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Battle of Lexington and Concord (VUS.4c)
War began when the “Minutemen” in Massachusetts fought a brief skirmish with British troops at Lexington and Concord. British soldiers searching for John Hancock and Samuel Adams, and stockpiles of weapons, were stopped by minutemen who fired upon them from behind fences and trees. TheBritish soldiers were forced to retreat. We call this the "Shot Heard 'Round the World" - the first shots of the Revolutionary War. More -
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The War for Independence
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Battle of Bunker Hill
The Continental forces had placed canon on the hills overlooking the port of Boston which was really bad for the British forces stationed there. The British charged up the hills several times before finally displacing the Continentals. Technically, a British victory – but the Continentals had lost so few in defense, that many regard this as a great moment for the Revolutionary forces! More -
Declaration of Independence is signed (VUS.4a)
Authored primarily by Thomas Jefferson of Virginia, reflected the ideas of Locke and Paine: “that all men are created equal…with certain unalienable rights…governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed….” Jefferson then went on to detail many of the grievances against the king that Paine had earlier described in Common Sense. More -
Battle of Saratoga (VUS.4d)
Considered the “turning point” of the Revolutionary war; British General Burgoyne lost this battle to Horatio Gates. Even though this was a relatively small battle, it is considered the turning point because it convinced the French monarchy that the American Continentals had a chance of winning! More -
Washington at Valley Forge (VUS.4d)
George Washington galvanized his complete leadership during the hardships in winter, 1777-1778. He had already lost New York and Philadelphia, and things were pretty bleak. Washington turned the Continentals into a strong fighting force. Washington’s leadership; refusing to give up and avoid any situation where he could be captured, took root. When fighting resumed, he would utilize hit-and-run tactics to wear down the British. More -
Treaty of Alliance with France (VUS.4d)
Negotiated by Benjamin Franklin, the American Colonists gained the public support of France. The King of France promised weapons, soldiers, money and – most importantly – the French Navy! This even turned the tide in the American Revolution, as France declared war on Britain in hopes of revenge from the humiliating defeat in the French and Indian War in 1763! More -
Surrender at Yorktown (VUS.4d)
In September of 1781, General George Washington, and French leaders Rochambeau and Lafayette, cornered British General Lord Cornwallis at the Yorktown peninsula. When the French Naval Fleet arrived to block British retreat by water Cornwallis was forced to surrender. This effectively ended the fighting of the Revolutionary War. More -
Treaty of Paris (VUS.4d)
Remember, the British were fighting the French, the Spanish AND the Dutch at the same time they were trying to hold on to the American colonies. This treaty recognized the United States’ right to exist as a sovereign nation, and identified our boundaries north of Florida, East of the Mississippi River, and South of Canada. Fighting to keep these colonies was simply too expensive, and lost popularity in England. More
