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Explore the hardships and victories of the American Revolution, from the Minutemen's dedication to the signing of the Treaty of Paris. Learn about key events like the Boston Tea Party, Battle of Bunker Hill, and the drafting of the Declaration of Independence.
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American Revolution 4th grade Feb. 2011
Minutemen: -armed men who pledged to be ready to fight on a minute's notice just before and during the Revolutionary War
Summary: Except in spirit, the Americans were badly prepared to battle the British. With few provisions and little training, the ragtag American troops fought for their cause; but they were continually overpowered.
Summary continued: The turning point in the war came in 1777 when American soldiers, helped secretly by France, defeated the British Army at Saratoga, NY. After that victory, France and America signed treaties of alliance; and France provided the Americans with troops and warships.
Summary continued: In 1781 in Yorktown, VA, American and French troops were able to surround the British and force their surrender. The war continued for two more years and was officially ended with the Treaty of Paris. England recognized American independence.
Revolutionary War Chronology
April 5, 1764 Britain's Sugar Act raises levies on colonial commerce.
The Stamp Act taxed almost everything made of paper: letters, newspapers, bills and all legal documents, decks of cards, and calendars.
The Sons of Liberty took their name from a debate on the Stamp Act in Parliament in 1765. A member of Parliament described the Americans as "the Sons of Liberty" who would resist the new tax. In the autumn, those who resisted the Stamp Act became synonymous with the Sons of Liberty.
March 18, 1766 Stamp Act is repealed.June 29, 1767 Townshend Acts impose new taxes on colonies.
February 11, 1768 Sam Adams calls for colonial unity. Britain sends troops to enforce order in Boston.
September 5, 1774 The First Continental Congress meets in Philadelphia.March 23, 1775 Patrick Henry at the Virginia Assembly gives stirring speech:
April 18, 1775British soldiers are sent to Concord to destroy the weapon depot. That night, Paul Revere leaves Boston for Lexington and warns Sam Adams and John Hancock.
Listen my children and you shall hearOf the midnight ride of Paul Revere,On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-five;Hardly a man is now aliveWho remembers that famous day and year.from The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
April 19, 1775The first battle of the American Revolution, Lexington and Concord. It was the enemy that fired the first shot.
May 10, 1775 The Second Continental Congress meets in Philadelphia. John Hancock is elected as its president.Ethan Allen captures Fort Ticonderoga.
Ethan Allen captures Fort Ticonderoga.
January 9, 1776Thomas Paine'spamphlet "Common Sense" ispublished. It criticizes King George IIIand praises the desire for American independence.“We have it in our power to beginthe world anew...America shallmake a stand, not for herselfalone, but for the world….” Thomas Paine
Published in 1776, Common Sense challenged the authority of the British government and the royal monarchy. The plain language that Paine used spoke to the common people of America and was the first work to openly ask for independence from Great Britain.Common Sense - the writing that sparked an American Revolution
March 17, 1776 George Washington defends Boston; British troops evacuate the city.
June 7, 1776 Richard Henry Lee, Virginia, puts forth motion for independence in Congress: "Resolved: That these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States, that they are absolved from allallegiance to the British Crown,and that all political connectionbetween them and the State ofGreat Britain is, and ought to be,totally dissolved."
June 11, 1776 The Continental Congress appoints a committee to draft the Declaration. July 2, 1776 Congress adopts Lee's resolution for independence.
July 4, 1776 Congress approves the Declaration of Independence as drafted by Jefferson and amended by the Congress.
June 15, 1775The Continental Congress appoints George Washington to be commander-in-chief of the Continental Army.
August 22-27, 1776 Battle of Long Island; British forces defeat the Continental ArmySeptember 15, 1776 British forces occupy New York City
September 22, 1776 Nathan Hale is executed without trial by the British. He was hanged as an American spy when he was only 21 years old. His conduct and his courage have made him one of America's most-remembered heroes.
