# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
French and Indian War Changes Fate of America

# data[].attributes.headline
Colonial America - French and Indian War

# data[].attributes.subject
Colonial America - French and Indian War

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Kids learn about the history of the French and Indian War of the American Colonies between 1754 and 1763 including major battles, events, ending, and results.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Seven Years' War (1756-1763), a global conflict involving the major powers of Europe. Though war was not formally declared until 1756, armed conflict began in 1754 as disputes over land claims in the Ohio Valley lead to a series of frontier battles between the French and British. Both received support from various Native American tribes, though the outnumbered French became far more dependent on these allies as the war progressed. The French saw a number of early victories, most notably over George Washington and Edward Braddock in Western Pennsylvania. Washington quickly became a central figure in the conflict, maturing during his tenure in the Virginia militia from an inexperienced young major to the commander in chief of the colony's regiment. Washington's involvement during the war's early stages provided the future President with invaluable military experience while also gaining him positive notoriety that helped to launch his future political career. The tide turned in favor of the British in 1757 when King George II appointed Secretary of State William Pitt to commander of wartime operations. Pitt believed that securing victories in North America would ensure Britain's global success, and reinvigorated the war effort by reorganizing military leadership and strengthening the Crown's relationship with its colonists in America. British assaults on strategic outposts such as Ticonderoga, Niagara, and Quebec in 1759, followed by the successful siege of Montreal in September of 1760, prompted the French surrender. Though Britain's victory in the French and Indian War expelled France from North America and secured massive territorial gains for the empire, subsequent Crown policies concerning taxation and westward expansion resulted in widespread colonial discontent. The conflict and its aftermath produced substantial ideological divisions between Britain and her North American colonies that ultimately contributed to the outbreak of the American Revolution.

The French and Indian War was one of many French-British conflicts fought during the Second Hundred Years' War (1689-1815), a historical era that included King William's War (1689-1697), Queen Anne's War (1702-1713) and King George's War (1744-1748). The struggle for control over North America that developed into the French and Indian War materialized in the mid-eighteenth century due to a dispute over French land claims in North America. Between 1700 and 1750, the colonial populations of Canada and Louisiana increased significantly, forcing expansion into the Ohio River Valley region. As settlement in this area and the Lower Mississippi Valley increased, New France increased her agricultural output and invested heavily in Louisiana's sugar economy. During this period, the French strengthened military ties and existing trade relationships with numerous Indian societies, sparking competition with the British for Indigenous allies. By 1749, population growth in the East and a desire for landed wealth from colonial elites prompted the Virginia House of Burgesses to issue large grants of territory in the West to private land companies, such as the Ohio Company. However, competing claims from the French challenged the Ohio Company's plan for future sale of these lands, prompting the colony of Virginia to initiate efforts toward halting the construction of French forts in western Pennsylvania and removing these rivals from the region. In late October of 1753, twenty-one-year-old George Washington, a major in the Virginia Militia, volunteered to deliver a message to the French on behalf of the colony's governor, Robert Dinwiddie. The ultimatum ordered that the French halt construction on Fort LeBoeuf in Western Pennsylvania and evacuate lands in the Ohio Valley, or else face an armed attack.

George Washington's experience in the French and Indian War was a formative one, allowing him to develop from a illuminated the importance of controlling the Ohio Valley, and the necessity of this region in securing Britain's North American Empire. This account convinced governmental officials that military force was necessary to remove the French from the Western frontier and gained acclaim for Washington on both sides of the Atlantic. This notoriety prompted Washington to return to military service in 1755 as an aide-de-camp for Braddock's summer expedition to military education revealed itself in a number of tactical blunders during the war's early years. Washington's most infamous mistake took place in July of 1754 following the Battle of Fort Duquesne. Though this mission ended in defeat at the Battle of the Monongahela, his distinguished services earned Washington a promotion to Commander in Chief of the Virginia Militia Forces, a post he held until his resignation in 1758. Fort Necessity, where his surrender unwittingly included an admission that British troops had assassinated the French officer Joseph Coulon de Jumonville. While these events prompted Washington to resign his commission from the Virginia militia, his errors gained the attention of officials in London, who shortly after dispatched two regiments to North America under command of Major General Edward Braddock. Furthermore, the publication of Washington's journals from the LeBeouf expedition, titled The Journal of Major George Washington ,

Britain's extensive territorial gains often overshadow the complicated legacies and consequences of the French and Indian War. These geographic shifts triggered an era of social and political change that estranged the Crown from much of her colonial citizenry. The British had amassed a substantial amount of debt in fighting the war, and consequently implemented a number of taxation measures upon the colonies to alleviate the Empire's financial burden. These parliamentary taxes, including the Stamp Act and the Townshend Acts, incited protests throughout North America and lead many colonials to assert that the British Empire threatened their basic rights and liberties. Accompanied by discontent over the Proclamation Line of 1763 and changes made to the management of Indian affairs, tensions between colonists and the Crown evolved into outright acts of opposition and rebellion. For the continent's Native populations, French removal altered carefully crafted diplomatic practices, particularly the balance-of-power strategy that had come to define Indigenous-European political relations over the course of the eighteenth century. The British-French rivalry had previously provided North American Indians with opportunities to play European nations off of one another and control cross-cultural trade relationships. However, in an attempt to limit Native autonomy and increase Indigenous dependence following the Treaty of Paris, the British government used their nearly unchallenged control over North American trade to force Native land cessions and adherence to British governmental interests. Such measures eroded relations between the two groups, leading to an alarming increase in Anglo-Indian violence in the years following 1763.

