Key Battles of the American Revolution
These battles determined whether the American experiment would succeed or be crushed.
Lexington and Concord (April 19, 1775)
"The shot heard round the world"
British troops marched to seize colonial weapons. Minutemen confronted them. Fighting erupted.
Casualties: 73 British killed, 49 Americans.
Significance: The war had begun.
Bunker Hill (June 17, 1775)
Colonial forces fortified Breed's Hill overlooking Boston. British assaulted uphill.
"Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes."
Casualties: 226 British killed, 140 Americans.
Significance: Despite losing the hill, colonists proved they could fight regulars.
Trenton (December 26, 1776)
After devastating losses, Washington crossed the icy Delaware River on Christmas night and surprised Hessian mercenaries.
Outcome: 22 Hessians killed, 896 captured. Zero Americans killed in action.
Significance: Revived American morale at the war's lowest point.
Saratoga (September-October 1777)
American forces surrounded and captured a British army of 6,000 under General Burgoyne.
Significance: Convinced France to enter as America's ally — the war's turning point.
Yorktown (September-October 1781)
Washington and French forces trapped Cornwallis's 8,000-man army on a Virginia peninsula. French fleet blocked escape by sea.
October 19, 1781: Cornwallis surrendered.
Significance: Effectively ended the war. Britain opened peace negotiations.
Treaty of Paris (1783)
Britain recognized American independence. The new nation stretched from the Atlantic to the Mississippi, Canada to Florida.
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