-
The Boston Massacre
In this date, it occured that the British Army soldiers killed five male civilians and injured six others. -
The Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was referred by John Adams as "the Destruction of the Tea in Boston" that it was a political protest by the Sons of Liberty in Boston, by this historical date. -
Paul Revere
On the night of April 18, 1775, silversmith Paul Revere left his small wooden home in Boston's North End and set out on a journey that would make him into a legend. -
The battle Lexington and Concord
a mission to capture Patriot leaders and seize a Patriot arsenal, march into Lexington to find 77 armed minutemen under Captain John Parker waiting for them on the town’s common green. British Major John Pitcairn ordered the outnumbered Patriots to disperse, and after a moment’s hesitation the Americans began to drift off the green. Suddenly, the “shot heard around the world” was fired from an undetermined gun, and a cloud of musket smoke soon covered the green. When the brief Battle of Lexingto -
common sense
Thomas Paine wrote Common Sense in January 1776, but it was not published as a pamphlet until February 14, 1776. He wanted people to think about what was happening. He explained that the people must fight against the unfair and unjust ways of King George III and the British Parliament. He used plain, simple common sense in his writing to show the Colonists there was no other way to protect their rights, but to declare their independence. He talked about government being a "necessary evil," which -
independence day
the American Revolution (1775-83). In June 1776, representatives of the 13 colonies then fighting in the revolutionary struggle weighed a resolution that would declare their independence from Great Britain. On July 2nd, the Continental Congress voted in favor of independence, and two days later its delegates adopted the Declaration of Independence, a historic document drafted by Thomas Jefferson. From 1776 until the present day, July 4th has been celebrated as the birth of American independence -
Battle of Trenton
Shortly after eight o'clock on the morning of December 26, 1776, the Continental Army started its charge on the city. Three columns marched through thick snow with Washington personally leading the middle charge. As the soldiers pushed forward, artillery began to fire. At the same time, German drums urgently called the Hessians to arms. To his astonishment, Washington had maintained the element of surprise -
valley forge
Valley Forge is on the Schuylkill River about 25 miles west of Philadelphia in Chester County, Pennsylvania. General Washington probably decided to move his troops to Valley Forge, because it was near Philadelphia where the Continental Congress met. It was also in a small valley where they would be more protected from the weather. Even as they arrived, a light snow fell. -
the Treaty of Alliance
Discusses the Revolutionary War during the years 1777 to 1778 and links to related documents, including the Treaty of Alliance with France. On February 6, 1778, France and the fledgling United States of America signed the Treaty of Amity and Commerce and the Treaty of Alliance in Paris, France. -
articles of confederation adopted
The Articles of Confederation were signed. It was a terrible form of federal government because no decisions were ever made. Also, each state only got one vote, so most of the citizens didn't get a say in any political matters. In addition, the government couldn't collect taxes and each state had to have its own currency. Finally, you had to have a unanimous vote to make an amendment, which meant that no amendments were ever made. -
Siege of Yorktown
On this day in 1781, British General Charles Cornwallis formally surrenders 8,000 British soldiers and seamen to a French and American force at Yorktown, Virginia, bringing the American Revolution to a close. -
treaty of paris
The Treaty of Paris, signed in Paris by representatives of King George III of Great Britain and representatives of the United States of America on September 3, 1783, ended the American Revolutionary War -
U.S. Constitution signed
The Constitution of the United States of America is signed by 38 of 41 delegates present at the conclusion of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. Supporters of the document waged a hard-won battle to win ratification by the necessary nine out of 13 U.S. states.
