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Development of the Kentucky Long Rifle
This gun proved to be a huge advantage to the colonists during the revolution. It was much more accurate than the british gun due to it having grooves on the inside causing the bullet to curve and move quicker through the air. It was used to great success by the Morgan Riflemen -
Boston Tea Party
Over a 100 Sons of Liberty members disguised as native americans, boarded a ship full of tea and dumped over 300 pounds into the Boston Harbor in protest of the Tea Act. -
Patrick Henry
On this date, Virginia Delegate Patrick Henry, argued that we break relations with Great Britain. He said "Give me Liberty, or give me Death!" Influencing many Virginians to join the fight for independence. -
Battle of Lexington and Concord
This first clash of arms was the result of tensions that had built over the widening split and changed the conflict from politics and social unrest to open warfare. It showed that the colonists were prepared to fight for their independence. -
George Washington
On this day, Virginia delegate George Washington was appointed commander of the Continental Army at the second Continental Congress. He would lead the Colonial Army through the American Revolution and become our first president. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
Although this battle was a tough defeat for the colonists and the British claimed Boston, it proved that there was no turning back. There would be no immediate diplomatic solution and the war would have to be fought. -
Siege of Charleston
An important battle won by the colonists because it limited the British to having ports in the north and not the south. This would lead to them focusing the majority of their attacks in the north. Also troops would have to arrive in the North and march down to the south, proving to be very costly. -
Signing of the Declaration of Independence
On this day, members of the Continental Congress from all 13 colonies signed a document that declared their independence from the British. The declaration was signed more than a year after the first shots rang out at Lexington and Concord -
Execution of Nathan Hale
Nathan Hale was a captain in the Colonial Army then turned spy in 1776. He was only undercover for one week when he was executed but his death was used as a martyr to influence colonists to fight the British. -
Battle of Trenton and Princeton
On this day, General George Washington and his troops crossed the Delaware River and met a formidable British army and won two crucial battles over the next 10 days. This showed the colonists military strength and preserved american will. -
Morgan's Riflemen
This militiant group, led by General Daniel Morgan, operarted in the american frontier during the American Revolution. They were made up of 500 marksmen that changed the tide of the war. They did not play by the rules, targeting british officers first. -
Battle of Saratoga
The colonial army was able to win a decisive victory at this battle which would lead to them winning the Saratoga campaign. This also would provide key proof for the French to join the war on the american side. This battle also saw the assassination of a British General, the first time the British had fought that way. -
Inoculation of Smallpox at Valley Forge
General George Washington's troops are being killed by smallpox in large numbers at Valley Forge. This leads him to try infecting healthy soldiers with a mild case of smallpox to make them immune. The gamble pays off and the Colonial Army stays healthy throughout the winter. -
Baron Von Steuben
Baron Von Steuben, an accreditted Prussian General, arrives at Valley Forge and begins training the troops at Valley Forge, making the Colonial Army a much tougher adversary. -
Battle Monmouth
After a long hard winter at Valley Forge, Washington and his troops finally recieved adequate training. This was one of the Colonial Army's first tests and they excelled, fending off many British attacks and forcing a surrender. -
Invisible Ink
Members of the Culper Spy Ring, led by George Washington, used invisisble ink to transport spy papers without getting caught by the British. It would prove crucial for the Colonial Army. -
Battle of Cowpens
British General Cornwallis was attempting to conquer the south when he met heavy resistance of militia at Cowpens, South Carolina. He was flanked and outgunned by a strategic militia army and had to retreat to Wilmington, leaving the south open to either side. -
Battle of Yorktown
Not a pitched battle but a protracted siege that ended in the surrender of Cornwallis's British army, this operation was achieved through French-American cooperation and the ended major British military operations in America. -
Treaty of Paris
Signed by the Colonists and British making the War for Independence over and the United States it's own country.
