Battle of Lexington

1. Battle of Lexington • Dr. Joseph Warren learned of the British plans and sent Paul Revere to alert John Hancock and Samuel Adams of their arrest • On the evening of April 18, 1775, the British troops started their march on Lexington • The colonists had been expecting a fight with the British. They had organized a group of militia, called the Minutemen. • Captain Jonas Parker and 75 armed Minutemen were there to meet them. The Minutemen were greatly outnumbered. • British soldiers fired, killing 8 Minutemen and injuring 10 others.

2. Battle of Concord • April 18th, 1775 • While the British soldiers made their way to Concord, men and women of Concord were moving the arms and ammunition to a new hiding places in surrounding towns. • When the soldiers arrived they were only able to destroy part of the supplies. • Minutemen made the British retreat

3. Battle of Saratoga • General John Burgoyne had lost 86 percent of his force • Turning Point of the war • American victory in October 7, 1777 • The success at Saratoga gave France the confidence in the American cause to enter the war as an American ally. • Later, American successes owed a great deal to French aid in the form of financial and military assistance.

4. Battle of Trenton • December 26, 1776 • The battle was a resounding physical and moral victory for Washington and his American troops. • IMPORTANCE: • For the first time, Washington’s forces had defeated a regular army in the field. • Washington's command was solidified. A growing number of delegates to Congress had come to doubt his abilities • The victory sharply increased morale. New enlistments were stimulated and many of the current soldiers reenlisted

5. Battle of Yorktown • October 19, 1781 • British surrender (General Cornwallis) to combined American and French forces under the command of George Washington. • The Siege of Yorktown effectively ended the six-year struggle of the Revolutionary War and set the stage for a new government and nation.