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Battle of Lexington and Concord
On the night of April 18, 1775, hundreds of British troops marched from Boston to Concord in order to seize an arms cache. Paul Revere and other riders sounded the alarm, and colonial militiamen began preparing to intercept the Redcoats. A confrontation on the Lexington town green started off the fighting, and soon the British retreated under fire. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
On June 17, in the Revolution’s first major battle, colonial forces inflicted heavy casualties on the British regiment of General William Howe at Breed’s Hill in Boston. The engagement (known as the Battle of Bunker Hill) ended in British victory, but lent encouragement to the revolutionary cause. -
The Declaration of Independence
On July 4th, the Continental Congress voted to adopt the Declaration of Independence, made by a five-man committee including Franklin and John Adams. It was mostly written by Thomas Jefferson. -
Nathan Hale Executed
Having penetrated the British lines on Long Island to obtain information, American Capt. Nathan Hale was captured by the British. He was hanged without trial the next day. He said,"I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country." -
Battle of Trenton
Pushed across the Delaware River, Washington fought back with a surprise attack in Trenton, New Jersey, on Christmas night and won! -
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Battle of Saratoga-The Turning Tide
An American force under General Horatio Gates defeated the British at Freeman’s Farm (known as the first Battle of Saratoga). After another defeat on October 7 at Bemis Heights (the Second Battle of Saratoga), The British commander, Burgoyne, surrendered his remaining forces on October 17. The reason this was so crucial was because it prompted France (which had been secretly aiding the rebels since 1776) to enter the war openly on the American side of the war. -
Valley Forge
Valley Forge is the story of the six month encampment of the Continental Army of the newly formed United States of America under the command of General George Washington, a few miles from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. There was no battle here, but from December 19, 1777 to June 19, 1778, a struggle against the elements and low morale was overcome on this sacred ground. -
Benedict Arnold
In 1779, Benedict Arnold entered into secret negotiations with the British, agreeing to turn over the U.S. post at West Point in return for money and a command in the British army. -
Battle of Yorktown
By the fall of 1781, Greene’s American forces had managed to force Cornwallis and his men to withdraw to Virginia’s Yorktown peninsula. Supported by a French army commanded by General Jean Baptiste de Rochambeau, Washington moved against Yorktown with a total of around 14,000 soldiers, while a fleet of 36 French warships offshore prevented British reinforcement or evacuation. Trapped and overpowered, Cornwallis was forced to surrender his entire army on October 19. -
The Treaty of Paris
In the Treaty of Paris, the British Crown formally recognized American independence. This treaty signaled the end of the American Revolutionary war.