Washington's service in the Virginia Militia during the French and Indian War provided him with an invaluable education in leadership and military strategy, lessons he relied on in the American Revolution. However, Washington's French and Indian War experience did more than just teach the future president about commanding troops; it reshaped his way of thinking about the relationship between Britain and her colonies. Washington had dedicated his career in the Virginia Militia toward achieving an equal commission in the British Army, an aspiration that never came to fruition by the time of his resignation in 1758. Washington's military experience led him to believe that his commission rejection was due to a lack of capability, but rather because the British Armed Forces regarded colonial militia men as inferior. Like many of his Virginia counterparts, Washington's political and economic beliefs continued to clash with Crown policies throughout the 1760s, particularly following the establishment of Proclamation Line. His French and Indian War experience reveals the early stages of ideological divergence between specific groups of colonials and the mother country, a division that ultimately lead to the outbreak of American Revolution.

Jennifer Monroe McCutchen

Texas Christian University
Sources:
Anderson, Fred. Crucible of War: The Seven Years' War and the Fate of Empire in British North America, 1754-1766 . New York, NY: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 2000.

Anderson, Fred, ed. George Washington Remembers: Reflections on the French and . Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield, 2004.

Calloway, Colin. The Scratch of a Pen: 1763 and the Transformation of North America . New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2006.

Fowler, William M., Jr. Empires at War: The French and Indian War and the Struggle for North America, 1754-1763 . New York, NY: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2005.

Ward, Matthew C. Breaking the Backcountry: The Seven Years' War in Virginia and Pennsylvania, 1754-1765 . Pittsburgh, PA: University of Pittsburgh Press, 2004.

Washington, George, and Robert Dinwiddie. The Journal of Major George Washington: Sent by the Hon. Robert Dinwiddie, Esq ; His Majesty's Lieutenant-Governor, and Commander in Chief of Virginia, to the Commandant of the French Forces on Ohio. : To Which Are Added, the Governor's Letter, and a Translation of the French Officer's Answer . Williamsburg [Va.]: Printed by William Hunter, 1754.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Seven Years' War (1756-1763), a global conflict involving the major powers of Europe. Though war was not formally declared until 1756, armed conflict began in 1754 as disputes over land claims in the Ohio Valley lead to a series of frontier battles between the French and British.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
George Washington for Kids | First President of the United States

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
George Washington (1732-1799) President of the USA

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Learn about the Boston Massacre where five colonies were killed by the British. Major event in the American Revolutionary War.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
DK Find Out! | Fun Facts for Kids on Animals, Earth, History and more!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Visit DK Find Out! to learn about dinosaurs, space, animals, nature & more. Fun learning activities for kids with videos, quizzes & galleries at DKFindOut.com

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
We invite you and your family to participate in these activities, inspired by the collections, programs, and expertise of the Library of Congress.

Author Programs

Activity Kits

The activities below require just a few simple items you can find easily around the house and items from the Library's website. Kids are encouraged to use their creativity to enhance, adapt, or recreate anything we share. Check back often for new activities and opportunities with engage with us!

All Ages

Ages 7-10

Ages 10-12

Printables

More Online Resources for Kids and Families

Imagination Library

View bedtime stories from Goodnight with Dolly External and Imagination Library story times at the Library of Congress. Imagination Library is a 2014 Library of Congress Literacy Awards Program Best Practice Honoree.

Stay in Touch!

We'd love to hear from you!

Find activity ideas and connect with us on our blog for families, Minerva's Kaleidoscope.

Share your feedback on these resources or others you'd like to see at learn@loc.gov.

Connect with us on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter, and sign up for email updates for new resources as they become available.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Resources for Family Engagement from the Library of Congress | Library of Congress

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
We invite you and your family to participate in these activities, inspired by the collections, programs, and expertise of the Library of Congress.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Boston Massacre | The American Revolution

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Boston Tea Party

It was another cold December night in Boston. The three British ships the were sitting in Boston harbor, their holds full of tea that wasn't being unloaded because the angry residents of Boston were threatened not to buy or use the tea. Dartmouth, the Eleanor, and the Beaver

The anger was directed at the government of Great Britain, which at that time had passed the Tea Act, a law that almost guaranteed that the American colonists would buy tea from the East India Company. Why? Because the law lowered the price on tea that the East India Company so much that it was the cheapest tea around. In fact, it was way below the price charged by other tea companies. Most American colonists, looking for ways to cut costs and save money, would choose a cheaper tea over a more expensive tea any day.

Why did this law come about? Well, the East India Company wasn't doing so well and the British government wanted to help the company get back on its feet.

Other tea companies weren't happy about the Tea Act, of course, but the American colonists viewed it as another example of "taxation without representation": In effect, the Tea Act was putting a tax on tea sold by companies other than the East India Company. As with the Stamp Act and other unpopular taxes, they were all voted in by Parliament, which was thousands of miles away, and the American colonists had no way to influence the law or speak out against it while it was being debated in government.

So the colonists were angry. They wanted to do something else to let the British know about the unhappiness that the Tea Act was causing. Some people wanted to keep things nonviolent; others wanted bloodshed. The result was somewhere in the middle.

group of colonists determined to make things change was the A Sons of Liberty. Led by such impassioned patriots as Samuel Adams and John Hancock, the Sons of Liberty had secret meetings at which they discussed how best to get their message across to Great Britain, that the American people wanted more of a role in governing themselves.

Christmas was approaching in the year 1773, and the colonists faced another year of unopposed and unrepresentative taxes. The Sons of Liberty decided to take action.

Donning disguises that made them look like they were Native Americans, a large group of the Sons of Liberty on December 16 stormed aboard those three unsuspecting British ships and dumped 342 crates full of tea overboard. By any standards, that's a lot of tea. These crates happened to be jammed full of tea, and so the companies that made that tea lost a lot of money that night.

Because the Sons of Liberty were disguised as Native Americans, they could claim that they were not guilty of dumping the tea. The British government knew better, of course, and grew angrier than ever at what it saw as Americans' ingratitude. The very next year saw the passage of what came to be called the Intolerable Acts, one of which closed the port of Boston entirely.

