gain success. -
Battle of Princeton
The Battle of Princeton was fought during the Revolutionary War. General Cornwallis plans to surprise the American troops by keeping an eye on the Delaware River. However, Washington's men could not go against the 8,000 Redcoats, therefore they plan another ambush which takes place in Princeton. In this battle Washington's men outnumber the British soldiers 5 to 1. -
Valley Forge
This was an encampment that took about 6 months by General Washington and the Continental Army; no battle was fought here. The Continental Army arrived at Valley Forge in the winter of 1777, they were exhausted from the earlier losing of battles, short on supplies and very cold. Conditions were very hard for the Continental Army, disease also proved to be a big killer, killing about 2,000 men. This was a crucial part in the war because it helped train the soldiers and unified them. -
France (Treaty of Amity and Commerce + Treaty of Alliance in Paris)
On February 6,1778, France and the colonies agreed to sign the Treaty of Amity and Commerce which had France recognize the colonies as an independent nation and allowed them to trade with the colonies. Then, they signed the Treaty of Alliance which meant that if France entered the war, they could not put down arms without first having sought independence for the colonies and themselves. This was of great help in the Revolutionary War because it gave the colonies more supplies and ships to fight. -
Spain (Treaty of Amity and Commerce + Treaty of Alliance)
With the French allying themselves with the 13 colonies, Spain saw a good opportunity to retake territory lost during the Seven Years War (French and Indian War). Therefore, they agreed to ally themselves with the French but not the Americans. -
Battle at Cowpens
The Battle at Cowpens was a strategical one that took place in South Carolina where the British army had had various victories. Major General Nathanael Greene decided to split up the troops into smaller groups in order to force the British to also split up and fight in various places. The strategy put in place was to confuse the enemy and direct them into a volley where firearms, cavalry charge and more men would be waiting. This victory was a morale-boost for the Americans and an encouragement. -
Battle of Yorktown
General Washington devised a clever plan to trick the enemy into thinking that they were headed to attack New York when really they would head to the South and defeat Cornwallis. Cornwallis requested backup from Clinton, but Clinton was delayed and didn't supply in time. Cornwallis tried a nighttime sea evacuation but it was unsuccessful. Then Cornwallis surrendered and the British Parliament passed a resolution to end the war. -
Treaty of Paris 1783
The Treaty of Paris of 1783 is what ended the Revolutionary War. After the Battle at Yorktown and the defeat on the British side, the Continental Congress agreed to send a small group of statesmen to negotiate a peace treaty with Great Britain. They sent John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, John Jay, and Thomas Jefferson. This Treaty states that Great Britain recognized the colonies as an independent nation and gave them the Northwest Territory.
