An Overview of the American Revolution

Battle of Lexington & Concord

• “Shot heard ‘round the world”• April 19, 1775• First battles of Revolution• British were trying to seize gunpowder stored

by the colonial militias• Colonists won, but were stunned that

fighting had actually broken out

Battle of Bunker Hill• June 17, 1775 in Boston• Actually took place on Breed’s Hill!• British won, but suffered over 1000

casualties, 100+ of them officers• “Don’t fire until you see the whites of

their eyes!”

George Washington• 1732 – 1799• Worked as a surveyor• Served in French & Indian

War• Planter, lived at Mount

Vernon• Appointed as commander

of the Continental Army due to his social position and military experience

The Declaration of Independence

• July 2 – 4, 1776• “all men are created equal”• “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness”• Famous signers: Samuel Adams, John Adams,

Thomas Jefferson, John Hancock, Benjamin Franklin

Thomas Jefferson• 1743 – 1826• Author of Declaration of

Independence• Founded U. of Va.• Inventor, architect,

philosopher• Sec. of State, VP, & 3rd

President of U.S.• Opium addict, slave

owner

The Battle of Trenton

• December 26, 1776• Washington’s first major victory, restored

confidence and morale• Sneak attack by crossing Delaware River in

the night• Americans captured about 1000 Hessian

soldiers

Articles of Confederation• 1781 – 1788• First basis of the

American government• Left the central

government too weak and the individual states too strong

• Central government only exists to manage foreign relations

Valley Forge• Americans’ winter camp 1777-1778• About 1 in 6 soldiers died of disease due to

the poor nutrition and living conditions• Nearly broke Washington’s army, but he also

used this time to retrain his troops

The Battle of Yorktown

• September 28 – October 17, 1781• Cornwallis had been cut off from escape by

the arrival of the French navy• First time a British army had unconditionally

surrendered during the war• Broke public morale in England

Britain recognized the United States as an independent nation

• Treaty of Paris (1783)• Set border between the

United States and British Canada

• Made Mississippi River a free river to be used by Americans, British, and Spanish

The Philadelphia Convention

• Met in 1786 to amend the Articles of Confederation and strengthen the central government of the United States

The Constitution• Adopted 9/17/1787• Oldest constitution in

use in the world today• Amended 27 times,

most recently in 1992• Created checks and

balances between 3 branches of government

President George Washington

• First President (1789 – 1797)

• Only president to win 100% of electoral votes

• Warned against foreign entanglements

• Died in 1799