The Colonies Boston New York Trenton/Princeton Philadelphia Saratoga South Carolina Yorktown
Boston mportant Battles of the Revolutionary War Date April 19, 1775 March 17, 1776 Breed s Hill (Bunker Hill) Brits lose 1150 Killed and Wounded, Continentals lose 400 Killed and wounded Washington is given command of the various militias and this is supposed to be the Continental Army Henry Knox and cannons from Ticonderoga Result: When Brits cannot take a critical hill where they could fire back at the American cannons, the knew that Washington could use those cannons to pound Boston in to pieces. Evacuated the troops and head for New York City.
New York City Date July 1776 March 1777 Washington is ordered by the Continental Congress to hold New York against the British attack Washington does not want to try, he says the British Navy will allow them to take the city easily Why is this important to an Army commander Why would Politicians insist he try anyway? By time Washington is done, his army is so badly cut up, he retreats with only 2,500 soldiers left Result: England gains control of the Hudson River, the highway to British forces in Canada, cuts New England off from the rest of the colonies and Washington almost loses his little army. Could mean the end of the war Lord Howe s Plan Rally NY loyalists Treat civilians with mercy Convince undecided it is better to be on the British side
Trenton and Princeton December 25, 1776-January 5, 1777 Washington s remaining 2500 soldiers were due to leave. (Enlistments up) Had to counterstrike quick Night crossing, snowstorm, a mess Hessians had been harassed by NJ militia for a month they were exhausted British would come down from Princeton Washington anticipated and out flanked them took Princeton and all the valuable supplies there NJ militia continued to harass the various British encampments through out the winters Results: Show the Brits this will be a long war and showed the Americans they could win.
Saratoga Date September 19 and October 7, 1777 Another British army is moving in from Canada This will completely cut off New England from the rest of the colonies They follow the traditional Hudson River route Horatio Gates is sent with troops to stop them The first attempt is a route of the Americans Next time, the Continentals stand, then surround the British, forcing them to surrender over 5000 troops Results: Saves New England, shows that we can win against a highly trained army and convinces the French that we can bleed Britain, so they support with money, supplies, and later Navy and French troops
Yorktown Date September 28 October 19, 1781 the war has been dragging on since the horrible winter at Valley Forge and Monmouth Courthouse The British have changed strategies and sent an army under the energetic Lord Cornwallis to try to get Loyalist in South Carolina to help split the deep south off from the rest of the Colonies Cornwallis takes his army from Charleston and chases the Continentals all over the countryside He wins every battle, but at great cost He is forced to retreat to a coastal town so he can get resupplied He moves his troops up to the James river in Virginia to a town called Yorktown Unknown to Cornwallis, the French have landed 8000 troops in New Jersey. This frees Washington to make a forced march with the Continental army south. Meanwhile, the British Admiral, Reynolds has heard the French fleet is in the Carribean. He abandons his stations along the coast and goes hunting. Like a bad dream, Cornwallis has an army appear out of nowhere and pin him in to Yorktown, while at the same time the French fleet arrives and blockades the harbor. He tries to break out, but Washington s army is getting stronger and stronger. He has no choice but to Surrender At this point, the British decide it costs to much, and surrender ending the War