The Boston Tea Party was a symbolic act, an example of how far Americans were willing to speak out for their freedom. Two short years later, Americans were willing to give their lives for their freedom, as shots rang out on Lexington Green.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Boston Tea Party It was another cold December night in Boston. The three British ships the were sitting in Boston harbor, their holds full of tea that wasn't being unloaded because the angry residents of Boston were threatened not to buy or use the tea.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Read all about Boston Tea Party Facts and Boston History. Learn about the event that lead to an American Revolution!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
American Revolutionary War Facts

Sons of Liberty at Boston Tea Party

Introduction
The Boston Tea Party was one of the main events leading to the American Revolution. This protest was headed by a group of colonists who called themselves the Sons of Liberty. On December 16, 1773 the Sons of Liberty threw 342 chests of tea into Boston Harbor as a protect against the Tea Act of 1773. Below is a list of interesting facts about the Boston Tea Party including who was involved, what the results were, and where exactly it is believed to have taken place. This information is written for both kids and adults.

Click here for a great selection ofAmazon.com books about the Boston Tea Party.

Boston Tea Party General Facts

After escalating tension with the British, the Boston Tea Party was an act of rebellion by the Sons of Liberty specifically against the Tea Act of 1773.

The saying, "no taxation without representation" is a slogan that refers to the fact that the colonists of the thirteen colonies felt their rights were being taken away by the British Parliament because they were being taxed yet not being represented in Parliament.

Although Governor Thomas Hutchinson of Massachusetts opposed the taxing of Americans, he was ultimately criticized for not demanding that the tea-carrying ships be sent back to England without payment.

Angry colonists met at the Old South Meeting House on the morning the ships were due in the harbor. They agreed to send a message to the customs house at the harbor saying that the ships would not be paid for the tea.

On the day of the Boston Tea Party, December 16, 1773, the political group, The Sons of Liberty, dressed up as Mohawk Indians and raided three ships docked in Boston Harbor carrying tea from the East India Company. Some where between 30 and 130 men took part in this event.

The exact location of the Tea Party is uncertain it is believed to have been near the end of Hutchinson Street which is now named Pearl Street.

A total of 342 chests of tea were destroyed in the raid and thrown overboard in an attempt to prevent the tea from being sold or consumed.

Conclusion - Boston Tea Party Facts

The Massachusetts governor expressed his anger at the act of the Sons of Liberty and called it high treason.

The British response to the Boston Tea Party was a series of acts aimed at punishing the colonists and restoring order, the first of which was the Boston Port Act. This act closed the port at Boston Harbor to further trade until the British were repaid for damages and for the tea.

The Coercive Acts or Intolerable Acts followed, causing more protest among the colonists. These acts took away any and all self-governing rights of the colonists in hopes of making an example of Massachusetts and ending the colonist's resistance. Instead it escalated matters and resulted in the start of the American Revolutionary War in 1775.

This event was not dubbed the Boston Tea Party until the early 1800s before that it was referred to as the "destruction of the tea".

There is a Boston Tea Party Museum located in Boston. It houses many artifacts including an actual tea chest from the Boston Tea Party.

MENU
Events Leading to the American Revolution Boston Massacre Facts Boston Tea Party Facts Intolerable Acts Facts Quartering Act Facts Stamp Act Facts Townshend Act Facts

Events Leading to the American Revolution

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
American Revolutionary War Facts The Boston Tea Party was one of the main events leading to the American Revolution. This protest was headed by a group of colonists who called themselves the Sons of Liberty. On December 16, 1773 the Sons of Liberty threw 342 chests of tea into Boston Harbor as a protect against the Tea Act of 1773.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
December 15, 1773

On December 15, 1773, the Beaver, the last of the three ships sailing from London, England arrived at Griffin's Wharf in Boston. The was delayed due to a case of smallpox which broke out onboard, and she was held in quarantine for two weeks in Boston's outer harbor. Previously, the Dartmouth had arrived at Griffin's Wharf on November 28 and the Eleanor on December 2. The Beaver was commanded by Captain Coffin, the Dartmouth by Captain Hall, and the Eleanor by Captain Bruce. There were to be four ships, but the William ran aground off Cape Cod on December 10, 1773, in a violent storm. The Beaver, Dartmouth, and Eleanor each carried more than one hundred chests of British East India Company Tea. The tea came from China and was described as the "Bohea" type. In the 18th century tea trade, black tea was referred to as "Bohea" which traditionally came from the Wuyi Mountain region of China, but the term "Bohea" was hijacked by the tea trade to refer to all black tea varieties. Additionally, the shipment of British East India Company tea also contained green tea from the Chinese province of Anhui..

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Boston Tea Party History | Where the Tea Party Began

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Educate yourself about the event that helped start the American Revolution. Learn about Boston Tea Party History and Where the Tea Party Began.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Boston Tea Party Facts

The Boston Tea Party took place on December 16 th, 1773. It was a protest by the American Colonists against the British in regards to the tea taxes that had been imposed on them. This protest involved throwing chests of tea from three British trade ships into the Boston Harbor. The colonists had been told they could only buy tea from the British-owned East Indian Trading Company. The British had imposed tea taxes through the Tea Act, and the colonists protested by wearing costumes, boarding the ships, and dumping the tea cargo into the harbor. The Boston Tea Party was a key event that led to the beginning of the American Revolution.

The Boston Tea Party took place a few years after the Boston Massacre, which took place on March 5 th, 1770.

Most American colonists consumed, on average, 2 to 3 cups of tea each day. This equaled approximately two million pounds of tea among 3 million colonists each year.

It was estimated that approximately 90% of the tea being drank by American colonists was smuggled in. Coffee drinking increased as a result of boycotts on British tea.

The colonist group the Sons of Liberty organized the Boston Tea Party to protest the Tea Tax created by the British.

The import tax on tea imposed through the Tea Act was actually lower than what the colonists had already been paying.

