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The Battles of Lexington and Concord
These were the initial battles of the revolutionary war. The British army was sent to sieze ammo and weapons from stockpiles and were met with fierce resistance -
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American Leadership - Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold (A Traitor he may be) served as a leader of colonial forces in the early war, up until he was injured in the battle of Saratoga. Later in the war, he tried to surender West Point to the British, was found out, and fled to Briain. -
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American Leadership - George Washington
George Washington was the Commander-in-Chief of the American forces throughout the revolutionary war. He later bacame the first leader of the new country. -
British Leadership - Thomas Gage
Gage was the British general in charge of British troops in the colonies since they were sent to maintain order in 1763. He was recalled after the battle of Bunker Hill -
British Leadership - William Howe
William Howe replaced Gage as leader of the British forces. As they were carrying out a coordinated attack, he decided to take Philidelphia in order to break colonist moral. This contributed dircectly to the British loss at Saratoga. -
The Battle of Long Island
This was the battle in which the British took the valuable land in New York, which then became their base of operations for the war in America. -
The Battle of Saratoga
The American success at Saratoga was an essential turning point in the war because it demonstrated that our ragtag army stood a chance against the British. This display of success ensured our ability to seal a French alliance. -
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American Leadership - Horatio Gates
Horatio Gates was a terrible commander who started his "command" with the battle of Saratoga and ended his field service after a crippling defeat at Camden. -
Articles of Confederation
Although not ratified until 1781, the document was completed and sent out in November of 1777. Among the problems were an inability of the federal government to generate tax revenue or to provide debt relief where it was needed. The problems culminated in Shays's rebellion, which signalled the government -
American Leadership - Baron von Steuben
Baron Von Steuben joined the colonial army during their winter at Valley Forge. He was essential in teaching military discipline to the forces and turning the American army into a proper one. -
British Leadership - Henry Clinton
(Hillary, Just Kidding) Henry Clinton took control of the British forces after Howe's resignation in early 1778. He was the commander that came up with Britain's southern strategy. He then coordinated the latter part of the war from his base in New York. -
Treaty of Alliance
The Treaty of Alliance was a formal agreement between America and France under King Louis XVI stating that each country would defend the other. France agreed only after America proved it stood a chance through Saratoga. -
The Capture of Savannah
This was both a change in British strategy and a key battle the British won. The new strategy was to take the South, where large amounts of revenue could be generated. Savvannah was the British entry point into the South. -
British Leadership - Charles Cornwallis
Cornwallis took command of the large group of forces that responsible for engaging in Britain's southern Strategy. He was the general that eventually ended the war by surrendering (through his second-in-command) at Yorktown. -
The Siege of Charleston
This was a second step in the British campaign for the South. It gave them control of the second largest American Port, along with an ability to control trade and maneuver troops. -
Battle of Camden
The Battle of Camden was a major British victory in South Carolina. The British destroyed Gates' forces that had been sent to correct the British problem down south. -
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American Leadership - Nathaniel Greene
Although he was involved before the battle of Camden, it was after Gates' brutal defeat that Nathaniel Greene was put in primary control of the American response to the British Southern Strategy. -
The Battles of King's Mountain and Cowpens
These battles were two decisive battles in the American response to the Southern Caampaign by the British. King's Mountain was a battle in which Nathaniel Green was sent down to take back South Carolina. Daniel Morgan was also sent South with Green to relieve Gates and take Cowpens, a key town for controlling the waterways, from Henry Clinton's British forces. -
The Battle of Yorktown
This was the final battle of the revolution during which, with French naval aid, the American forces slowly but surely overwhelmed British defenses. They used trenches to take outer cannons and then bombarded the city for a weak, until Henry Clinton surrendered. -
Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris was a treaty signed in Paris (Thanks, Sherlock) that officially ended the Revolutionary War between America and Britain. It granted America its sovereignty and allowed Britain to collect pre-war debts. -
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles is what ended hostilities between France Spain and Britain. France got Florida, Spain got one of Britain's sugar islands, and Britain got peace. -
Annapolis Convention
The Annapolis convention was a convention called in order to revise the articles of confederation. Nothing was resultant due to small attendance except an agreement to meet the following year. -
Constitutional Convention
Held in Philidelphia, this was the major decidor. Originally intended to revise the old articles of confederation, the convention ended up producing a new constitution. -
US Constitution Signed
Although it was not ratified until the following year, the representatives at the constitutional convention signed it in 1787.The original 7 articles represent how our government should function. The first ten amendments became the bill of rights. -
The Federalist Papers
Produced by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay between October 1787 and August 1788, this series of papers and essays were aimed at convincing the population to support the ratification of the new constitution. They were essential for the eventual ratification of the constitution.
