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The Boston Tea Party
A group of colonists snuck aboard the British ships and dumped 342 crates of tea into the Boston Harbor. This was one of the first major rebellious acts from the colonists towards the British. -
The Americn Revolution begins
The Massachusetts militia challenged the British army and Lexington and Concord, starting the American Revolution. -
The Battle of Bunker Hill
This was the first major battle of the American Revolution. Colonists held their ground at Bunker Hill for about 2 hours. While ultimately forced to retreat, this conflict showed that the American's were not afraid of the British and that they were willing to fight for their freedom. -
Thomas Paine publishes Common Sense
This book detailed Paine’s opinion on the oppression presented to the Americans by the British. It becomes a symbol for patriotism for the colonists and is used to unify them against the British. -
The Siege of Boston
George Washington and the American militia completed their attempt to gain control of Boston from the British. After about 6 months of ongoing conflict, Washington proposed a direct attack on Boston, this was denied, but the American's instead took the Dorchester Heights. With heavy artillery from Fort Ticonderoga now overlooking Boston, the British quickly retreated. -
Invention of the Officer's Breech-Loading Ferguson Rifle
This weapon could fire six times a minute at a range of 200 yards, and reload while advancing forward. -
The Battle of Saratoga
This was a major turning point of the American Revolution. British General Burgoyne had intended to split the revolutionary army in half by separating New England from the rest of the colonies. He failed, however, and was forced to surrender. This is when France joined the war, fighting alongside the Americans. -
Valley Forge
General George Washington and his troops camped here at valley forge during the harsh winter. Washington managed to keep the troops together long enough to join the French and recapture Philadelphia in the spring. This is evidence of one of the major themes of the American army as a whole, they had a strong sense of patriotism and were commonly put into situation where the odds were not in their favor, yet they managed to find ways to win and to come out on top. -
The Siege of Charleston
This was the worst defeat of the the Revolution for the Americans. The British captured Charleston and the entire South American army, including four ships and a military arsenal. The British only lost 225 troops. This siege is evidence of the strategies used by the British and how different they are from those of the Americans. The primary source chart along with this shows just how much more efficient the British could be than the Americans. Also, it shows that they had different motivations. -
The Battle of Cowpens
This is one of the major turning points of the American Revolution. The American forces, led by General Daniel Morgan, defeat the British army at Cowpens, South Carolina. This was an important morale boost for the Americans, showing that the British strategy could be defeated. -
The Battle of Yorktown
This was the last major battle of the American Revolution. After months of conflict, the Lord Cornwallis and the British finally surrender Yorktown to the Americans. -
The Treaty of Paris is signed
This treaty officially recognized the 13 North American colonies as independent from Great Britain.
