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Continental congress meets
-All colonies but Georgia have representatives.
-vote to send a "statement of grievances"
-Voted to Boycott all British trade
- Patrick Henry- VA rep. urged colonists to unite against Britain -
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 and Concord
-1st battle of American Revolutionary war
-shot heard round the world- Ralph Waldo Emerson
-British victory
Battle of Concord
-American stops British forces 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 $$$$
Set up post office
Created the Continental Army Led by George Washington
sent Olive Branch asking King to protect their rights
King hires 30,000 Hessians Soldier 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 discipline
need weapons -
"Common Sense" published by Thomas Paine
Pamphlet inspires more colonists to become patriots.
"That these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States . . . and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved." -
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
The voted yes -
The declaration of independence is signed
