Key Events in the Revolutionary War

 

EVENT	DATE	LOCATION	SIGNIFICANCE
Lexington-Concord	April 1775	Massachusetts	First armed conflict. Propaganda victory for the U.S. (Casualties: U.S. 95, British 270
Ft. Ticonderoga	May 1775	Lake Champlain	Ethan Allen captured fort anc cannon later used in defense of Boston
Breed's Hill (Bunker Hill)	June 1775	Boston	1/6 of all British officers killed in the war die here. Only battle in long siege of Boston.
Invasion of Quebec	Winter 75-76	Maine/Canada	Generals Arnold and Montgomery failed in invasion attempt of Canada.
Dorchester Heights	March 1776	Boston	British forced to evacuate New England.
Declaration of Independence	July 1776	Philadelphia	2nd Continental Congress issues formal declaration of separation from British
Long Island	August 1776	New York	U.S. forces forced to retreat to Manhattan, then New Jersey
Trenton	December 1776	New Jersey	Hessian army crushed in Washington's raid across the Delaware River. Casualties: U.S. 4, British 900
Princeton	January 1777	New Jersey	U.S. recovers New Jersey from British in 10 days. British retreat to New York, where they remain for the war.
Brandywine Creek, Germantown	September 1777, October 1777	Pennsylvania	British seize Philadelphia after these victories
Saratoga	October 17, 1777	Upstate New York	Turning point of the war. Convinced French of U.S. strength. Burgoyne surrenders 5800 men.
Monmouth	June 1778	New Jersey	U.S. army almost captured British but cowardice allowed British forces to escape.
Savannah	December 1778	Georgia	Beginning of British push in the South
Vincennes	February 1779	Western territories	Clark captures British forts which proved important in negotiations with British after the war.
Charleston	December 1779	South Carolina	British gain control of South with victory here.
King's Mountain	October 1780	South Carolina	Bloody victory for U.S.
Yorktown	October 19, 1781	Virginia	Cornwallis surrenders to Washington as French and American forces trap British on peninsula.