The colonists were not imposing the tax itself but the fact that the Tea Act had been created in British Parliament with no input from the American colonists. The colonists protested with the phrase 'No taxation without representation'.

The three ships in Boston Harbor that were raided in the Boston Tea Party included the Dartmouth Ship, the Eleanor Ship, and the Beaver ship.

The Dartmouth Ship was carrying 114 chests of tea; the Eleanor Ship was carrying 114 chests of tea; the Beaver Ship was carrying 114 chests of tea.

The fourth ship the William ran aground in a storm off Cape Cod and never made it to Boston Harbor.

The chests of tea on the three ships included 240 chests of cheap black tea, 15 chests of superior cheap black tea, 10 chests of superior black tea, and 60 chests of green tea.

All 342 chests of tea were dumped into Boston Harbor in the protest, destroying all of it.

The 342 chests of tea would have made approximately 19 million cups of tea.

Tea marketed in America was done by shipment receivers (dealers) selected by the East India Trading Company. The dealers in New York, Charleston, and Philadelphia refused shipments prior to the Boston Tea Party, following pressure by the Sons of Liberty. The tea sat on the ships in Boston Harbor for weeks, while the people of Boston held meetings while trying to decide what to do.

The dealers in Boston refused to allow the ships to leave and instead dumped the tea in the harbor.

180 names of men who helped dump the tea are known, but there may have been more involved.

Most of the tea from the East India Trading Company was actually from China, not Britain.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Boston Tea Party took place on December 16 th , 1773. It was a protest by the American Colonists against the British in regards to the tea taxes that had been imposed on them. This protest involved throwing chests of tea from three British trade ships into the Boston Harbor.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The story behind the Boston Tea Party - Ben Labaree

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Battles of Lexington and Concord marked the start of open conflict between thirteen Colonists and the British. The battle took place on April 19th, 1775, in Middlesex County, Massachusetts Bay, near Boston. This battle marked the opening of armed hostilities between the Kingdom of Great Britain and its thirteen colonies in America.

The Battles of Lexington and Concord

The British Army infantry had occupied Boston since 1768 and were reinforced by their naval forces and marines. They were ordered to enforce the Intolerable Acts, which the British Parliament had passed and was meant to punish the Province of Massachusetts Bay for the "Boston Tea Party".

The Battle of Lexington

Though it has been called a battle, it was more of a skirmish. On April 18, 1775, a band of 80 militiamen stood guard in the village common, under the leadership of Captain John Parker. After standing guard most of the night without incident, they were about to be dismissed when word came that British troops were advancing. At sunrise on April 19, the advance guard of the British reached the commons of Lexington and ordered the assembled militia to disperse. Since there were no hostilities, Captain Parker of the militia, knew he was outmatched and knowing that the supplies had been hidden, expected the British to search, find nothing and return to Boston, as had happened before. He told the militiamen to go home.

The advanced British guard, led by Lieutenant Jesse Adair, carried out a flanking movement to protect his flanks and surrounded the militia to disarm them. However Major Pitcairn arrived with the balance forces and ordered the companies to stand down. The balance of the British troops, commanded by Colonel Smith waited further down the road to Boston. One of the British Officers called out to the militias to lay down their arms. With all the shouting and confusion at that moment, a shot was fired and the British troops, without orders, fired a barrage of shots to devastating effect. From Lexington, the British troops moved towards Concord.

The Battle of Concord

Having been forewarned, the militias in the Concord and Lincoln area were fortified in Concord. A contingent of militia, numbering 250, marched towards Lexington and came face to face with about 700 British troops. Since they were outnumbered, the militia returned to Concord and took up positions on a ridge overlooking the town. The militias abandoned Concord to the British troops and bided their time. They retreated to a hill about a mile to the north of Concord. From this vantage position they could keep watch on the activities of the British. The withdrawal of the militia proved to be advantageous as their ranks were strengthened by minutemen companies from surrounding areas.

The British search for arms and supplies did not amount to anything. They destroyed whatever they could find, including cannons. The militias in the meantime, under Colonel Barrett's troops, decided to leave their vantage point on Punkatasset Hill, to a lower hilltop close to the North Bridge. When the militia advanced, the 4th and 10th companies, which held positions near the road, withdrew and left the hill under the control of the militia. The militia strength at this point totaled 400 men, against 95 of the British.

The militias under Colonel Barrett, decided to advance with loaded weapons, but were ordered not to fire, except in self-defense. The militias crossed the North Bridge and due to a poor defensive strategy by Captain Laurie, the British troops were put into a disadvantageous position. The ensuing firefight saw the British being outnumbered and outmaneuvered as they fled, abandoning the wounded, to the safety of their own lines. The militias were stunned by their success and quickly formed defensive positions on the hilltop 300 yards from the bridge, and another defensive position across the bridge, on a hill behind a stone wall.

Lieutenant Colonel Smith heard the exchange of fire and rushed reinforcements to help Captain Laurie and his men. A standoff ensued near the bridge. The British officers moved closer towards the bridge to assess the situation, but were not fired upon by the militias as they had been told to hold their fire. When the British came across their dead and dying comrades, one of whom appeared to have been mutilated, they were shocked and furious at the turn of events. They continued their original mission of searching and destroying military supplies of the militias. The British left Concord after lunch and this delay gave the militias additional time to muster more men and cut off the road back to Boston.

The first hurdle the British faced was to cross a small bridge on the outskirts of Concord. The narrow bridge forced the troops to close ranks with just three soldiers abreast. As soon as the British crossed the bridge, the militia fired and in the exchange, at least two British troops were killed. About 500 militiamen had massed near the woods on Brooks hill further down the road from the bridge. They not only repulsed British efforts to dislodge them but also inflicted heavy casualties. When the British troops reach a curved road through a wooded area, the militias had set up an ambush. The British were caught in a cross-fire and suffered heavy casualties.

