Battle of Lexington and Concord:
The Battle of Lexington and Concord was two battles that began April 18th, 1775. This was a famous battle in which the British troops were sent to capture John Hancock and Samuel Adams. The first battle was in Lexington. The night of April 18th Paul Revere road his horse shouting, "the British are coming!" allowing John Hancock and Samuel Adams to escape. Also minute-men, men who were ready to fight in a minute, were allerted by Paul Revere and were prepared to fight when the British arived. When the British first came to Lexington the minute-men were planning to withdraw from the battle, however, a single shot was fired and the battle started. The minute-men fled to the woods after being overwhelmed by the British troops.
After the battle in Lexington the British troops marched on to Concord looking for ammunition. While on their way the British troops were attacked by minute-men and forced to retreat. The Battle of Lexington and Concord took many lives. The battle cost 273 British lives and 94 colonists lives.
Pictures:
hthttp://www.sonofthesouth.net/revolutionary-war/battles/lexington-battle.
jpgtp://www.ushistory.org/us/images/00038335.jpg
http://www.shsu.edu/~his_ncp/Standt.jpg
Battle of Bunker Hill:
The Battle of Bunker Hill was a battle that took place on June 17, 1775. This battle was ironically not on bunker hill but was fought mostly on and around Breeds Hill. In this battle the colonists fought the British. The colonists recieved information that the British were seeking to take control of the hills. The colonists sent out 1,200 troops to battle the 2,400 British troops. In this battle the colonists were able to hold of the British until they ran out of ammunition and retreated.
Eventhough the colonists lost the battle it demonstrated their strength. The British had taken the ground but at a great loss; they suffered 1,054 casualties. The colonists suffered about 450 casualties. This battle was an important battle because it proved that the untrained colonists troops could stand up to the British troops.
Pictures:
http://www.britishbattles.com/bunker-hill.htm
Battle of Trenton:
The Battle of Trenton took place on December 26, 1776. This battle was fought at the crossing of the Delaware River north of Trenton, New Jersey. In the Battle of Trenton General Washington lead the Continental Army against Hessain soldiers who were stationed in Trenton. Because the river was icy and the weather severe, the crossing proved dangerous. This allowed General Washington and The Continental Army to catch the Hessain soldiers off guard.
The element of surprise allowed the Continental Army to quickly defeat the Hessain soldiers. Almost two thirds of the 1,500-man garrison was captured, and only a few troops escaped. This was an important victory for the Continental Army because it gave the army a morale boost. The victory inspired soldiers to serve longer and attracted new recruits to the ranks.
Pictures:
http://www.britishbattles.com/battle-trenton.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Trenton
Battle of Princeton:
The Battle of Priceton took place on January 3, 1777. The Battle was fought in Princeton, New Jersey. In the Battle of Princeton General Washington lead forces against British forces. General Washington and his troops were excited after their victory at the Battle of Trenton and so they decided to lead forces into Princeton to further push back the British forces. General Washington was able to defeat the British forces.
After the battle, Washington moved his army to Morristown. With their third defeat in 10 days, the British evacuated southern New Jersey. With the victory at Princeton, morale rose in the ranks and more men began to enlist in the army. The battle was the last major action of Washington's winter New Jersey campaign.
Pictures:
http://reinsteinrevolutionper8.wikispaces.com/Battle+of+Princeton
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Princeton
Valley Forge
Before Valley Forge the Continental Army troops were in bad shape. The troops were poorly fed, ill-equipped , and weary from long marches. The troops were also preparing for a harsh winter but only 1/3 of the troops had shoes. General Washingtons troops had a long 25 mile march to get to Valley Forge where they would find shelter.
When the troops got to Valley Forge their feet were leaving bloody footprints from the marching. The troops then had to build huts for them to stay in to survive the winter. These huts, however, were not able to withstand the winter storms. Alternating freezing and melting of snow and ice made it impossible to keep dry and allowed for disease to fester. The harshness of winter took the lives of 2500 men in Valley Forge.
Along with the cold winter soldiers received inadequate supplies of meat and bread. This caused many men and horses to starve to death. General Washington said, "unless some great and capital change suddenly takes place ... this Army must inevitably ... Starve, dissolve, or disperse". While in Valley Forge hundreds of horses died of starvation or exhaustion. Also At one point nearly 4,000 men were listed as unfit for duty.
The soldiers were able to survive the winter and starvation. Also the soldiers evened the field between them and the British. This is largley due to Baron Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben. Von Steuben was assigned Inspector General with the task of developing and carrying out an effective training program. He was a drill instructor, he was full of energy, and he taught the soldiers how to fire their guns faster.
The troops won another battle. These troops had survived and defeated the harsh winter. Also not only did the troops survive, the became beter soldiers. Because of their success at Valley Forge the troops had a major moral boost.
Pictures:
http://www.scienceviews.com/parks/valleyforge.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Valley_Forge_cabin.jpg
Battle of Yorktown
The Battle of Yorktown, also known as the Siege of Yorktown, was on October 19, 1781. This battle is considered the final battle of the Revolutionary War. In the battle the Colonists were aided by their French allies. General Washington learned that the British troops camp was in Yorktown, Virgina. The Colonists troops and their French allies began the march to Yorktown on September 28. For the next three days, French and American guns pounded the British lines around the clock.The British situation was made worse by a smallpox outbreak within the town. Out of ammunition for his guns and unable to shift his army, Cornwallis, the British leader, decided to open negotiations with Washington. At 9:00 AM on October 17, a British lieutenant waved a white flag. Cornwallis signed the final surrender documents on October 19. At noon the French and American armies lined up to await the British surrender.
Cornwallis' army was taken into custody rather than paroled. Then, Cornwallis was exchanged for Henry Laurens, the former President of the Continental Congress. The fighting at Yorktown cost the allies 72 killed and 180 wounded. British losses were higher and included 156 killed, 326 wounded. In addition, Cornwallis' remaining 7,018 men were taken prisoner. The victory at Yorktown was the last major engagement of the American Revolution and effectively ended the conflict in the American's favor.
