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Continental Congress meets
*All colonies but Georgia has representatives
*Voted to send a "statement of grievances"
*Voted to Boycott all British Trade
*Patrick Henry-VA rep. urged colonists to unite against Britain -
Washington arrives on outskirts of Boston with Continental troops
*Realizes men are disorganized & need discipline
*Need weapons -
1,000's of Redcoats in Boston
*General Gage brings thousands 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
*Battles of Lexington-
-1st battle of American Revolutionary War
-"shot heard around the world"-Ralph Waldo Emerson
-BRITISH Victory
*Battle of Concord-
-Americans stop British and force them to retreat back to Boston
-AMERICAN Victory -
Capture Fort Ticonderoga
*Benedict Arnold & Ethan Allen capture the fort
*Get all supplies in the fort including cannons
*AMERICAN Victory -
Battle of Bunker Hill
*fought on Bread'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. -
"Common Sense" published by Thomas Paine
- Pamphlet inspires more colonists to become patriots
- "Everything that is right or reasonable pleads for separation. The blood of the slain, the weeping voice of nature cries, ‘TIS TIME TO PART."
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British Surrender Boston
*Washington believes his army is ready & 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
-
The Declaration of Independence is signed!