The militia ranks continued to grow, and they numbered about 2,000 men. Though the militias had gained the upper hand, superior British tactics ensured that they were not routed, and they scored some successes. However, they were running short of ammunition and were exhausted. The militias were on higher ground and constantly harassed the British troops. Two of the British Officers, Smith and Pitcairn, were either wounded or unhorsed. Some of the demoralized British troops surrendered. The rest ran forward in a mob. The planned withdrawal had turned into a rout of the British forces. British Officers struggled to regain control of their men. The possibility of the British surrendering was looming large, when they were reinforced by the arrival of Earl Perch and a brigade of 1,000 men with artillery.

Brigadier General William Heath took control of the militia and changed tactics. The militias were scattered and were told to snipe and fire from a distance, to prevent the effective use of cannon. The militias could inflict maximum casualties with least risk. The militias would ride ahead on horses, wait till the British came within range, fire and then disperse. The militias kept flanking the British and harassing them. When the British crossed from Lexington into Menotomy, further gun battles ensued. The British were forced into house to house fighting and there were many casualties. During this phase of the battle, Earl Percy lost control of his men, and they went on a rampage against the locals. The British Officers had a tough time in controlling their troops. By next morning, Boston was surrounded by a huge militia army of more than 15,000 men. The British lost 273 soldiers and the militias 94.

The battle of Lexington and Concord had set off the American Revolution and independence was only a matter of time.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Battles of Lexington and Concord (April 19, 1775) Summary & Facts

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Battles of Lexington and Concord marked the start of open conflict between thirteen Colonists and the British. The battle took place on April 19th, 1775, in Middlesex County, Massachusetts Bay, near Boston. This battle marked the opening of armed hostilities between the Kingdom of Great Britain and its thirteen colonies in America.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Although the colonists were angry with the British for increased taxes and interference, most still felt some loyalty to the Crown. Originally, many Americans wanted to remain part of the British Empire, with more freedom. That view changed quickly when they realized King George wasn't interested in compromise.
Fun Facts

The British began to worry about the colonists' strength and stockpile of weapons.

In April, 1775, General Gage sent 700 redcoats from Boston to Concord, Massachusetts to seize weapons and arrest Patriot leaders, such as Samuel Adams and John Hanco-ck.

Paul Revere, William Dawes, and Samuel Prescott rode on horseback from Boston to Concord to warn the Patriots that the "British were coming."

At dawn on April 19, 1775, church bells rang as an alarm that British troops had arrived. Minutemen arrived, prepared for battle. The British fired on the Minutemen, killing eight Americans at Lexington.

The British marched on to Concord, where Minutemen fought them fiercely and drove them back.

The British retreated, with the Minutemen shooting at them all the way back to Boston. 273 British and 95 Americans died. The Revolutionary War had begun.

The Second Continental Congress sent a document called the Olive Branch Petition to Parliament. This document detailed the things Americans were unhappy about and asked for a solution. King George responded by sending 20,000 troops to America. He said that the rebels must be put to death.

Vocabulary
1. Compromise: an agreement in which all sides get something they want

2. Stockpile: a large collection of gathered materials, usually reserved for emergency use

3. Minutemen: Americans who had been trained and prepared to be ready in a minute to fight
Questions and Answers
Question: Did Paul Revere really make a midnight ride?

Answer: On the night of April 18, 1775, Paul Revere did ride from Boston to warn the Patriots in Lexington and Concord. He and William Dawes were captured by British officers before they arrived. A young doctor, Samuel Prescott, actually rode all the way to Concord to deliver the message. The incident was mostly forgotten until American poet, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, wrote the poem, "Paul Revere's Ride" 80 years later.
Learn More
Visit NPR to hear Paul Revere's Ride read by historian, Jayne Triber.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Although the colonists were angry with the British for increased taxes and interference, most still felt some loyalty to the Crown. Originally, many Americans wanted to remain part of the British Empire, with more freedom. That view changed quickly when they realized King George wasn't interested in compromise.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Battles of Lexington and Concord Facts for Kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Learn Battles of Lexington and Concord facts for kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Revolution Begins: The Aftermath of the Battles of Lexington and Concord

The Battles of Lexington and Concord took a toll on both sides. For the colonists, 49 were killed, 39 were wounded, and five were missing. For the British, 73 were killed, 174 were wounded, and 26 were missing. While the colonists lost many minutemen, the Battles of Lexington and Concord were considered a major military victory and displayed to the British and King George III that unjust behavior would not be tolerated in America. The battles also constituted the first military conflicts of the American Revolution.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Battles of Lexington and Concord That Started a Revolution

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Read the complete history of the 1775 battles of Lexington and Concord that sparked the Revolutionary War. Explore the military strategy and aftermath of Lexington and Concord.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Paul Revere was born on January 1, 1735, in Boston, Massachusetts. Revere was a prosperous Boston silversmith, engraver and an American Patriot during the American Revolution. Paul Revere is best known for his "Midnight Ride," to warn the Colonial militia and Sons of Liberty of the arrival of the British soldiers before the battles of Lexington and Concord.

Iconic Propaganda engraved by Paul Revere following the 1770 Boston Massacre

Revere's Warning

On April 7, 1775, British soldiers began moving towards the city of Concord where a large supply of Patriot arms was being stored. Joseph Warren sent Paul Revere, a messenger, to warn the Provincial Congress of Massachusetts of the British troop movements towards Concord. Soon after Revere's warning was received, the citizens of Concord began quickly moving the Patriot militia supplies to a safer location.

