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First Continental Congress meets
-All colonies but Georgia have representatives.
-Voted to send a "statement of grievances."
-Voted to Boycott all British Trade.
-Patrick Henry- VA rep. urged colonists to unite against Britian. -
Washington Reaches Boston
- Sometime in July (a couple of week after the Battle of Bunker Hill).
- He saw how the militia was undisciplined and deisorganized.
- There were many men in the milita.
- He began to train the soldiers and civilians.
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Great Britain Sends Troops
- There were thousands of British troops in the colonies at this time.
- Thomas Gage was a British General.
- Gage was ordered to seize the weapons from militia in Massachusetts and arrest the leaders of the militia.
- He sent 700 troops to retrieve the militia's items.
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The Alert of the British Troops Moving
- Dr. Joesph Warren saw the British troops marching out of the city.
- He ran and told the Paul Revere and William Dawes.
- Revere and Dawes went to go alert people that the British were coming.
- Revere and Dawes were caught by the British troops.
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The battle of Lexington and Concord
- 70 minutemen were waiting for the British at Lexington.
- Led by Captain John Parker.
- A shot was fired from one of the sides (unknown).
- They then shot at eachother.
- When shooting was over 8 minutemen were dead.
- More minutemen waited at the North Bridge for British and the British had a lot of deaths.
- As the British progressed more colonists were waiting for them behind the trees.
- When the British got to Boston they had 174 men wounded and 73 dead.
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Second Continental Congress Meets
- John and Samuel Adams, Patrick Henry, Richard Henry Lee, and George Washington were all of the delegates of the first Continental Congress.
- Many more people were part of the Second Continental Congress.
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Fort Ticonderoga surrenders
- Benedict Arnold, a captain of the Connecticut militia planned to attck Fort Ticondergoa.
- He found out the Ethan Allen from Vermont planned to attack as well so they teamed up.
- Benedict Arnold had 400 soliders lined up to go and attack Fort Ticonderoga.
- They then attacked and took the British by surprise.
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Militia Sets Up Camp on Bunker Hill
- Colonel William Prescot commanded militia.
- Militia posts up on Bunker Hill and Breed's Hill.
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The Battle of Bunker Hill
- The British get together at Breed's Hill and then charge.
- The Americans start to open fire, which froced the British to go back and retreat.
- The British go back and fight with the Americans 2 more times before the Americans run out of gun powder and withdraw.
- This was a British Victory.
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Thomas Paine published "Common Sense"
- Thomas Paine wrote about how Americans were still finding their way to independence.
- He arrived in England in 1774.
- He called for a complete break of British rule.
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The Patriot Militia Scares the British
- Washington believed that the milita was ready and trained enough.
- While it was still dark the soldiers and Washington went and positioned cannons and guns around Boston.
- The British found out that they were surrounded they were ordered to get on ships and leave Boston.
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Second Continental Congress Votes for Independence
- The Congress voted to start becoming independent.
- Twelve colonies voted for independence.
- New York was the one that did not vote, but they later said they supported independence.
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The Declaration of Indepence
- John Hancock was the first person to sign the document.
- 56 delegates signed the document in total.
- This was announcing the birth of the United States and it's independence from Britian.
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The Declaration was Read to Troops
- George Washington had the declaration read to the troops in New York.
- There were readings of the Declartion in Massachusetts as well and there was a big celebration following.