Important dates in the American Revolution
1775 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
April 19
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Minutemen and redcoats clashed at the Battles of Lexington and Concord.
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June 15
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The Congress named George Washington commander in chief of the Continental Army.
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June 17
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The British drove the Americans from Breed's Hill in the Battle of Bunker Hill.
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1776 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Feb. 27
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The patriots defeated the Loyalists at Moores Creek Bridge.
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March 17
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The British evacuated Boston.
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July 4
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The Declaration of Independence was adopted.
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Aug. 27
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The redcoats defeated the patriots at the Battle of Long Island.
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Sept. 15
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The British occupied New York City.
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Dec. 26
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Washington mounted a surprise attack on Hessian troops at the Battle of Trenton.
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1777 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Jan. 3
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Washington gained a victory at the Battle of Princeton.
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Aug. 6
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Loyalists and Indians forced the patriots back at Oriskany, but then withdrew.
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Aug. 16
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The patriots crushed the Hessians at the Battle of Bennington.
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Sept. 11
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The British won the Battle of Brandywine.
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Sept. 19
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General Horatio Gates's forces checked British General John Burgoyne's army in the First Battle of Freeman's Farm.
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Sept. 26
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The British occupied Philadelphia.
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Oct. 4
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Washington's forces met defeat in the Battle of Germantown.
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Oct. 7
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The patriots defeated the British in the Second Battle of Freeman's Farm.
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Oct. 17
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Burgoyne surrendered at the Battle of Saratoga.
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Dec. 19
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Washington's army retired to winter quarters at Valley Forge.
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1778 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Feb. 6
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The United States and France signed an alliance.
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June 28
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The Battle of Monmouth ended in a draw.
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Dec. 29
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The redcoats took Savannah.
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1779 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Feb. 25
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British defenders of Vincennes surrendered to George Rogers Clark.
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June 21
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Spain declared war on Great Britain.
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Sept. 23
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John Paul Jones's ship, the Bonhomme Richard, captured the British ship Serapis.
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1780 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
May 12
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Charleston fell after a British siege.
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Aug. 16
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The British defeated the Americans at the Battle of Camden.
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Oct. 7
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American frontiersmen stormed the Loyalist positions on Kings Mountain.
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1781 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Jan. 17
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The patriots won a victory at the Battle of Cowpens.
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March 15
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General Charles Cornwallis clashed with General Nathanael Greene at Guilford Courthouse.
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Sept. 5
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A French fleet inflicted great damage on a British naval force at Chesapeake Bay.
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Oct. 19
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Cornwallis's forces surrendered during the Siege of Yorktown.
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1782 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
March 20
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King George's chief minister, Lord North, resigned.
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Nov. 30
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The Americans and British signed a preliminary peace treaty in Paris.
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1783 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
April 15
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Congress ratified the preliminary peace treaty.
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Sept. 3
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The United States and Great Britain signed the final peace treaty in Paris.
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The Revolutionary War Begins Paul Revere's Ride (April 18, 1775) - The Revolutionary War starts and Paul Revere makes his famous ride to warn the colonists that the "British are coming".
Click on the picture of Paul Revere to read the World Book Kids article.
Some of the following links are from a website called Ducksters. Please do not click on ads. The reading level is good for 4th graders.
Battle of Lexington and Concord (April 19, 1775) - The actual fighting starts with the first "shot heard around the world". The Americans win as the British retreat.
Capture of Fort Ticonderoga (May 10, 1775) - The Green Mountain Boys led by Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold capture Fort Ticonderoga from the British.
Battle of Bunker Hill (June 16, 1775) - Major battle where William Prescott told the American troops "don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes".
Declaration of Independence by John Trumbull The Declaration of Independence is Adopted (July 4, 1776) - The Continental Congress agrees to Thomas Jefferson's Declaration of Independence.
Click on the picture of the Declaration of Independence to read a World Book Kids article.
George Washington Crosses the Delaware (Dec. 25, 1776) - George Washington and his troops cross the Delaware River on Christmas night and surprise the enemy.
Click on the picture to read a World Book Kids article about George Washington.
America Chooses a Flag (June 14, 1777) - The Continental Congress adopts the "Stars and Stripes" Flag sewn by Betsy Ross.
