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Secrets
Still bitter from their defeat by the British in the French and
Indian War, the French had secretly sent weapons to the Patriots. -
British Moves
The British had previously retreated from Boston, moving the theater of the war to the middle states. -
The British Sails
Two brothers, General William Howe and Admiral Richard Howe, joined forces on Staten Island and sailed into New York harbor. -
Withdrawal
Michael Graham, a Continental Army volunteer, described the
chaotic withdrawal -
Moving into Pennsylvania
By late fall, the British had pushed Washington’s army across the Delaware River into Pennsylvania. -
Christmas
Washington resolved to risk everything on one bold stroke set for Christmas night. -
Marching to Trenton
By 8 the next morning, the men had marched nine miles through sleet and snow to the objective Trenton. -
Victory at Princeton
The Americans were rallied by another astonishing victory eight days later against 1,200 British stationed at Princeton. -
The fight for Philadelphia
General Howe began his campaign to seize the American capital at
Philadelphia. -
Victory at Saratoga
American troops surrounded Burgoyne at Saratoga, where he surrendered his army to General Gates. -
Period: to
Valley Forge
Served as the site of the Continental Army's camp. -
Alliance
The French recognized American independence and signed an alliance, or treaty of cooperation, with the Americans. -
Amazing Transformation
In the midst of the frozen winter at Valley Forge, American troops
began an amazing transformation. -
Changing strategy
After their devastating defeat at Saratoga, the British changed their military strategy, they began to shift their operations to the South. -
Taking Savannah
At the end of 1778, a British expedition easily took Savannah, Georgia. -
Lafayette Joined
Lafayette joined Washington’s staff and bore the misery of Valley Forge, lobbied for French reinforcements in France in 1779, and led a command in Virginia in the last years of the war. -
Commanding Georgia
By the spring of 1779, a royal governor once again commanded Georgia. -
Replacing Howe
General Henry Clinton, who had replaced Howe in New York, along with the ambitious general Charles Cornwallis sailed south with 8,500 men. -
Capturing Charles Town
In their greatest victory of the war, the British captured Charles Town, South Carolina, and marched 5,500 American soldiers off as prisoners of war. -
Landing in Newport
A French army of 6,000 had landed in Newport, Rhode Island, after the British left the city to focus on the South. -
Smashing America
Cornwallis’s army smashed American forces at Camden, South Carolina, and within three months the British had established forts across the state. -
Cowpens, South Carolina
When the forces met at Cowpens, South Carolina, the British expected the outnumbered Americans to flee, but the Continental Army fought back, and forced the redcoats to surrender. -
Angry Corwallis
Angered by the defeat at Cowpens, Cornwallis attacked Greene at Guilford Courthouse, North Carolina. Cornwallis won the battle, but it costed him his troop. -
Needing Help
Greene wrote a letter to Lafayette, asking for help. -
Financing
The Congress appointed a rich Philadelphia merchant named Robert Morris as superintendent of finance. -
Getting paid
Due to the efforts of Morris and Salomon , the troops were finally paid in specie, or gold coins. -
Cornwallis Surrenders
With Cornwallis's troops outnumbered by more than two to one and
exhausted from constant shelling, Cornwallis finally raised
the white flag of surrender. -
Victory at Yorktown
Colonel William Fontaine of the Virginia militia stood with the
American and French armies lining a road near Yorktown, Virginia , to witness the formal British surrender. -
Seeking Peace
Peace talks began in Paris. Representatives of four
nations the United States, Great Britain, France, and Spain joined the negotiations, with each nation looking out for its own interests. -
Treaty of Paris
The delegates signed the Treaty of Paris, which confirmed U.S. independence and set the boundaries of the new nation.