Midnight Ride

On April 18, 1775, Joseph Warren once again sent Paul Revere to deliver a secret message to the Patriot militia. The British troops had plans to capture two of the two leaders of the Sons of Liberty, John Hancock and Samuel Adams. Revere set out on horseback that fateful night to deliver a warning message to all who he passed. In popular culture, his message has evolved into the timeless words, "The British are coming, The British are coming." In reality, however, Revere likely never actually shouted such words because his mission was a secret. He more likely shouted "The Regulars are Coming Out" according to his own recollection. Revere's "Midnight Ride" was successful because he was able alert Adams and Hancock of their potential capture. Revere's message also alerted the Patriot militia of the British troop's movements towards Lexington and Concord. Revere and other patriots were soon captured by the British. Revere told the British militia of the Patriot troops movements and plans. Once the British heard the bells ringing and the plans of the Patriot defense they set Revere and the other captured Patriots free and retreated to warn their commanders of the Patriot defenses.

Back to Silversmithing

Paul Revere remained an active American Patriot for most of his adult life and settled back into his life as a silversmith after the Revolution. He died on May 8, 1818.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Paul Revere was born on January 1, 1735, in Boston, Massachusetts. Revere was a prosperous Boston silversmith, engraver and an American Patriot during the American Revolution.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The colonization of America and interesting facts about the life of Paul Revere, the famous Boston patriot

Short Biography about Paul Revere
Paul Revere was an American Patriot based in Boston who played a major role in the organization known as the Sons of Liberty. He was a silversmith and copper engraver. He used these skills to produce prints of famous events, such as the Boston Massacre. He was one of the Sons of Liberty. He was immortalized in the poem "The Paul Revere's Ride" by Henry W. Longfellow. A political activist he participated in the Boston Tea Party. This article contains a short biography and over 30 fast facts and information about Paul Revere. Who was Paul Revere and why was he famous?

Facts about Paul Revere

Fact 3

His father was called Apollos Rivoire (1702-1754), who was born in Riaucaud, France. He Anglicized his name to Paul Revere shortly after he immigrated to America

Facts about Paul Revere

The Boston Massacre engraved by Paul Revere, who was one of the leaders of the Sons of Liberty
Facts about Paul Revere
The following facts about Paul Revere provide interesting facts and an overview and description of the life and times and his involvement in the American Revolutionary War.
Paul Revere

Facts about Paul Revere

Fact 17

Paul Revere played a prominent role in the events following the Boston Massacre in 1770. His main political allies were Samuel Adams and John Adams

Fact 23

Paul Revere employed Christian Remick to colorize the " The Bloody Massacre perpetrated in King Street" print

Fact 26

In 1774, Paul Revere began serving as courier for the Massachusetts Committee of Correspondence. During this time he submitted the Suffolk County Resolves that rejected the Intolerable Acts and called upon Americans to prepare for a British attack.

Fact 28

The British soldiers ( Redcoats ) who captured Paul Revere freed him as they had to hurry towards the Lexington Meeting-house after hearing gunfire. Refer to the Battle of Lexington and the Battle of Concord

Facts about Paul Revere

The life and biography of Paul Revere is presented in a short, easy fact file format that is highly suitable for kids. The facts about are a fast and accurate way to gain a good understanding of the life of this famous man who played a major role in the American Revolutionary War. The facts include the major events in the life of Paul Revere together with important dates and details of his family.

Life and Biography of Paul Revere

History Biography of the Paul Revere

Fast Facts and info about Paul Revere

The Paul Revere biography is a great history resource for kids

Social Studies Homework help for kids on the Paul Revere

The Paul Revere

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The colonization of America and interesting facts about the life of Paul Revere, the famous Boston patriot Short Biography about Paul Revere Paul Revere was an American Patriot based in Boston who played a major role in the organization known as the Sons of Liberty. He was a silversmith and copper engraver.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Paul Revere was an American silversmith and a patriot in the American Revolution. He is most famous for alerting Colonial militia of British invasion.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Declaration of Independence

In the 1770s the colonists decided to stand up to their British rulers. The people believed that England's leaders could not properly lead the American colonies from so far away. By setting taxes so high, England was using the colonies as a source of income and did not seem to hold much regard for what was actually best for the colonists.

The colonies' leaders began to meet regularly to discuss the best methods of gaining independence from England. They decided to first oppose the high taxes. When civil petitions did not work, citizens destroyed several shipments of British tea during the Boston Tea Party in 1773.

A Continental Congress was formed in September 1774. Representatives from the thirteen colonies gathered to discuss ways to combat Britain's harsh rule. An official boycott of British goods was imposed.

Fighting officially started in April 1775 as England's King George continuously refused to accept terms proposed by American leaders. This began the American Revolutionary War. America's people knew there was no looking back and were determined to be free when the war was over.

Thomas Paine anonymously published a pamphlet titled "Common Sense" in January 1776, and he sold more than 100,000 copies of it during that year. The pamphlet simply outlined the reasons why it was best for the colonies to be an independent nation.

When England's military began to block American ports in February 1776, John Adams and other leaders knew the relationship between the two countries could not be repaired. The citizens already felt independent and were now ready to declare it.

In June 1776 a "Committee of Five" was appointed, which included the following leaders:

1. John Adams

2. Benjamin Franklin

3. Thomas Jefferson

4. Robert Livingston

5. Roger Sherman

These five men discussed the outline that the official declaration would use, and they appointed Jefferson to write the first draft. He quickly completed his first draft, gained input from others, and presented a second draft to Congress on June 28, 1776. Congress worked for a few days to revise this draft and heard from delegates of each state before moving forward.

The Declaration of Independence was officially adopted on July 2 and published on July 4, the date that Americans now celebrate each year as Independence Day. The document contains five sections:

The introduction states that it is sometimes necessary and natural for a group of people to want to break away and become independent to operate in a way that is best them.

The preamble presents an argument that justifies revolt as a last option. The American people believed they were being harmed by England's leadership and that a fight for freedom was the only hope for the future of their families.

The indictment of King George III addressed the harsh conditions England had placed on America. High taxes and questionable loyalty were discussed, among many other issues. The people felt that the king could not adequately lead America from England and that their needs would never truly be met.

The denunciation summarizes that the American people asked for justice and were ignored. It also states that leaders requested an amicable split and had previously warned that they would do whatever was necessary to earn freedom.

