Question

In a chart, list each early battle of the American Revolution, its outcome, and why it was important.

Answer 1

• Battles of Lexington and Concord. The first shots of the Revolutionary War were fired on April 19, 1775 in Massachusetts. The British forces were trying to seize colonial weapons and arrest rebel leaders, but they met resistance from the local militia.
• Battle of Bunker Hill. On June 17, 1775, the British attacked the colonists who had fortified Breed’s Hill (mistakenly called Bunker Hill) near Boston. The colonists inflicted heavy casualties on the British, but ran out of ammunition and had to withdraw. The battle showed that the colonists could stand up to the professional British soldiers, but also that the British were determined to crush the rebellion.
• Battle of Trenton. On December 26, 1776, George Washington led a surprise attack on the Hessian mercenaries who were stationed in Trenton, New Jersey. The colonists captured nearly 1,000 prisoners and boosted their morale after a series of defeats. The battle also convinced many colonists to re-enlist in the Continental Army and persuaded France to support the American cause.
• Battle of Saratoga. On September 19, and October 7, 1777, the colonists defeated a British army that was trying to cut off New England from the rest of the colonies. The battle was a turning point in the war, as it convinced France to enter the war as an ally of the United States and provide military and financial aid. The battle also boosted the colonists’ confidence and morale, and weakened the British position in North America.
• Battle of Yorktown. On October 19, 1781, the British army under General Charles Cornwallis surrendered to the combined forces of the Continental Army and the French army, led by George Washington and the Comte de Rochambeau. The battle was the last major engagement of the war, as it effectively ended the British hope of winning the war and led to the negotiations for the Treaty of Paris, which recognized the independence of the United States.