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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
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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 & Concord that the "British are coming... The British are coming"
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Battle of Lexington & Concord
- Battle of Lexington- 1st battle of the american revolutionary war
- "shot heard around the world"-Ralph Waldo Emerson
- British Victory
- Battle of Concord- Americans stop British & force them to retreat back to Boston
- American Victory
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Fort Ticonderoga
- Benedict Arnold & Ethan Allen Capture the fort.
- Get supplies from fort, including cannons
- American Victory
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Second Congress Continental Meet
- Printing $
- Set up post office
- Created an army lead by George Washington
- Sent an olive branch asking the king to protect their rights
- King hires 30,000 soldiers
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Battle of Bunker hill
- Fought on Breed's hill
- "Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes"- William Prescott
- British Victory (american ran out of ammunition) British learn defeating Americans would not be easy
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Washington arrives on outskirts of Boston with Continental Troops
- Realized Men are disorganized & need discipline
- Need weapons
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"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" - Thomas Paine, Common Sense
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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
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Second Congress Continental Meets again
- Debating on declaring independence
- Thomas Jefferson is the primary author of the document
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Second Congress Continental Meet votes for independence
It is signed!