American Revolutionary War: 1775 – 1783
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4/9 – AMERICAN REVOLUTIONARY WAR BATTLE TIMELINE AMERICAN REVOLUTIONARY WAR: 1775 – 1783 KEY PEOPLE (MILITARY): BRITISH KING GEORGE OF GREAT BRITAIN, reigning monarch of Great Britain during the war EARL CHARLES CORNWALLIS, British general integral at The Siege of Yorktown GENERAL WILLIAM HOWE, British general replaced by Henry Clinton in 1778 SIR HENRY CLINTON, Senior British general GENERAL JOHN BURGOYNE, British general who surrendered his 5,000 troops during the Saratoga Battles AMERICAN AND THEIR ALLIES GENERAL GEORGE WASHINGTON, commander of the Continental Army MAJOR GENERAL BENJAMIN LINCOLN, significant general of the Continental Army GENERAL COMTE DE ROCHAMBEAU, French general who fought along the Colonists LIEUTENANT‐COLONEL ARCHIBALD CAMPBELL, integral to the British Siege of Savannah MAJOR GENERAL NATHANIEL GREENE, American; one of Washington’s most trusted generals whom he appointed on October 14th, 1780 HORATIO GATES, American general who took credit for the victory at The Battle of Saratoga; also blamed for the defeat at The Battle of Camden BENEDICT ARNOLD, early American hero in the war who famously turned and aided the British ETHAN ALLEN, American integral at the Battle of Ticonderoga; Founder of the Republic of Vermont. During the war he served as colonel‐commandant of the Green Mountain Boys, a militia who helped captured Fort Ticonderoga from the British PRE‐REVOLUTION/EARLY WAR BATTLES AND SKIRMISHES • 1770: The Boston Massacre • 1773: The Boston Tea Party • 1775: The Battle of Lexington and Concord • 1775: The Battle of Bunker Hill • 1775: The Battle of Fort Ticonderoga • 1775: The Battle of Quebec (first major defeat of the war for the Americans) 1 SIGNIFICANT REVOLUTIONARY WAR BATTLES 1776 • General Howe’s attack on New York (British Victory) • Battle of Trenton and Princeton (December 26th) o Significant American victory o George Washington’s attempt to regain morale; by this time, his army had mostly deserted, dwindling in number from 28,000 to less than 3,000. This battle re‐asserted the cause. (He read Thomas Paine to his troops before battle.) o Washington defeated a large garrison of Hessian mercenaries . A week late, he returned to Trenton to lure British forces south, and then executed a daring night march to capture Princeton on January 3rd, 1777. o This asserted American control and greatly improved colonial morale • Battle of Long Island (a.k.a. “The Battle of Brooklyn”) (August 27th) o First major battle following the Declaration of Independence o British victory (244 American casualties; 40 British casualties) • Battle of Moore’s Creek Bridge (February 27th) o American forces defeated the British, ending British authority in North Carolina and providing an important boost to Patriot morale 1777 • Fort Ticonderoga (July 6‐7th) o British victory . 7 American casualties; 5 British casualties o The uncontested surrender of Ticonderoga caused chaos in the colonies, as Fort Ticonderoga was widely believed to be virtually impregnable, and a vital point of defense for the colonies • Bennington (August 16th) o American victory . 30 Americans killed; 207 British killed (British surrender) o Important because it reduced British army considerably and led his Native American factions to abandon him o Helped to bring France into the war • The Battle of Saratoga (September) o The two Battles of Saratoga were a turning point in the American Revolution o British General John Burgoyne achieved a small, but costly victory over American forces led by Horatio Gates and Benedict Arnold. 2 . Though his troop strength had been weakened, Burgoyne again attacked the Americans at Bemis Heights on October 7th, but this time was defeated and forced to retreat . He surrendered ten days later, and the American victory convinced the French government to formally recognize the colonist's cause and enter the war as their ally September 15th – The British Occupy New York City FRANCE ENTERS THE WAR ON THE SIDE OF THE COLONISTS IN 1778 America and France Sign The French Alliance on February 6th 1778 • British Occupy Savannah on December 29th • British victory and occupation o 13.500 American casualties; 5,466 British casualties . First time the British begin to significantly shift their focus to the South September 26th – British Occupation of Philadelphia under General Howe SPAIN ENTERS THE WAR ON THE SIDE OF THE COLONISTS IN 1779 Spain formally declares war on Great Britain (June 21, 1779) 1779 • Battle of Kettle Creek (February 14th) o British victory and occupation . 13.500 American casualties; 5,466 British casualties • Capture of Vincennes (Indiana) by the British • Battle of Brier Creek o British victory under General John Ashe 3 • Battle of Stono River o Substantial American victory • Fairfield and Norwalk, Connecticut, are burned by the British (July 8/11) • The Tappan Massacre (September 28th) o "No Flint" Grey kills 30 Americans by bayonet THE DUTCH REPUBLIC JOINS THE COLONISTS IN 1780 1780 • Battle of Charleston (March 29‐May 12th) o British victory and occupation . 13.500 American casualties; 5,466 British casualties o First time the British begin to significantly shift their focus to the South o General Benjamin Lincoln surrendered his 5,000 men to the British o See also: The Siege of Savannah (1779) • Battle of Waxhaw Creek (May 19th) o British victory • Battle of Camden (August 16th) o British forces under General Charles Cornwallis routed American troops under General Horatio Gates at this battle in South Carolina o One of the Continental Army’s most disastrous losses of the war 1781 • Battle of Cowpens (January 17th) o American victory o American troops, led by Brigadier General Daniel Morgan routed British forces under Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton o Massive British casualties; a turning point in the war • Battle of Cowan’s Ford (February 1st) o American victory March 2nd – Articles of Confederation Adopted • Battle of Yorktown and Capes (October 14th) o Colonial and French troops laid siege to the British Army at Yorktown, Virginia. Led by George Washington and French General Comte de Rochambeau, they began their final attack on October 14th, 4 capturing two British defenses and leading the surrender at the Siege of York a few days later • The Battle of Guilford Courthouse (March 15th) o Pivotal battle to the American victory o Under Major General Nathaniel Greene, the British suffered significant troop loSSES, although they did win the battle o After this battle, Cornwallis abandoned his campaign or the Carolinas and moved to Virginia, where he surrendered in October • Siege of York (October 19th) o Yorktown, Virginia o British General Cornwallis surrendered 8,000 British soldiers and seamen to the Franco‐American force; this effectively brought an end to the American Revolution . He and his army were surrounded by American and French forces on land and sea o British began peace negotiation shortly after this victory — COMBAT OFFICIALLY ENDS IN THE AMERICAN COLONIES — 1782 • Lord North resigns as British Prime Minister (March 20th) • British evacuate Savannah, Georgia (July 11th) • British and Americans sign preliminary Articles of Peace (November 30th) • British leave Charleston, SC (December 14th) 1783 • Congress ratifies preliminary peace treaty (April 19th) • The United States and Great Britain sign the Treaty of Paris (September 3rd) • British troops leave New York City (November 25th) • Washington resigns as Commander (December 23rd) 5 .