Battle of Lexington Dr. Joseph Warren learned of the British plans and sent Paul Revere to alert John Hancock and Samuel Adams of their arrest On the evening of April 18, 1775, the British troops started their march on Lexington The colonists had been expecting a fight with the British. They had organized a group of militia, called the Minutemen. Captain Jonas Parker and 75 armed Minutemen were there to meet them. The Minutemen were greatly outnumbered. British soldiers fired, killing 8 Minutemen and injuring 10 others.

Battle of Concord April 18th, 1775 While the British soldiers made their way to Concord, men and women of Concord were moving the arms and ammunition to a new hiding places in surrounding towns. When the soldiers arrived they were only able to destroy part of the supplies. Minutemen made the British retreat

Battle of Saratoga General John Burgoyne had lost 86 percent of his force Turning Point of the war American victory in October 7, 1777 The success at Saratoga gave France the confidence in the American cause to enter the war as an American ally. Later, American successes owed a great deal to French aid in the form of financial and military assistance.

Battle of Trenton December 26, 1776 The battle was a resounding physical and moral victory for Washington and his American troops. IMPORTANCE: For the first time, Washington’s forces had defeated a regular army in the field. Washington's command was solidified. A growing number of delegates to Congress had come to doubt his abilities The victory sharply increased morale. New enlistments were stimulated and many of the current soldiers reenlisted

Battle of Yorktown October 19, 1781 British surrender (General Cornwallis) to combined American and French forces under the command of George Washington. The Siege of Yorktown effectively ended the six-year struggle of the Revolutionary War and set the stage for a new government and nation.