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Boston Massacre
On March 5, 1770 American Colonists in Boston were shot after taunting British soldiers.
The soldiers were acquitted in a trial in which they were defended by John Adams. The engraving by Paul Revere of the massacre was derived from the work of future Loyalist, Henry Pelham. A masterpiece of anti-British propaganda, it inflamed American sentiments. From the Library of Congress. -
Boston Tea Party
On December 16, 1773, Samuel Adams and Paul Revere led a group of Bostonians disguised as Mohawk Indians onto tea ships docked in Bostob Harbor and dumped over 340 chests of tea into the water to protest tea taxes. From the Library of Congress. -
First Continental Congress
Delegates from all colonies except Georgia met to discuss problems with Great Britain. The objectives of the body were not entirely clear but a core set of tasks was carried out. It was agreeable to all that the King and Parliament must be made to understand the grievances of the colonies and that the body must do everything possible to communicate the same to the rest of America, and the world. From USHistory.org. -
Battles of Lexington and Concord
The first armed conflicts of the Revolutionary War.
British General Gage orders 700 Britisy soldiers to Concord to find and destroy all colonists' weapons and supplies. Militia and colonials gather to confront the British soldiers. The first shots fired are often referred to as "the shot heard 'round the world". From National Park Service. -
Approval of the Declaration of Independence
The colonies declare independence from Great Britain.
Drafted by Thomas Jefferson between June 11 and June 28, 1776, the Declaration of Independence is at once the nation's most cherished symbol of liberty and Jefferson's most enduring monument. From National Archives. -
Washington Crosses the Delaware
In a bold move, Washington moves his troops into New Jersey on Christmas night. The patriots then surprise a force of German troops fighting for Britain at Trenton on December 26. They achieve a similar victory over British troops at Princeton on January 3, reviving hopes that the war just might be winnable. The army then encamps for the winter at Morristown, New Jersey. From National Park Service. -
Battle of Saratoga
This American victory was the turning point in the war.
Here in the autumn of 1777 American forces met, defeated and forced a major British army to surrender. This crucial American victory renewed patriots' hopes for independence, secured essential foreign recognition and support, and forever changed the face of the world. From National Park Service. -
Winter in Valley Forge
On December 19, 1777, when Washington's army marched into camp at Valley Forge, tired, cold, and ill-equipped, it was lacking in much of the training essential for consistent success on the battlefield. On June 19, 1778, after a six-month encampment, this same army emerged to pursue and successfully engage the British army at the Battle of Monmouth in New Jersey. From National Park Service. -
Surrender at Yorktown
This was the colonial victory over the forces of Lord Cornwalis that marked the end of the Revolutionary War. The painting Surrender of Lord Cornwallis by John Trumbull is on display at the US Capitol. The subject of this painting is the surrender of the British army at Yorktown, Virginia, in 1781, which ended the last major campaign of the Revolutionary War. From <Architect of the Capitol. -
Signing of the Treaty of Paris
Great Britain recognized American independence in this treaty.
The American War for Independence (1775-83) was actually a world conflict, involving not only the United States and Great Britain but also France, Spain, and the Netherlands. The peace process brought a vaguely formed, newly born United States into the arena of international diplomacy. From Our Documents.
