R EVOLUTION IN THE C OLONIES. A Revolution begins - A Nation is born.

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1 R EVOLUTION IN THE C OLONIES A Revolution begins - A Nation is born. "On April 19, 1775, the American Revolution began at Lexington and Concord with a clash of arms known to history as 'the shot heard round the world.' At Minute Man National Historical Park the opening battle of the Revolution is brought to life as visitors explore the battlefields and witness the American revolutionary spirit through the writings of the Concord authors. The decade-long political feud between the British government and the American colonists, determined to retain their rights as British subjects, came to a devastating climax as British regulars clashed with colonial militia and minute men on April 19, 1775 at Lexington, Concord's North Bridge and on the long, bloody road back to Boston. The fighting that began that day soon grew into a war for independence that lasted more than eight years. Many years later, Ralph Waldo Emerson used the phrase 'the shot heard round the world' to describe the significance of this event." U.S. Department of the Interior. National Park Service. Minute Man. "Constructed between 1732 and 1756 as the State House of the Province of Pennsylvania, it is considered a fine example of Georgian architecture. From 1775 to 1783 (except for the winter of

2 when Philadelphia was occupied by the British Army) this was the meeting place for the Second Continental Congress. It was in the Assembly Room of this building that George Washington was appointed commander in chief of the Continental Army in 1775 and the Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4, In the same room the design of the American flag was agreed upon in 1777, the Articles of Confederation were adopted in 1781, and the U. S. Constitution was drafted in The building, inside and out, has been restored whenever possible to its original late-18th century appearance. Most of the furnishing are period pieces. The 'rising sun' chair used by George Washington as he presided over the Constitutional Convention is original." U.S. Department of the Interior. National Park Service. Independence. "To see men without clothes to cover their nakedness, without blankets to lie upon, without shoes... without a house or hut to cover them until those could be built, and submitting without a murmur, is a proof of patience and obedience which, in my opinion, can scarcely be paralleled." -George Washington at Valley Forge, April 21, 1778 "Of all the places associated with America's War for Independence, none conveys more the impression of suffering, sacrifice, and ultimate triumph than Valley Forge. No battles were fought here, no bayonet charges or artillery bombardments took place, but during the winter of approximately 2,000 soldiers died at hospitals in the surrounding area nonetheless. Valley Forge is the story of an army's epic struggle to survive against terrible odds, against hunger, disease, and the unrelenting forces of nature. The campaign that resulted in the Valley Forge encampment began in late August 1777 when Sir William Howe, commander in chief of British forces in North America, landed his veteran army at the upper end of Chesapeake Bay. His objective was Philadelphia, the patriot capital. The American commander, George Washington, maneuvered the Continental Army into position to defend the city. Howe's skillful tactics, combined with errors made by Washington's army, led to a British victory at the Brandywine; the flight of the Continental Congress to York, Pa.; the British occupation of Philadelphia; and a defeat at Germantown. 2

3 With the winter setting in, the prospects for further campaigning were greatly diminished, and Washington sought quarters for his men. Though several locations were proposed, he selected Valley Forge, 18 miles northwest of Philadelphia " U.S. Department of the Interior. National Park Service. Valley Forge. Old North Church "Built in 1723, Christ Church is better known as 'Old North'. It is Boston's oldest church building and still an active Episcopal Church. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow memorialized Old North's role at the start of the Revolutionary War in his poem, 'The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere.' On the night of April 18, 1775, sexton Robert Newman hung two lanterns in the steeple to warn Charlestown patriots of the advance of British soldiers. The church, a beautiful example of Georgian architecture, houses America's oldest maiden peal of bells and the first bust of George Washington." Bunker Hill Monument "'Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes!' This legendary order has come to symbolize the conviction and determination of the ill-equipped American colonists facing powerful British forces during the famous battle fought on this site on June 17, The battle is popularly known as The Battle of Bunker Hill although most of the fighting actually took place on Breed's Hill, the site of the existing monument and exhibit lodge The Battle of Bunker Hill pitted a newly-formed and inexperienced colonial army against the more highly trained and better-equipped British. Despite the colonial army's shortcomings, it was led by such capable men as Colonel William Prescott, Colonel John Stark and General Israel Putnam, who had experience fighting alongside the British in the French and Indian War. Although the British Army ultimately prevailed in the battle, the colonists greatly surprised the British by repelling two major assaults and inflicting great casualties. Out of the 2,200 British ground forces and artillery engaged at the battle, almost half (1,034) were counted afterwards as casualties (both killed and wounded). The colonists lost between 400 and 600 combined casualties..." U.S. Department of the Interior. National Park Service. Boston. 3

