Battles of the American Revolution

Battles of the American Revolution

Major Battles of the American Revolution • American Revolution: major battles of the American Revolution. Map/Still. Britannica Online for Kids. Web. 3 Dec. 2013. <http://kids.britannica.com/elementary/art-88067>.

No More Kings!! • http://www.schooltube.com/video/4ce52bdb47884d2fb3a8/No-More-King-Schoolhouse-Rock

The Battle of Lexington • April 19, 1775 • John Parker was the captain of the Lexington minutemen. • His men were surrounded by British soldiers. • The first shot was fired, but no one knows which side it came from. • This first shot was known as: "the shot heard round the world." • The British won this battle. • http://www.schooltube.com/video/66c69ce5b14549058b63/Shot%20Heard%20'Round%20the%20World

The Battle of Concord • April 19, 1775 • The British searched Concord for weapons but could not find any. • As they searched, the Patriots gathered at Concord. • After a short battle at North Bridge, the British began to retreat. • Patriots lined the road and shot the British soldiers as they retreated. • By the time the British reached Boston, 250 men were either killed or wounded. • The Patriots won the battle of Concord and the American Revolution was underway. • Lexington and Concord are 5 miles apart.

Fort Ticonderoga • May 10, 1775 • Fort Ticonderoga is located near Lake Champlain. • The British used this fort to store munitions. • The location helped them control the waterways to Canada. • Benedict Arnold, Ethan Allen, and the Green Mountain Boys set out to overthrow the fort. • The British were surprised and captured by the Americans.

The Battle of Bunker Hill • June 17, 1775 • This battle was fought on Breeds Hill, but was meant to be fought on Bunker Hill. • The first “official” battle of the Revolution. • The Patriots were able to push back the British two times. • On their third attempt, the British succeeded in winning the Battle of Bunker Hill. • Even though the Patriots surrendered, they inflicted many casualties on the British. • http://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/videos#britain-wins-a-costly-victory-at-bunker-hill

Battle of Quebec • December 31, 1775 • Brigadier Richard Montgomery and Major General Benedict Arnold led the American troops in an attack at night during a snowstorm. • The attack was unsuccessful die to an alert garrison. • During this attack, Brigadier Montgomery was killed; Major Arnold was wounded. • The British won this battle.

Battle of Trenton • December 26, 1776 • General George Washington decided to attack Trenton, NJ. • Trenton was under control by German mercenaries called from Hesse, a small German state. • Mercenaries – soldiers who are paid to fight for a country other than their own. • On December 25th Washington crossed the Delaware River in a snowstorm. • His men were poorly dressed and many did not have shoes. On the march to Trenton, many men left traces of blood in the snow. • Washington was victorious in this battle because British Colonel Rahl ignored a message that the Americans were coming. • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4j2daUGKHSo

Fort Ticonderoga • July 5, 1777 • Fort Ticonderoga was important to the Americans because it was near the Hudson River which was an important route to Canada. • This helped to resist the British invasions from the north or the south. • On July 1, 19777, British Commander Major General John Burgoyne's troops went to retake Ticonderoga. • American General Arthur St. Clair decided to retreat and abandon Ticonderoga. • The colonies were upset with this decision, but St. Clair's actions may have lessened American casualties.

Brandywine • September 11, 1777 • September 1777, Washington's men were positioned behind the Brandywine Creek at Chads Ford. • Washington expected Major General Sir William Howe and his men to do a frontal assault from the west. • British, loyalist and Hessian troops took position along the hills on the west bank. • A second British troop lead by Howe and Cornwallis came in from the north. • Because of this, the Americans were driven from their position and they withdrew.

Battle of Saratoga • October 7, 1777 • Saratoga was a turning point in the war for the American Patriots. • British General Burgoyne was trying to split the US in two by taking the Hudson River. • A fort near the town of Saratoga was designed by a Polish engineer. • When the British arrived at the fort, General Benedict Arnold and his troops were waiting for them. • General Burgoyne surrendered his entire army to the Americans. • After this battle, the French finally agreed to help the Americans fight the British. • http://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/videos#battle-of-saratoga-turns-the-tide-of-the-american-revolution

Battle of Charlestown (Fort Moultrie) • May 12, 1778 • The first attempt by the British to capture Charlestown was stopped by the low tide and the palmetto log fort known as Fort Moultrie. • The British succeeded the second time. • The Patriots switched to using hit and run tactics to avoid more casualties. • This was the worst loss for the Patriots during the war.

Fort Vincennes • February 23, 1779 • This was the second battle fought at this fort, the British won the first. • George Rogers Clark had convinced the Virginia assembly to give him money to put a militia together to capture three British strongholds, Vincennes was one. • His militia was on the way to Vincennes when they captured a British soldier, who gave Clark important information about the Fort. • Colonel Hamilton, the leader of the British troops stationed at the fort, and his men surrendered.

Siege of Charlestown • May 12, 1780 • The siege of Charlestown was one of the major battles which took place towards the end of the American Revolution, after the British began to shift their strategic focus towards the American Southern Colonies. • After about six weeks of siege, Continental Army Major General Benjamin Lincoln surrendered forces numbering about 5000 to the British, the largest surrender of American military forces. • Among the captured were 3 signers of the Declaration of Independence.

Battle of Cowpens • January 17, 1781 • Cowpens was a very important battle in South Carolina. • The US Army, led by General Daniel Morgan, along with other partisan forces worked together to trick the British. • The partisans attacked and then fled the field making it appear to the British that the Americans were retreating. • The British followed them, unaware they were being led into a trap. • The regular American army was waiting for the British and together the partisans and the Army won the battle. • The British fled to Virginia.

Battle of Yorktown • September 28, 1781 - October 19, 1781 • A decisive victory by a combined assault of American forces led by General George Washington and French forces over a British Army commanded by Lieutenant General Lord Cornwallis. • It proved to be the last major land battle of the war. • The surrender of Cornwallis' army prompted the British government to negotiate an end to the war. PAGE 192 in text (read all of "Final Battle")

The British Surrender

Battles of the American Revolution