First Continental Congress |
The First Continental Congress was a gathering of delegates with one represent from each of the 13 colonies. The representatives from New York and Pennsylvania had strict orders to keep peace. All of the representatives were locked in the Carpenter's Hall in Philadelphia for tense debates about what to do about Britain. In the end they decided to seize all trade with britain and prepare the militia for war. They also drafted the Declaration of rights.
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Lexington to Concord |
700 British soldiers were on their way to Concord to destroy a weapons storehouse. On their way to Concord they were met in Lexington by 70 Armed minutemen. When the first shot rang out No one knew who had fired first, and within minutes the revolutionary war had begun. When all the musket smoke cleared 8 minutemen were dead and 10 wounded with only one british soldier injured.
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Second Continental Congress |
May of 1775, 12 delegates met in Philadelphia for the Second Continental Congress. Once again they debated weather or not to call for peace or to go to war, in compromise they did not to break away from Britain and they named the Massachusetts militia the Continental Army. George Washington was put in charge of the army and he prepared for war even though the Congress pushed for peace.
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Battle Of Bunker Hill |
May 10, 1775 the patriots ran an early morning raid on the British fort in Ticonderoga. They quickly toot the fort and their large weapons supply. At the same time the poorly supplied minuet men held down the British in side of Boston, They were out numbered 2,400 British to 1,600 Americans. as the red coats advanced the Americans waited patiently then all at one they attacked the British.
After retreating twice the British having to step over the dead and wounded finally forced the patriots to retreat but not after having used all ammunition, throwing rocks and swinging empty guns like clubs. It was a tragic victory for the British, the patriots had showed that this was not going to be an easy war. |
Common Sense |
The Common Sense pamphlet was Published in January 1776. It was published anonymously, but we now know the author was Thomas Paine. The 47 page pamphlet urged the separation from great Britain. Along with many other things, Such as Kings and Queens should not be making laws the citizens should. Paine's work spread through out the colonies, selling over 500,000 copies.
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Advantages and Disadvantages of both armies |
Both the Continental and the British forces had strengths and weaknesses. The Continental Force's strengths were that they had passion for what they were fighting for, and they had foreign help. But on the down side they were poorly trained and they had a very small navy. The British Force's were well trained and equip soldiers with a very powerful navy. But they did have to cross the Atlantic Ocean and they used mercenaries as soldiers. Mercenaries are foreign soldiers who fight for money.
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Early defeats |
The Patriots had hoped to take Quebec, located in Canada, and make it the 14th colony. So they waited for snow fall in hopes that it would provide cover, but the generals Richard Montgomery and Benedict Arnold plan failed and Montgomery was killed in the process. Washington moved his 23,000 troops to new York anticipating the British. In June of 1776 Several British Ships Entered New York Bay, with 32,000 troops. the British kept pushing the patriots back until they crossed the Hudson river in to new jersey.
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Battle of Trenton |
Christmas 1776, George Washington and his 2,400 men rowed across the half frozen Delaware during the early morning. The British soldiers were fast asleep due to their celebration the night before. The patriots took the fort and more than 900 soldiers. General Cornwallis moved his men toward Princeton. In the dead of night the American Forces came behind them and attacked.
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Battle of Saratoga/ French Involvement |
General Howe Sailed up the Chesapeake Bay from New York and captured the colonial captain of Philadelphia. The patriots chopped down large trees and blocked rivers to create obstacles. After the Patriots attacked the red coats, Burgoyne found himself alone and severely outnumbered. On October 17,1777 Benedict Arnold surrendered his entire army to General Gates.
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Battle of York Town |
Early 1781 the Patriots were low on money, and soldiers and supplies. When General Charles Cornwallis moved his troops to Yorktown, George Washington had his troops trap the British inside. After four weeks of steady fighting the Births troops were thin. October 19, 1781 the general sent a drummer and a soldier with a white flag to surrender. The battle of Yorktown was the last major battle of the American Revolution.
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The Treaty of Paris |
the treaty of pairs, forces Great Britain to recognized the independence of the United States. It also set the American Bordered.
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