The Revolutionary War

1775-1783

Battle of Lexington and Concord

1. Members of Colonial Militia become minutemen

2. Colonists call themselves Patriots.

3. Thomas Gage sent 700 soldiers to Lexington and Concord.a. To find weaponsb. To arrest John Hancock and Samuel Adams (Sons of Liberty)

4. Paul Revere took his Midnight Ride to warn the Colonists.

5. The shots heard at Lexington marked the beginning of the war.

April 19, 1775

The Battle of Bunker Hill

June 17, 1775

1. General Prescott lead colonial soldiers to make a fort on Bunker hill. He made a mistake and fortified Breed’s Hill. Both the British and the colonies wanted to occupy these hills to have an advantage.

2. The British “won” the battle but lost many men.

3. The colonists lost because they ran out of ammunition. They were told, “don’t shoot until you see the whites of their eyes.”

Battle of SaratogaOctober 17, 1777

1. General John Burgoyne set out to separate the New England colonies from the rest. He wanted to take over Albany, New York.a. British control would eliminate colonial troop movement.

2. The Continental Army, led by General Horatio Gates, blocked their attempts and they withdrew to Saratoga where American troops surrounded them.

3. The British had no choice to surrender.

4. This battle gained support of the French and other countries.

5. This war a turning point in the war.

Valley Forge-Winter 1777

1. Both sides stopped during the winter due to weather.

2. Washington’s troops terrible hardships:a. Disease and lack of medical supplies.b. Poor shelter and clothingc. Deserters and mutinies

3. The Continental Army asks for and receives foreign support.

Foreign Support

1. Baron Von Steuben (German) trained troops at Valley Forge.

2. Ben Franklin convinced the French to support America.a. The French hated the Britishb. French were convinced by the Battle of Saratoga that the we could win the war!c. Marquis de Lafayette was an advisor and friend to Washington.

Traitor: Benedict Arnold

1. American solider who accepted money from the British to help them capture fort at West Point, NY.

2. September 23, 1780 a British solider, John Andre, was carrying the plans and was captured. The plot was discovered.

3. Andre was hanged, Arnold escaped.

Battle of Yorktown 1781

1. French and Americans surrounded the British in Yorktown, Virginia.

2. General Cornwallis surrenders his troops to Washington.

Treaty of Paris-1783

1. John Adams, John Jay, and Ben Franklin went to France to negotiate peace between all countries involved in the war.

2. England gave up control of the colonies.