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Continental Congress meets
- All colonies have representatives except Georgia
- Voted to Boycott all British trade and to send a "statement of grievances -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
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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.." -
Battle of Lexington and Concord
Battle of Lexington - 1st battle of American Revolutionary War
"Shot heard round world" - Ralph Waldo Emerson
British Victory Battle of Concord - Americans Stop British and force them to retreat back to Boston
America won -
Capture of Fort Ticonderoga
- Benedict Arnold and Ethan Allen capture the fort
- Get all supplies in the fort including cannons
- American Victory
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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 Win (Americans ran out of Ammo) British learn defeating Americans would not be early
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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
"Every thing that is right or reasonable pleads for separation. The blood of the slain, the weeping voice of nature cries, ‘TIS TIME TO PART." —from Common Sense, 1776 -
British Surrender Boston
- Washington believes his army is ready is ready and weapons arrives
- Washington puts cannons on Dorchester Heights overlooking Boston
- British retreat AMERICAN VICTORY
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Second Continental Congress meet again
- Debate on declaring independence
- Thomas Jefferson is the primary author of document
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Second Continental Congress Votes for Independence
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The Declaration of Independence is signed