The conclusion finally declares independence, pointing out that America had no other choice following the harsh treatment from Britain's government.

The Declaration of Independence was first signed by the President of the Continental Congress, John Hancock. Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and 52 others also signed.

The Revolutionary War continued until 1783, when England officially retreated. America was an independent nation at last.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Declaration of Independence - American History for Kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In the 1770s the colonists decided to stand up to their British rulers. The people believed that England's leaders could not properly lead the American colonies from so far away. By setting taxes so high, England was using the colonies as a source of income and did not seem to hold much regard for what ...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Declaration of Independence Fact 9

American Loyalists rejected the Declaration of Independence. Loyalists were American colonists who remained loyal to the Kingdom of Great Britain and the king during the American Revolutionary War. Those who supported the American revolution, and the Declaration of Independence, were called Patriots.

Declaration of Independence Fact 12

The Declaration of Independence Preamble: John Adams wrote the customary preamble, which stated that King George III had rejected reconciliation and was hiring foreign mercenaries to use against the American colonies.

Declaration of Independence Fact 13

The Committee of Five appointed by the Second Continental Congress drafted what became known as America's Declaration of Independence. The members of the Committee of Five were:

Thomas Jefferson

John Adams

Roger Sherman

Robert Livingston

Benjamin Franklin

The Committee of Five
Sherman, Franklin, Jefferson, Adams, and Livingston

Declaration of Independence Fact 14

On July 4, 1776, the wording of the Declaration of Independence was approved and sent to the printer for publication. Declaration of Independence Text and Words

Declaration of Independence Fact 17

John Hancock was the first man to sign the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. John Hancock was the President of the Continental Congress at the time of the signing. Analysis of the Signature of John Hancock

Declaration of Independence Fact 18

The other signatures were added on various dates, the last being Matthew Thornton, from New Hampshire, who signed on November 4, 1776. Signatures on the Document

Declaration of Independence Fact 29

George Washington ordered that the Declaration of Independence be read before the American army in New York when it was first printed.

Declaration of Independence Fact 31

In 1776, when the Declaration of Independence was signed, the population of America is estimated to have been 2.5 million - the population of America is now about 312 million.

Declaration of Independence Fact 33

One US President, Calvin Coolidge, was born on July 4

Declaration of Independence Fact 36

The most famous extract from the Declaration of Independence is:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

Declaration of Independence Fact 37

The signers names for Massachusetts were:
John Hancock (1737 - 1793)
Samuel Adams (1722 - 1803)
John Adams (1735 - 1826)
Robert Treat Paine (1731 - 1814)
Elbridge Gerry (1744 - 1814)

Declaration of Independence Fact 42

The signers names for Virginia were:
George Wythe (1726 - 1806)
Richard Henry Lee (1732 - 1794)
Thomas Jefferson (1743 - 1826)
Benjamin Harrison (1726 - 1791)
Thomas Nelson, Jr. (1738 - 1789)
Francis Lightfoot Lee (1734 - 1797)
Carter Braxton (1736 - 1797)

Declaration of Independence Fact 43

The signers names for Pennsylvania were:
Robert Morris (1734 - 1806)
Benjamin Rush (1746 - 1813)
Benjamin Franklin (1706 - 1790)
John Morton (1724 - 1777)
George Clymer (1739 - 1813)
James Smith (1719 - 1806)
George Taylor (1716 - 1781)
James Wilson (1742 - 1798)
George Ross (1730 - 1779)

Declaration of Independence Fact 45

The signers names for New Jersey were:
Richard Stockton (1730 - 1781)
John Witherspoon (1723 - 1794)
Francis Hopkinson (1737 - 1791)
John Hart (1711 - 1779)
Abraham Clark (1726 - 1794)

Declaration of Independence Fact 48

The signers names for Rhode Island were:
Stephen Hopkins (1707 - 1785)
William Ellery (1727 - 1820)

50 Facts about the Declaration of Independence

Facts and Information about this historic document

Declaration of Independence Facts
The article containing Declaration of Independence facts is presented in a short, easy fact file format that is highly suitable for kids and schools. The facts about the Declaration of Independence are a fast and accurate way to gain a good understanding of the people and events surrounding famous document that plays a major role in American history. The facts include the drafting of the document together with important dates and the roles of different people who feature in the history of the document. For additional facts and information refer to the additional articles including:

Interesting Facts and information about the document

Fast Facts and info about the document

Declaration of Independence Facts - a great history resource for kids

Social Studies Homework help for kids on the Declaration of Independence

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
50 Facts about the Declaration of Independence. History and fast information about the Declaration of Independence. 50 Facts about the Declaration of Independence.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
DK Find Out! | Fun Facts for Kids on Animals, Earth, History and more!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Visit DK Find Out! to learn about dinosaurs, space, animals, nature & more. Fun learning activities for kids with videos, quizzes & galleries at DKFindOut.com

