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The war begins when British soldiers and colonial militia exchange fire at Lexington and Concord.
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The British defeat the Americans in the Battle of Bunker Hill near Boston.
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Washington’s troops cross the Delaware River and surprise the enemy at Trenton, New Jersey, giving the Continental army its first major victory.
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Americans defeat the British in the Battle of Saratoga in New York. France enters the war to aid the Americans.
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Washington’s troops spend a cold winter camped at Valley Forge in Pennsylvania.
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At the Battle of Monmouth in New York, neither side claims a clear victory.
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The British capture Savannah, Georgia.
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John Paul Jones’s crew captures the British ship Serapis.
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Americans defeat the British at Cowpens, South Carolina.
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British General Cornwallis surrenders to Washington at Yorktown, Virginia.
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The British and Americans sign a final peace treaty in Paris, France.