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Continental Congress meets
- All colonies but Georgia (who has no representatives) attended
- Voted to send a "statement of grievances" and to boycott all British Trade
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1,000s of Redcoats in Boston
General Gage brings throusands of British soldiers to Boston with more on the way. -
Midnight ride of Paul Revere
Paul Revere rides to warn the Sons of Liberty in Lexington and Concord that the "British are coming... The British are coming.." -
Battles of Lexington & Concord
Lexington
-1st battle of American Revolutionary War
-"Shot heard round the world" -Ralph Waldo Emerson
-BRITISH victory
Concord
-Americans stop British and force them to retreat back to Boston
-AMERICAN victory -
Capture of Fort Ticonderoga
-Benedict Arnold & Ethan Allen capture the fort
-Get all supplies in the fort including cannons
-AMERICAN victory -
Second Continental Congress Meet
-Print Money
-Set up post office
-Created Continental Army led by George Washington
-Sent Olive Branch asking King to protect their rights
-King hires 30,000 Hessian Soldiers in response -
Battle of Bunker Hill
-Fought on Breed's Hill
-"Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes" -William Prescott
-BRITISH Victory (Americans ran out of ammunition) British learn defeating Americans would NOT be easy. -
Washington arrives on outskirts of Boston with Continental troops
-Realizes men are disorganized and need dicipline
-Need weapons -
"Common Sense" published by Thomas Paine
-Pamphlet inspires more colonists to become patriots -
British Surrender Boston
-Washington believes his army is ready and weapons arrive
-Washington puts cannons on Dorchester Heights overlooking Boston
-BRITISH retreat - AMERICAN victory -
Second Continental Congress Meet Again
-Debate on declaring independence
-Thomas Jefferson is the primary author of the document -
Second Continental Congress Votes for Independence
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The Declaration of Independence is Signed!
