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French Allies
French are sending weapons secretly to Patriots since early 1776 because they are still unhappy with the defeat of the French and Indian War. -
War on the Move
British retreat from Bostn, moving the war to the Middle states. -
Sailing Into NY Harbor
General and Admiral Howe join forces on Staten Island to sail into New York with 32000 soldiers. -
Battle For New York Ends
Outnumbered American troops retreat following heavy losses and lose the battle for New York. -
Crossing the Delaware River
Thw British push Washington's army, fewwer than 8000 men, across the Delaware River into Pennsylvania. -
Needing a Victory
Washington led 2,400 men across the Delaware River, needing a victory to keep his men from going home. -
March to Trenton
2400 American soldiers march to Trenton, New Jersey to defeat the garrison of Hessians. -
American Victory
Eight days after the Americans started marching towards Trenton, New Jersey, the Americans made a surprise attack at Princeton gaining a victory over Britain. -
General Howe Lands Near Capital
British troops sailed from New York to te head of Chesapeake Bay, and landed near the capital in late August, making the Continental Congress flee the city. -
Americans at Saratoga
American troops surround Burgoyne at Saratoga, where he surrendered his army to General Gates, dramatically changing Britain's war strategy. -
Valley Forge
Continental Army camps at Valley Forge outside of Philadelphia from the winter of 1777 to 1778. -
Treaty of Cooperation
French realize that the Americans want independence so they signed an alliance agreeing to not make peace with Britain until they also recognized that America wanted its independence. -
A Better Continental Army
Friedrich von Steuben, a Prussian captain and talented drillmaster, volunteered his services to General Washington, making the colonial soldiers a more effective fighting force. -
Change in British Strategies
British hoped to rally Loyalist support to reclaim the colonies and slowly fight their way back north, but in the meantime, they shifted to the South. -
Lafayette and the French
Marquis de Lafayette offered his assistance to Washington's staff. He was with the army at Valley Forge, gained French reinforcements in France, and led a command in VA during the last years of the war. -
Early British Success in the South
By this time, the British expodition easily took Savannah, Georgia and a royal governor once again commanded Georgia. -
British Victory at Charles Town
The greatest victory of the war was when the British captured Charles Town, South Carolina and marched 5500 American soldiers off as prisoners of war. -
Towards South Carolina
General Henry Clinton, who had replaced Howe in New York, along with Charles Cornwallis sailed south with 8500 men. -
Retreat for the British
Cornwallis 's army was victorious at Camden, South Carolina. However, when Cornwallis moved into North Carolina, Patriots attacked them and cut their communications, forcing the redcoats to retreat. -
Charles Cornwallis' Acheivments
For most of 1780, Cornwallis succeeded. He was also joined by thousands of African Americans who escaped from Patriot slave owners to find freedom with the British. -
Brave Americans at Cowpens
When the British met the Americans at Cowpens, South Carolina, the British thought that the Americans would flee, but they stood their ground and fought back, forcing the redcoats to surrender. -
Anger Leads to Consequences
Angry at their defeat at Cowpens, Cornwallis attacked Greene at Guilford Court House, North Carolina. He had won this battle, but it had cost him 93 soldiers dead, 400 wounded, and 26 missing. -
Asking for Help
Greene had weakened the British, but worried about the fight for the South. He sent a letter to Lafayette asking for help saying that "... every exertion should be made for the salvation of the Southern States for on them depend the liberty of the Northern." -
Superintendent of Finance
Congress appoints a rich Philadelphia merchant named Robert Morris as superintendent of finance. -
Financing the War
Because the war needed alot of finances, inflation occured in the Americas. Due to the efforts of Morris and Salmon, the troops were finally paid in speci, or gold coin. -
Victory at Yorktown
Cornwallis finally raised the white flag to surrender from three weeks of getting bombarded on from the French and American troops. -
Winning the War
The British finally surrender near Yorktown, Virginia. The American Revolution had finally ended and the Americans had won. -
British Surrender at Last!
Washington, the French generals, and their troops assembled to accept the British surrender. -
Seeking Peace
In Paris, four representatives- United States, Great Britain, France and Spain- joined to negotiate but all still wanted the most benificial for its own nation. -
Treaty of Paris
Delegates signed the Treaty of Paris, which states that the United States had their independence and set boundaries of the new nation. It now stretched from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi River and from Canada to the Florida border.
