1. the American Revolution
Turning Points

2. Battle of Lexington/ Concord
1st military engagements of the Revolution; April 19, 1775
An illegal Patriot shadow government known as the Massachusetts Provincial Congress was formed after Boston Tea Party
As a result about 700 British soldiers in Boston, were given orders to capture and destroy rebel military supplies that were reportedly stored by the Massachusetts militia at Concord
Colonists found out the British plans on the night before the battle and were able to warn the area militias of the enemy movement (Story of Paul Revere)

3. Battle of Lexington/ Concord
The first shots were fired at Lexington. The militia were outnumbered and fell back, and the British proceeded on to Concord, where they searched for the supplies.
At the North Bridge in Concord, approximately 500 militiamen fought and defeated three companies of the King's troops.
The outnumbered regulars fell back from the "Minutemen"
More militiamen arrived and inflicted heavy damage on the British as they marched back towards Boston
Ralph Waldo Emerson, in his "Concord Hymn", described the first shot fired by the Patriots at the North Bridge as the "shot heard round the world”

4. Battle of Bunker Hill
June 1775-British had 6500 troops in Boston; Americans 10,000 troops surrounding Boston
Americans occupied Breed’s Hill and Bunker Hill overlooking Boston (vantage point-could fire on British ships in harbor)
British General William Howe ordered attack straight up the hill; American commander Israel Putnam ordered close attach to save ammunition (“whites of their eyes”)
Third British attempt worked
British won at high cost-1000 killed or wounded to 400 Americans
Significance—British knew they would be in for a fight; boosted confidence of Americans; British eventually forced to withdraw from Boston on March 17, 1776

5. Publication of Common Sense
Published on January 10, 1776 in Philadelphia
Sold up to 150,000 copies in American and England
Written by an Englishman who had only been in American for 15 months
Expressed America’s pent up rage against the mother country in “fighting” words
His common language helped convince common folk to rise up against British tyranny

6. Publication of Common Sense
It was absurd for an island (England) to rule a continent (America).
America was not a "British nation"; it was composed of influences and peoples from all of Europe.
The distance between the two nations made governing the colonies from England tough.
Britain ruled the colonies for its own benefit, and did not consider the best interests of the colonists in governing them.

7. Signing of the Declaration of Independence
See notes

8. Battle for New York
Mid 1776-fighting shifted from New England to Middle Colonies
June 1776-British fleet led by William Howe stationed outside of Staten Island
Washington suspected attack and led troops from Boston to Brooklyn on Long Island
34,000 British troops vs. 20,000 Continental Army troops led by George Washington
August 1776-British drove Continentals out of Brooklyn and NY City; British pursued Americans all the way to New Jersey
Hero-Connecticut officer Nathan Hale caught spying “I only regret that I have but one life to give to my country”
Significance-led to defeat at Philadelphia and set stage for success at Trenton

9. Battle of Trenton
Christmas night 1776-Washington led 2,400 men across Delaware River
Complete surprise—major win for colonists
Captured 1000 Hessian mercenaries fighting for the British
Significance—Boosted morale; 1 year enlistments would be up at the end of the year; most members of Continental Army would not have reenlisted without the victory
Washington would lead escape in middle of night while campfires lit; led to another victory at Princeton

10. Battle of Saratoga October 17, 1777
British general John Burgoyne’s plan was to cut New England off from the rest of the states
Significance-major turning point; February 1778-France agreed to form an alliance with Americans
Netherlands and Spain fought European front against British
Led to European volunteers who loved cause of liberty—Marquis de Lafayette was an aid to Washington; Friedrich von Steuben helped train Continental army
“Gentlemen Johnny” Burgoyne

11. Battle of Saratoga
Burgoyne plan—drive toward Albany NY from 3 directions; failed on all three fronts
A. From Canada; bogged down by terrain
B. From West; bogged down by terrain
C. From South; General Howe supposed to lead large army from NYC up the Hudson River
Failure of Saratoga, force British to turn their attention to the Southern colonies
Horatio Gates

12. Winter at Valley Forge December 19, 1777–June 18, 1778
 the site of the military camp of the American Continental Army just south of Philadelphia
Starvation, disease, and exposure killed nearly 2,500 American soldiers by the end of February 1778

13. Battle of King’s Mountain
October 7, 1780
After battle of Camden, Cornwallis split British army in two parts; one part was to stay in SC; the other was to take NC b/c it had a high population of Tories (Loyalists)
Militia known as “Over Mountain Men” and colonists in Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, led by William R. Davie, forced British to retreat back into South Carolina

14. Battle of Guilford Court House
March 15, 1781 (Greensboro)
Colonial commander Nathanael Greene’s troops outnumbered the British 2 to 1
After 1 ½ hours of fighting, British won but suffered heavy casualties
Forced British to retreat to Wilmington to regroup; from there Cornwallis would lead march to Yorktown, VA.

15.  Battle of Yorktown
British surrendered on October 19, 1781 at Yorktown, Virginia, (the last major land battle of the American Revolutionary War)
was a decisive victory by a combined force of American Continental Army troops led by General George Washington and French Army troops led by the Comte de Rochambeau over a British Army commanded by British lord and Lieutenant General Charles Cornwallis.

16. Treaty of Paris
Signed on September 3, 1783, ended the American Revolutionary War between Great Britain and the United States of America
Negotiated by Benjamin Franklin and John Adams
Recognized the United States to be free, sovereign and independent states, and that the British Crown give up claims to the Government, property, and territorial rights
Established the boundaries between the United States and British North America