American Revolution WAR BATTLES Lexi Bunker Hill n

American Revolution WAR BATTLES Lexi Bunker Hill n C o o n t c o n rd Tren York a g o tow at Valley Forge r a n S ngto © Erin Kathryn 2014

Battle of Lexington & Concord • April 19, 1775 • General Thomas Gage, the British governor of Massachusetts, learned that Patriots were storing gunpowder and cannons in Concord, Massachusetts. • He sent soldiers to destroy the supplies. • The soldiers were going to march at night, so that they could surprise the Patriots. • General Gage’s plan was not kept a secret. Patriots soon found out what was happening. • Patriots, Paul Revere and William Dawes, rode on horseback to alert the minutemen (militia) that “The Regulars are coming out!” Paul Revere during his Midnight Ride © Erin Kathryn 2014

Battle of Lexington & Concord • The British reached Lexington just before sunrise. • They were met by a small group of minutemen. The British told them to leave. As they turned to leave, a shot was fired. • No one knows which side, the British or the colonists, shot first. • Both sides began shooting at one another. • The British marched on to Concord. © Erin Kathryn 2014

Battle of Lexington & Concord • Minutemen gathered in Concord, as the British searched for the hidden gunpowder and cannons. • Fighting broke out. The minutemen forced the British to retreat back to Boston. • More than 250 British soldiers were wounded or killed before the British reached Boston. • The news about the Battle of Lexington and Concord spread quickly. • Militias gathered in Boston. • The British in Boston were trapped. © Erin Kathryn 2014

Battle of Bunker Hill (Breed’s Hill) • June 16, 1775 • Militia leaders chose to build a fort on Bunker Hill. • The hill gave them the advantage to fire cannons at the British soldiers in Boston. • It also made it difficult for the British soldiers to attack them. • The militia chose to build the fort on Breed’s Hill instead. • Breed’s Hill was closer to Boston. © Erin Kathryn 2014

Battle of Bunker Hill (Breed’s Hill) • The British attacked the fort three times. • After being forced to retreat the first two times, the Patriots ran out of gunpowder on the third attack. • The British captured the fort, even though more than half of their soldiers were killed or injured. “Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes!” – William Prescott (Patriot leader) • This battle was significant because it proved that the Patriots could fight well. © Erin Kathryn 2014

Battle of Trenton • December 25, 1776 • George Washington wanted to win a battle, after losing the Battle of Long Island, so that his troops would not lose hope. • Washington decided to surprise attack an enemy camp in Trenton, New Jersey. • The soldiers at this camp were German mercenaries. • A mercenary is a soldier who is paid to fight for another country. • Washington’s army crossed the Delaware River and attacked Trenton during the night. • His army took almost 1, 000 prisoners. • The Patriots were victorious. © Erin Kathryn 2014

Battle of Saratoga • September 19, 1777 • The British began an attack from Canada. • Americans stopped the British near Saratoga, New York. • Upon meeting, the armies fought two intense battles. • The Americans won. • The Americans forced General Burgoyne and over 5, 000 of his soldiers to surrender. © Erin Kathryn 2014

Battle of Saratoga • The Battle of Saratoga was considered a turning point in the war. • Benjamin Franklin had been trying to get help with the war from France. • After the victory at Saratoga, France was convinced that the Americans could win the war with Britain. • France sent money, soldiers, and a navy to help the Americans. Benjamin Franklin • Spain, the Netherlands, and Russia later joined the fight against the British. © Erin Kathryn 2014

Valley Forge • During the winter of 1777, the Continental Army was forced to stay in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, after the British captured Philadelphia. • There were no huts to sleep on, so soldiers had to sleep on the frozen ground. There was little food and many soldiers died of disease. • Washington’s great leadership helped keep the soldiers going. He worked hard to get the soldiers the things they needed. • By spring, the Continental Army had more food and better uniforms. • While at Valley Forge, the soldiers received training from Baron von Steuben, a German soldier. • This training helped the soldiers to fight well in their next battle. © Erin Kathryn 2014

Battle of Yorktown • October 9, 1781 • General Cornwallis led the British army to Yorktown, Virginia. • George Washington marched his troops south from New York into Virginia. • Americans and the French fired cannons on Yorktown relentlessly. • The French Navy blocked Yorktown harbor, so Cornwallis could not be rescued by British ships. • Cornwallis was trapped. • The British army surrendered at Yorktown. • The Battle of Yorktown was the last major battle of the War for Independence. © Erin Kathryn 2014