Describe the major events of the Revolution and explain the factors leading to American victory and British defeat; include the Battles of Lexington and Concord, Saratoga, and Yorktown.

The British

marched out of the city of Boston to capture suspected troublemakers at Lexington and destroy the military supplies that were stored by the colonists at Concord.

After the Battles of Lexington and Concord

the Second Continental Congress met and named George Washington Commander-in-Chief of the army that gathered around Boston after Lexington and Concord.

Minutemen

were ready when the British Redcoats arrived at Lexington.

Lexington and Concord

were the towns outside of Boston, the first shots of the Revolution were fired there.

Battle of Saratoga,

(fought in New York in 1777) is considered the traditional "turning point" of the American Revolution, because colonists and the Continental Army were finally able to rout the British Army. This battle also led the French to give aid to the Americans throughout the remainder of the war.

Battles of Lexington and Concord

(fought near these two towns in Massachusetts on April 19, 1775) are generally considered the "first shots" of the American Revolution, even though colonists and British soldiers had died in earlier conflicts.

Battle of Yorktown

Aid in the form of ships, soldiers, supplies and financial assistance was received from France and helped to win the war after the battle of Saratoga. * Benjamin Franklin worked to negotiate the treaty. * However, it was the French rivalry with Great Britain in Europe that caused the French to aid the Americans, not support for American ideals or independence.

Battle of Saratoga

American forces defeated the British in their attempt to split the colonies at the Hudson River.

Native Americans

At first, the Native Americans were neutral in the conflict between the British and the colonists. * The British promised the Native Americans that their lands would be protected from colonial expansion if they allied with the British. * When colonists attacked the Native Americans all along the Appalachian frontier, Native Americans united to protect their lands. * The treaty that ended the Revolutionary War gave Native American lands to the United States, but the Native Americans continued to resist American encroachment on their lands.

Victory of Battle of Sartatoga

Because of this victory, the French were willing to enter into an alliance with the Americans which brought both financial aid and the help of the French navy

Battle of Yorktown

On October 19, 1781, British troops surrendered to American and French forces in Virginia. This battle marked the end of the Revolutionary War. This battle took place at

Battle of Yorktown

The Netherlands supported the Patriots because Dutch merchants hoped to increase their trade with the Americans. * The mercantilist policies of Great Britain limited the trade that the Netherlands was able to carry on with Britain's American colonies. * Once the war started, the Dutch allowed the Americans to trade freely in the Dutch West Indies. * In retaliation, the British declared war on the Netherlands. The bankers in the Netherlands were the first to make loans to the Americans.

The Battles of Lexington and Concord

This event is sometimes referred to as the "shot heard round the world" because of the impact of the American revolutionary ideals on other nations.

Battle of Yorktown

Virginia, site of Lord Cornwallis's surrender to General George Washington in 1781, marks the final major conflict of the American Revolution. The siege of the naval base at Yorktown by French and American forces crumbled the final British resistance to American independence.

Battle of Yorktown

Yorktown was the final battle of the war. The French navy assisted General George Washington and his army by blockading the harbor. The blockade prevented British ships from entering the harbor and the British army, camped in Virginia waiting for transport to winter quarters, from escaping. * Surrounded by American and French forces, the British were defeated and surrendered.