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Battles of Lexington and Concord
Massachusetts | Apr 19, 1775. In this first battle of the American Revolution, Massachusetts colonists defied British authority, outnumbered and outfought the Redcoats, and embarked on a lengthy war to earn their independence. American Victory It marked the start of the American War of Independence. It persuaded many Americans to take up arms and support the cause of independence. -
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The begginning and end of Battles
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Battle at Bunker Hill
Massachusetts | Jun 17, 1775. The Americans repulsed two British assaults, with significant British casualties; the British captured the redoubt on their third assault after the defenders ran out of ammunition. The colonists retreated over Bunker Hill, leaving the British control of the Peninsula. British victory The fierce fight confirmed that reconciliation between England and her American colonies was no longer possible. -
Battle of New York
The British defeated the Continental Army and gained access to the Port of New York, which they held for the rest of the war. It was the first major battle to take place after the United States declared its independence on July 4, 1776, in Philadelphia. British victory. George Washington's efforts to fortify New York City from a British attack led to the Revolutionary War's biggest battle. The crushing defeat of the Americans allowed Britain to hold the valuable port until the end of the war. -
Battle of Trenton
The Battle of Trenton took place on December 26, 1776, after British forces captured New York City and George Washington's Patriot army retreated to Pennsylvania. American victory.
The victory set the stage for another success at Princeton a week later and boosted the morale of the American troops. The Patriot victory gave the Continental Congress new confidence, as it proved colonial forces could defeat the British in the future. It also increased re-enlistments in the Continental Army forces. -
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Fight for Philadelphia
The Philadelphia campaign (1777–1778) was a British effort in the American Revolutionary War to gain control of Philadelphia, the Revolutionary-era capital where the Second Continental Congress convened and signed the Declaration of Independence, which formalized and escalated the war. Along with the American victory at Saratoga, the Philadelphia campaign convinced France that the Americans were worthy allies. British Victory. -
Battle at Saratoga
September 19, 1777 – October 7, 1777
Burgoyne and his troops, defeated, began a march to the town of Saratoga where they entrenched themselves once again in hopes of escaping. Within a fortnight, however, Gates's army had surrounded them and forced them to surrender. The American defeat of the superior British army lifted patriot morale, furthered the hope for independence, and helped to secure the foreign support needed to win the war. -
Winter at Valley Forge
The Winter Valley Forge proved to be a great trial for the American army, and of the 11,000 soldiers stationed at Valley Forge, hundreds died from disease. However, the suffering troops were held together by loyalty to the Patriot cause and to General Washington, who stayed with his men. The Continental Army's transformation at Valley Forge transformed it into a unified force capable of defeating the British and gaining American independence. -
British take South
September 23-October 18, 1779
The British had some important military successes in the South. They occupied Savannah, Georgia, in late 1778 and Charleston, South Carolina, in May 1779. They also struck a disastrous blow on General Horatio Gates' forces at Camden, South Carolina, in August 1780. Critical to Britain's southern strategy was Clinton's June 1779 decree that offered freedom to any enslaved people who fled their patriot masters—British Victory. -
British Losses in 1781
Surrender at Yorktown On October 19, 1781, British General Charles Cornwallis surrendered his army of some 8,000 men to General George Washington at Yorktown, giving up any chance of winning the Revolutionary War. -
British Surrender at Yorktown
Outnumbered and outfought during a three-week siege in which they sustained great losses, British troops surrendered to the Continental Army and their French allies. This last major land battle of the American Revolution led to negotiations for peace with the British and the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1783. American victory.