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The Charleston Tea Party occurred
Britannia was a ship carrying passengers and 7 chests of tea that arrived in the Charleston Harbor. The 3 merchants that ordered the tea were forced to go down to the harbor and throw the tea chests overboard. This was a colonial response against the Tea Act which many colonist considered unconstitutional. -
Shots fired at Lexington and Concord, MA to begin the American Revolution
Was the first shot of the American Revolution that is known as the “shot heard ‘round the world.” The night before the battle hundreds of British soldiers marched from Boston to Concord to seize a collection of arms hidden by the colonist. Paul Revere and his other riders sounded the alarm and 77 militiamen encountered the 700 British soldiers at Lexington. This battle killed 8 militiamen and wounded 9 and only injured 1 Redcoat. -
The Declaration of Independence was signed, formally severing political and economic ties between America and Great Britain
Delegates of the Continental Congress had to vote on the issue with independence from Britain. A five-man committee was established to draft a formal statement of the colonies’ intentions. The five men included Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Roger Sherman, Robert Livingston and Thomas Jefferson. The Declaration was signed and adapted on this day and is celebrated as the birth of American Independence. -
The terrible winter at Valley Forge, PA, where Washington’s men became a fighting machine
Washington dragged his men to Valley Forge so they would be able to rest and refit. While they were there they had a lack of food, supplies and winter clothing. Many had died because of malnutrition and frostbite. Although all these struggles, Washington did gain important officer corps, plenty of supplies and was able to restore the confidence and health of his soldiers. -
The Battle of Camden, which should have been a Patriot victory, was a British victory. This led to the French not sending supplies and reinforcements as early as they had intended
General Horatio Gates decided to engage in battle with Britain's force which was larger and had a large supply of guns and ammunition. The British had a devastating win killing and capturing 2,000 Patriots and the Continental Army lost a huge amount of artillery. This caused General Gates to be removed and replaced by Nathanael Greene. -
The Battle of King’s Mountain is the first major Patriot victory in the South, making it the turning point battle of the War
The western wing of the British army built up of American Loyalist mainly from South Carolina was ran by Major Ferguson. He and his troops were attempting to reach North Carolina, but soon came into an encounter with the Patriots causing Major Ferguson to place his troops on King’s Mountain. The Patriots charged multiple times and won the battle killing 157, wounding 163, and capturing 698 loyalist. -
The Battle of Cowpens- a Patriot victory that pushes the British out of SC
Brigadier General Daniel Morgan commanded Patriots to leave the front line after firing two rounds. This re-positioning led to a concentrated rifle fire along with a cavalry charge which destroyed Tarleton’s army. This battle was a massive victory for the Patriots killing, capturing and wounding over 800 British soldiers. -
The Battle of Eutaw Springs: Last major battle in SC; British tactical victory, Patriot strategic advantage; the British were cut off from their major cities and they couldn’t stop the movement of supplies
The Patriots attacked in the early morning, but British Major John Majoribanks was able to secure his troops in a stone house. While the Patriots were devouring the unfinished breakfast of the British soldiers the British troops were preparing for war. Both sides ended up retreating and losing many soldiers leaving the Continental Army with a slight win over the British. -
The Battle of Yorktown, a Patriot victory, became the last battle of the War; General Cornwallis surrendered to George Washington
The American army blocked Cornwallis’s escape by land while the French naval fleet blocked the escape by sea. The British were also outnumbered by 10,000 American and French soldiers. The Continental army completely encircled them causing Cornwallis to surrender after three weeks of fighting marking it the last battle in the American Revolution. -
The Treaty of Paris was signed, officially ending the American Revolution, as well as changing the boundaries of American and other British colonies
America and Great Britain negotiated the Treaty of Paris of 1783 which ended the American Revolution and recognized American Independence. Five men including John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, John Jay, Thomas Jefferson, and Henry Laurens were selected to negotiate the treaty.
