-
Lexington and Concord
Armed farmers and townspeople of Massachusetts known as minute men fought the British and killed three times as many men due to knowledge of British intentions. Small battle that sparked the Revolution War. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
American forces attacked a British army near Boston. Both sides suffered severe casualties but the British lost many more. -
Olive Branch Petition
A document that requested for the British government to view the colonists as British Citizens thus allowing the same rights. Last appeal to King before war. -
British Evacuation
American forces surrounded Boston and all of the British military within the city. The British as well as several hundred Loyalists evacuated to Nova Scotia. -
Declaration of Independence
Congress approved of the Declaration of Independence which severed ties with the British. The DOI was written mainly by Thomas Jefferson with help from Ben Franklin and John Adams. -
Crossing of the Delaware
George Washington and his army crossed the Delaware River to scatter German mercenaries called Hessians from Trenton. -
Battle of Saratoga (Turning Point)
John Burgoyne and his army (British) surrendered after they had been surrounded by Horatio Gates' army. Approximately 5000 British and Hessian troops surrendered to the US. -
Articles of Confederation
Congress adopted Articles of Confederation as the first constitution of the United States which gave central government very limited power over states. -
Pivotal French Aid
France officially recognized the United States as a real independent nation as a result of potential British peacemaking offers to colonists and Victory at Saratoga. -
Battle of Yorktown
George Washington marched troops towards General Cornwallis (British) in Virginia from New York while French Admiral Francois de Grasse sailed with troops for Chesapeake Bay. Cornwallis was trapped and he eventually surrendered with over 7000 men. -
Treaty of Paris
All parties - British, America, France, and Spain agreed to end hostilities and grant the United States a piece of territory from the southern boundary of Canada to the northern boundary of Florida and from the Atlantic to the Mississippi. -
Statute of Religious Liberty
Written by Thomas Jefferson, the Statute of Religious Liberty was enacted in Virginia and called for complete separation of church and state which got rid of church privileges. -
Period: to
Shays' Rebellion
An armed uprising in Massachusetts that occurred because many poor farmers could not keep up with the taxes on individuals and on trade. The rebellion was shutdown by an army of state militiamen and led to tax relief as well as postponement of debt payments. -
Northwest Ordinance
This policy was passed to abandon the ten districts from the Ordinance of 1784, and to create a single Northwest territory that could eventually be split into 3-5 territories. Upon reaching a population of 60,000 each territory could apply for statehood as long as they had freedom or religion, right to trial by jury, and no slavery. -
Treaty of Greenville
A year after the Battle of Fallen Timbers, a battle in which Americans fought Native American for land, the Treaty of Greenville was signed. This treaty ceded a large amount of new land to the Americans in exchange for the American acknowledgement that the remaining land is for Natives.