Click on the picture to read about Betsy Ross
Battles of Saratoga (September 19 - October 17, 1777) - British General John Burgoyne surrenders his army to the Americans after suffering defeat at the Battles of Saratoga.
Valley Forge (Winter of 1777-1778) - The Continental army under George Washington spends the winter training at Valley Forge.
Alliance with France (Feb. 16, 1778) - France recognized the United States as an independent country with the Treaty of Alliance.
Articles of Confederation (March 2, 1781) - Defined the official government of the United States.
Battle of Yorktown (Oct. 19, 1781) - The last major battle of the American Revolutionary War. British
General Cornwallis' surrender at Yorktown was the unofficial end to the war.
Treaty of Paris (Sept. 3, 1783) - Treaty that officially ended the war.
What were minutemen? Click on the picture to find out.
Who was General Cornwallis? Click on the picture to find out.
Use the links below to find out more about important people from the American Revolution.
When you click these links, you will leave the LibGuide. Do not click on ads.
1. https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/lydia-darragh
2. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Lydia-Barrington-Darragh
3. http://www.worldbookonline.com/student/article?id=ar756943&st=lydia+darragh#tab=homepage
1. PebbleGO Next article on Alexander Hamilton
2. http://www.mountvernon.org/digital-encyclopedia/article/alexander-hamilton/
3. http://www.encyclopedia.com/people/history/us-history-biographies/alexander-hamilton
4. http://mrnussbaum.com/amrevolution/hamilton/
5. https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/alexander-hamilton-108.php
1. PebbleGO Article on Phillis Wheatley
2. https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/phillis-wheatley
3. https://www.historyisfun.org/blog/phillis-wheatley-2/
4. https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/phillis-wheatley-106.php
1. http://www.ushistory.org/valleyforge/served/lafayette.html
2. http://www.history.com/news/10-things-you-may-not-know-about-the-marquis-de-lafayette
3. http://www.history.org/almanack/people/bios/biolafayette.cfm
4. https://www.ducksters.com/history/american_revolution/marquis_de_lafayette.php
5. http://www.encyclopedia.com/people/history/us-history-biographies/marquis-de-lafayette
1. PebbleGO Next article on Samuel Adams
2. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Samuel-Adams
3. http://www.ducksters.com/history/american_revolution/samuel_adams.php
1. PebbleGO Next article on Thomas Jefferson
2. http://www.notablebiographies.com/Ho-Jo/Jefferson-Thomas.html
3. http://www.mountvernon.org/digital-encyclopedia/article/thomas-jefferson/
4. http://www.ducksters.com/biography/uspresidents/thomasjefferson.php
5. https://history.state.gov/departmenthistory/people/jefferson-thomas
1. http://mrnussbaum.com/ethan-allen-biography-for-kids/
2. http://www.encyclopedia.com/people/history/us-history-biographies/ethan-allen
3. https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/ethan-allen-30404.php
4. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ethan-Allen-United-States-soldier
1. https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/deborah-sampson
2. http://www.womenhistoryblog.com/2010/04/deborah-sampson-gannett.html
3. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Deborah-Sampson
4. http://www.mountvernon.org/digital-encyclopedia/article/deborah-sampson/
1. PebbleGO article on Betsy Ross
1. http://www.encyclopedia.com/people/history/us-history-biographies/bernardo-de-galvez
1. http://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/benedict-arnold
2. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Benedict-Arnold
3. http://www.ducksters.com/history/american_revolution/benedict_arnold.php
4. https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/benedict-arnold-6645.php
1. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Thomas-Paine
2. http://www.let.rug.nl/usa/biographies/thomas-paine/
3. http://www.ducksters.com/history/american_revolution/thomas_paine.php
4. http://www.encyclopedia.com/people/social-sciences-and-law/political-science-biographies/thomas-paine
1. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Molly-Pitcher
2. http://www.softschools.com/facts/biography/molly_pitcher_facts/813/
3. https://www.ducksters.com/history/american_revolution/molly_pitcher.php
4. http://www.encyclopedia.com/history/educational-magazines/mccauley-mary-molly-pitcher
