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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 Britain -
The British Arrive in Boston
King George told Parliament that the New England Colonies were "in a state of rebellion".
Several thousand British troops were in and around Boston.
British General Thomas Gage had orders to seize the weapons from the Massachusetts militia and arrest the leaders. -
The British on the Move
Dr. Joseph Warren was walking through Boston, and he saw British troops marching out of the city.
Warren alerted Paul Revere and William Dawes, members of the Sons of Liberty.
Revere and Dawes rode to lexington, to spread the word about how the British were coming. -
Battle of Lexington
The redcoats approached just to see 70 minute men waiting there with muskets in hand.
They were led by Captain John Parker.
They were badly outnumbered, but a shot was fired which led to an array of bullets being let loose leaving 8 minutemen dead. -
Battle of Concord
The British then moved onto Concord.
On their way to Concord waiting on a bridge there were minutemen waiting but after a short battle the British took heavy losses.
After that they decided to retreat back to boston but not without being shot at by the colonists who were hiding behind trees shooting at the British.
When the British finally arrived at Boston 174 people were injured and 73 were dead.
60 years later, a poet Ralph Waldo Emerson, described the shot as the shot heard around the world -
The Second Continental Congress meet
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Fort Ticonderoga
Benedict Arnold, a captain in the Connecticut Militia, was able to create an army of 400 to take over Ticonderoga.
Ticonderoga was near Lake Champlain in New York.
Ticonderoga was a very important location because it has lots of materials in military supplies.
Arnold learned that another army was planning to attack them with the captain Ethan Allen, so Arnold decided to create an alliance with him to seize Fort Ticonderoga.
On May 10, 1775 Fort Ticonderoga surrendered after a surprise attack. -
The Battle of Bunker Hill
After the battle of Lexington and Concord more people (20,000) eventually decided to join the colonial militias.
The British were still in control of the city, but they had the militia camped outside.
On June 16, 1775 The militia which was commanded by Colonel William Prescott put up posts on Bunker Hill and Breed's Hill, and also across the harbor from Boston.
The redcoats sat upon Breed's hill and then the Americans shot at the british but ran out of gunpowder.
Meaning this was a British win -
Washington Leading his Troop
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Arnold's Betrayal
Arnold became a traitor to the patriot.
He was labeled as a traitor because he sold information to the British.
This crime was discovered in September of 1980.
After this was discovered he then fled to the British-controlled New York City.
He also decided to lead raids against americans in Virginia and Connecticut.