-
Lexington and Concord
Province of Massachusetts Bay. British led by General Thomas Gage, Col. Francis Smith, and Major Pitcairn. Colonials have no formal leader. Colonials secure munitions and inflict more casualties, resulting in a victory. First battle of the Revolutionary War. -
Ft. Ticonderoga
Northern NY, Ft. Ticonderoga. Americans led by Ethan Allen and Colonel Benedict Arnold. Colonials capture Ft. Ticonderoga. Victory of an untrained group of militia over British military. -
Bunker/Breeds Hill
Outside of Boston MA on Breed's Hill. Americans led George Washington. British led by William Howe, Sir Henry Clinton, and John Burgoyne. British took the hill but with over 1,000 casualties vs Colonial 400. Showed how much it would cost the British to fight the colonists. Scared the generals and got men to enlist in the militia. -
U.S. Invasion of Canada
City of Quebec, Canada. American: Benedict Arnold, Richard Montgomery. Americans driven away. Smallpox is introduced the Colonial Army and devastates it and the colonies. -
Battle for Boston
Hills South of Boston. Americans: George Washington. British: William Howe. British forces forced out of Boston. Reclaimed one of the centers of the rebellion -
Declaration of Independence Signed
Located in Philadelphia, Declaration was drafted by Thomas Jefferson and championed by John Adams. Declared colonial independence from Britain. -
Battle of Long Island
Long Island, NY. American: George Washington. British: William Howe. British drive colonials out of Long Island. Discourages many American soldiers. Many go home and the main American army barely escapes. -
Trenton
Trenton New Jersey. Americans: George Washington. Colonials route surprised Hessians and repel a few regiments of redcoats. A gamble that inspired colonials to continue the fight. Turning point of the war. -
Battle of Saratoga
Forts in New York. American: Horatio Gates. British: John Burgoyne. Americans repel ambushes and take back lost forts until Burgoyne surrenders. A flashy general forced to surrender to a plain clothes army. -
Period: to
Valley Forge
North of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania. Led by George Washington. American's wintered here and lost many soldiers to exposure and disease. Morale raised when men are trained and fed. -
Camden
South Carolina. Americans: Horatio Gates. British: Charles Cornwallis. British route American army coming to the relief of Savannah and Charleston. -
Siege of Charleston
Charleston South Carolina. American: Benjamin Lincoln. British: Sir Henry Clinton, Charles Cornwallis. American surrender of Charleston and Savannah. Largest surrender of American troops ever. Blow to morale. -
Kings Mountain
King's Mountain, South Carolina. British: Patrick Ferguson. Over-mountain men route Ferguson's force. Proved British weren't invincible and encouraged small farmers to join guerilla groups. -
Cowpens
Northern South Carolina. American: Morgan. British: Sir Banastre Tarleton. Americans route British and take many prisoner. -
Guilford Courthouse
Present day Greenesboro North Carolina. American: Nathanael Greene. British: Cornwallis. Americans deal heavy damage to stretched out army. Forces retreat to Wilmington. -
Yorktown
Yorktown Virginia, on the Chesapeake. Americans: George Washington. French: De Grasse. British: Cornwallis. After siege Cornwallis surrenders Yorktown. Last holdout of the British. Begin to sue for peace. -
Treaty of Paris
Great Britain recognizes United States and a border of the Mississippi River. Spanish keep Florida. France gets West of the Mississippi.