5. http://www.womenhistoryblog.com/2010/05/molly-pitcher-mary-mccauley.html
1. PebbleGO article on Martha Washington
2. http://www.firstladies.org/biographies/firstladies.aspx?biography=1
3. http://www.mountvernon.org/george-washington/martha-washington/ten-facts-about-martha-washington/
4. https://www.ducksters.com/history/american_revolution/martha_washington.php
1. PebbleGO article on Paul Revere
2. http://www.encyclopedia.com/people/history/us-history-biographies/paul-revere
3. http://theamericanrevolution.org/peopledetail.aspx?people=11
1. PebbleGO Next article on George Washington
3. http://thehistoryjunkie.com/george-washington-facts/
4. http://www.ducksters.com/biography/uspresidents/georgewashington.php
5. https://www.britannica.com/biography/George-Washington/Revolutionary-leadership
1. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Patience-Wright
2. http://revolutionarynj.org/rev-neighbors/patience-lovell-wright/#full-bio2018-a651
3. http://www.womenhistoryblog.com/2009/01/patience-lovell-wright.html
1. PebbleGo article on Nathan Hale
2. http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/articles/ushistory/nathanhale1.htm
2. https://www.encyclopediavirginia.org/Lafayette_James_ca_1748-1830#start_entry
3. https://www.army.mil/article/119280/james_armistead_lafayette_1760_1832
4. https://www.historyisfun.org/blog/james-armistead-lafayette/
5. http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1963424_1963480_1963442,00.html
1. http://www.womenhistoryblog.com/2010/08/sybil-ludington.html
2. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Sybil-Ludington
4. Capstone Book Sybil Ludington Rides to the Rescue By Jessica Gunderson
1. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Johann-Kalb
2. http://www.encyclopedia.com/people/history/us-history-biographies/johann-kalb
3. https://www.nps.gov/museum/exhibits/revwar/image_gal/indeimg/dekalb.html
1 PebbleGO article on Abigail Adams
2. http://www.americanrevolution.org/women/women52.php
3. http://www.mountvernon.org/digital-encyclopedia/article/abigail-adams/
5. http://www.ducksters.com/biography/women_leaders/abigail_adams.php
1. PebbleGO article on John Hancock
2. https://www.bostonteapartyship.com/john-hancock-facts
3. https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-Hancock
4. http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/signers/hancock.html
1. PebbleGO Next article on John Adams
2. http://www.ducksters.com/biography/uspresidents/johnadams.php
3. https://www.bostonteapartyship.com/john-adams-revolutionary-war
4. https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-Adams-president-of-United-States
5. http://johnadamsinfo.com/john-adams-war/78/
6. http://www.mountvernon.org/digital-encyclopedia/article/john-adams/
Events that led up to the war: (These links are from Ducksters. Do not click on ads)
The Stamp Act (March 22, 1765) - Britain sets a tax that requires a stamp on all public documents like newspapers or legal documents. The colonists did not like having this tax placed on them. This led to unrest in the colonies and the Stamp Act Congress (October 1765).
The Boston Massacre (March 5, 1770 - 5 Boston colonists are shot by British troops.
The Destruction of Tea at Boston Harbor by Sarony & Major The Boston Tea Party (Dec. 16, 1773) - Angry with a new tax on tea, some Boston colonists calling themselves the Sons of Liberty board British ships and dump crates of tea into the Boston Harbor.
The First Continental Congress Meets (Sept. 1774) - Representatives from the colonies get together to unite and oppose British taxes. Paul Revere's Midnight Ride Source: National Archives and Records Administration.
The following eBooks are from our Capstone collection. You may click on them to link directly to the book where you can READ or LISTEN to the book to take your notes.
GREAT WOMEN OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
by Brianna Hall
HEROES OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
by Mary Hertz Scarbrough
THE BIGGEST BATTLES OF THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR
by Christopher Forest
PATRIOTS AND REDCOATS STORIES OF AMERICAN REVOLUTIONARY WAR LEADERS
by Steven Otfinoski
Secrets of the American Revolution
By Tyler Omoth
STORIES OF THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR
by Elizabeth Raum
The Declaration of Independence
By Laura K. Murray
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