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Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin, a strong Patriot, was born on January 17th, 1706, and died on April 17th, 1790. He was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States and is known for writing the Declaration of Independence; a document that marked the end of America's dependence of Great Britain. -
Paul Revere
Paul Revere, a Patriot in the American Revolution, was born on January 1st, 1735, and died on May 10th, 1818. He played an important role because he helped alert the small colonial militia that the Redcoats were coming. Other than this one crucial night in history, Paul Revere was an ordinary townsman. He decided early on that he wanted independence from Britain and he joined several activist groups to help ignite the Revolution. -
John Hancock
John Hancock, a prominent Patriot, was born on January 23rd, 1737, and died on October 8th, 1793. He was president of the Second Continental Congress and was the first to sign the Declaration of Independence. Thus marking himself as a strong leader which later resulted in his election as the governor of Massachusetts. -
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson, a definite Patriot, was born on April 13th, 1743, and died on July 4th, 1826. He was the principal author of the Declaration of Independence and a Founding Father of the United States. -
Marquis De Lafayette
Marquis de Lafayette was born on September 6th, 1757, and died on May 20th, 1834. He was neither a Patriot or a Loyalist in the way that one would think. Inspired by stories of the colonists' struggles against British oppression, Lafayette traveled to the United States to join the uprising. He assisted in the funding of the war and also fought in a few battles. -
Proclamation of 1763
The Proclamation of 1763 was issued by King George III in an attempt to prevent colonists from settling past the Appalachian Mountains. The king forbade all settlement past the Appalachian Mountains which the colonists directly protested. Soon the British created the Treaty of Paris, which marked the end of the French and Indian War, and granted Britain a great deal of valuable North American land. -
Townshend Act
The Townshend Acts originated from Charles Townshend and were passed by the English Parliament. They were designed to collect money from the colonists by putting taxes on all imports of glass, paint, paper lead, and tea. The colonists protested the act and boycotted all English goods. The Townshend Acts caused even more tension between Britain and its colonies, and eventually led to acts of rebellion such as the Boston Tea Party. -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was initiated by a rebel group led by Samuel Adams known as the Sons of Liberty. It was a political protest against the British government in which hundreds of boxes of tea were dumped into the Boston Harbor. After the Boston Tea Party the British shut down the Boston Harbor until all of the wasted tea was paid for. This act outraged and unified the American colonists even more against British rule. -
Battle of Lexington and Concord
The Battle of Lexington and Concord was fought in Middlesex County, the Province of Massachusetts and within the towns of Lexington, Concord, Lincoln and Cambridge. The battle was won by the colonists and signified the beginning of the Revolutionary War. -
Battle of Bunker Hill
The Battle of Bunker Hill was fought on Bunker Hill in Massachusetts. The battle was won by the British, however, despite their loss, the Americans grew stronger. The loss gave them an important confidence boost and motivated them to unify for a cause. -
Common Sense
Common Sense was a document written by Thomas Paine that served as a catalyst to the American Revolution. Thomas Paine wrote the 47 page document in Philadelphia and sold over 500,000 copies. -
Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence was a document proposing independence from Britain. It was written by Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman and John Adams and was first proposed at a Continental Congress meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Declaration of Independence was the first official document that separated Britain from its colonies. -
Battle of Trenton
The Battle of Trenton was fought in Trenton, New Jersey on the day after Christmas 1776. The battle was fought against Hessian soldiers, but the Americans won the final battle. The battle signified Wahington's first real victory against the Hessian mercenaries. -
Battle of Brandywine
The Battle of Brandywine was fought near Brandywine Creek, Maryland. The battle was fought between General George Washington and his American army and General Sir William Howe and the strong British army. The British defeated the Americans and forced them to withdraw to Philadelphia, forcing them to stop development of that area. -
Battle of Yorktown
The Battle of Yorktown was fought began on September 28th, 1781, and ended on October 19th of the same year. The battle was fought in Yorktown, Virginia and was decisively won by the combined force the American Colonial Army and the French troops. The Battle of Yorktown was the last major battle of the Revolutionary War.