4 "A Crucial American Victory Here in the autumn of 1777 American forces met, defeated and forced a major British army to surrender. This crucial American victory renewed patriots' hopes for independence, secured essential foreign recognition and support, and forever changed the face of the world. 1777: An End to the Rebellion? Since the opening shots on April 15, 1775, the British had wanted to bring an end to the rebellion in the American colonies. They believed that 1777 could be the year. British General John Burgoyne had believed, since his 1775 arrival in North America, that the Lake Champlain - Hudson River Valley was 'precisely the route an army ought to take' should invasion become necessary. That belief formed the backbone of the British plans to invade New York --a daring scheme to utilize three separate armies in an effort to isolate New England, the perceived heart of the rebellion, and then focus on crushing that seat of discontent After a week of negotiations, Burgoyne surrendered to Gates, on October 17, The American victory demonstrated that American troops could fight a European army, on their own terms, and win. It also convinced the French to ally themselves with the Americans and declare war against England. Later, the Spanish and Dutch did the same. Because of the incredible impact caused by the American victory in the Battles of Saratoga, they are known as the 'Turning Point of the American Revolution', and are considered by many historians to be among the top 15 battles in world history." U.S. Department of the Interior. National Park Service. Saratoga. 4

5 "Thomas Jefferson called it 'The turn of the tide of success.' The battle of Kings Mountain, fought October 7th, 1780, was an important American victory during the Revolutionary War. The battle was the first major patriot victory to occur after the British invasion of Charleston, SC in May The park preserves the site of this important battle. Here visitors can learn about the battle and enjoy outdoor activities. Kings Mountain is a unique battle for several reasons. It was one of the few major battles of the war fought entirely between Americans: no British troops served here. In the South, many people were divided. When the war started, some fought for independence, others for loyalty to England. Kings Mountain is also unique in that large numbers of riflemen fought here. Rifles were not used much by the armies. A rifle was a hunting weapon, used by families on the frontier. The American militia that fought here mainly used rifles; the Loyalist troops had mostly muskets. The difference between a rifle and a musket is speed versus accuracy. A rifle is slow to load, but very accurate. Riflemen can hit a target at 200 or 300 yards. Yet the rifle can only be fired once a minute. A musket, with a smooth bore, is easy to load but inaccurate. Muskets have an accurate range of about 100 yards, but can be fired up to three times a minute. The battle of Kings Mountain lasted about one hour. Americans lost about 100, Loyalists lost about 385 and 716 were captured. The dead were buried on the battlefield in unmarked graves, they have never been found." U.S. Department of the Interior. National Park Service. Kings Mountain. 5

6 "The Battle of Cowpens, January 17, 1781, took place in the latter part of the Southern Campaign of the American Revolution and of the Revolution itself. It became known as the turning point of the war in the South, part of a chain of events leading to Patriot victory at Yorktown. The Cowpens victory was won over a crack British regular army and brought together strong armies and leaders who made their mark on history." U.S. Department of the Interior. National Park Service. Cowpens. "On October 19, 1781, a British army under General Charles Lord Cornwallis was forced to surrender to General Washington s combined American and French army. Upon hearing of their defeat, British Prime Minister Frederick Lord North is reputed to have said, 'Oh God, it's all over.' And it was. The victory secured independence for the United States and significantly changed the course of world history." The Battle of Yorktown and the surrender of Cornwallis marked the end of the fighting in the Revolutionary War. The peace treaty to officially end the war was signed in Paris on September 3, 1783." U.S. Department of the Interior. National Park Service. Colonial. Copyright 2008 The American Education Corporation. A+, A+LS, and A+nyWhere Learning System are either trademarks or registered trademarks of The American Education Corporation. 6