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
United States Declaration of Independence Facts for Kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Learn United States Declaration of Independence facts for kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
July 4th marks the annual holiday that celebrates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. So how much do you know about this famous document?
1. Is Independence Day really July 2?
Officially, the Continental Congress declared its freedom from Britain on July 2, 1776, when it approved a resolution and delegates from New York were permitted to make it a unanimous vote. John Adams thought July 2 would be marked as a national holiday for generations to come.
2. July 4 is when the Declaration was adopted
After voting on independence, the Continental Congress needed to finalize a document explaining the move to the public. It had been proposed in draft form by the Committee of Five (John Adams, Roger Sherman, Robert Livingston, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson) and it took two days for the Congress to agree on the edits.
3. Six people signed the Declaration and also the Constitution
Franklin was among a handful of people who signed both historical documents. The others were George Read, Roger Sherman, Robert Morris, George Clymer and James Wilson.
4. But they didn't sign the Declaration on July 4th!
Once the Congress approved the actual Declaration of Independence document on July 4, it ordered that it be sent to a printer named John Dunlap. About 200 copies of the Dunlap Broadside were printed, with John Hancock's name printed at the bottom. Today, 26 copies remain.
5. So what if I stumble upon a lost version of the Dunlap Broadside at a flea market?
That's what happened in 1989 in Adamstown, Pa. It was tucked behind an old picture in a frame and it cost the buyer $4. That version of the Declaration was eventually acquired by TV producer Norman Lear for $8.1 million.
6. OK - when was the Declaration actually signed?
Most of the members of the Continental Congress signed a version of the Declaration in early August 1776 in Philadelphia. The names of the signers were released publicly in early 1777. So that famous painting showing the signing of the Declaration on July 4, 1776, is a bit of an exaggeration.
7. The Declaration's association with Independence Day came from a lapse of memory
Historian Pauline Maier said in her 1997 book about the Declaration that no member of Congress recalled in early July 1777 that it was almost a year since they declared their freedom from the British. They finally remembered on July 3rd, and July 4th became the day that seemed to make sense for celebrating independence.
8. The Declaration suffered from a lack of early respect
Maier also said that the Declaration (and celebrating its signing) was stuck in a feud between the Federalists (of John Adams) and the Republicans (of Thomas Jefferson). The Declaration and its anniversary day weren't widely celebrated until the Federalists faded away from the political scene after 1812.
9. The Declaration and Constitution were hidden away during World War II
Both documents were packed up about two weeks after Pearl Harbor. They were given a military escort to Fort Knox in Kentucky, where they remained until late 1944.
10. There really is a message written on the back of the Declaration of Independence
In the movie National Treasure, a secret message written on the back of the Declaration is a key plot device. In reality, there is a visible message on the back that reads, "Original Declaration of Independence dated 4th July 1776." It's not as dramatic as the movie and experts believe it was a label added at some point when the Declaration was in storage.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
10 fascinating facts about the Declaration of Independence

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
July 4th marks the annual holiday that celebrates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. So how much do you know about this famous document? 1. Is Independence Day really July 2? Officially, the Continental Congress declared its freedom from Britain on July 2, 1776, when it approved a resolution and delegates from New York were permitted to make it a unanimous vote.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Declaration of Independence was written in such a way that many modern readers today might have a difficult time discerning what the true meaning is behind it. The Declaration of Independence in Modern English still carries the same meaning, but would sound a little differently. Let's take a look at the Declaration of Independence and re-word it so that those modern English readers could read and understand it.
The Declaration of Independence in Modern English
Sometimes in the course of certain events there comes a time when a certain group feels the need to dissolve the political bands that have connected them with another, or in other words split up. We believe that God has entitled us to pursue this course and here are the reasons why we feel this way.

As people that have founded this land we believe certain truths and those should not be questioned: we believe that everyone is created equal in the sight of God; God has given us certain rights; the rights of each person need to be respected and cannot be taken from them. We believe in the right to Life; the right to Liberty; and the right to pursue our own happiness. We also believe that governments are formed to protect these certain rights and that the power of the government comes from the power of the people.

We also believe that if the government fails to protect the rights of its people that they people have the right to change the government. The government can be totally changed if it needs to be. This happens so that everyone can be happy and safe.

Changing the government is no joking matter because sometimes things have been the way they are for a long time. Even though sometimes people continue to put up with government that don't operate correctly it doesn't make it right and changes still need to be made. It is the duty of the people to make sure that the government treats the people fairly and civilly.

We, those who have been putting up with an inoperable government have been patient and suffered through a lot of things without complaining, but it is our duty to make the needed changes. It is evident that King George III who is our ruler right now, that he wants to take all power away from the people and will not listen to our leaders. Here is the proof for everyone to see:

We have been patient, suffering a long time without complaining. Now it is our duty to make changes. This King of Great Britain is King George III. He is our present ruler, and he wants to become even stronger. He has already tried to rule us completely, without listening to what our American leaders have to say. And we have proof of such evils. Here are the facts for the whole world to see:

The King has gone a little crazy. He has refused to sign laws that our leaders have written. These are pretty important laws.

The King has taken control of the Judges in our court system. Judges cannot be fair if someone else is controlling their jobs and how much money they make.

The King has also ignored the laws of our American government. He has created his own set of laws and now feels that he has a right to force us to give food and shelter to British soldiers, stop us from trading with the rest of the world, and has set up too many taxes for us that we have no choice in paying. He also wants to punish people without a fair trial and jury.

The King took our ships, and has burned our villages and killed many people.

The King has carried out several acts of war.

The King has also caused a rift between slaves and their owners and has made the slaves angry and violent. He is also trying to convince the Indians to go to war against the colonists.

The King is not a fair man.

Through all of these unfair acts that have been placed upon us we have made a great effort to tell the King how we feel. We wanted to resolve this peacefully but it has only escalated. A King that does not rule fairly should not be able to rule. We have continued to warn our friends and family still living in England and still, it has done nothing.

We, as representatives of the United States of America want God to judge our acts. We declare today that Great Britain will no longer be a ruler over us and that we should be free and independent states. We will have the power to build our own government and all the powers that come with government. We will put our trust in God and will be united in this Declaration of Independence.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Declaration of Independence in Modern English " Independence Day " Surfnetkids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Declaration of Independence was written in such a way that many modern readers today might have a difficult time discerning what the true meaning is behind it. The Declaration of Independence in Modern English still carries the same meaning, but would sound a little differently.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The  Declaration School House Rock   Copy

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
George Washington was the 1st president of the United States. Learn about his biography and life story.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
NAME: George Washington

NICKNAME: Father of His Country

BORN: February 22, 1732, in Popes Creek, Virginia

DIED: December 14, 1799, in Mount Vernon, Virginia

TIME IN OFFICE: April 30, 1789, to March 3, 1797

VICE PRESIDENT: John Adams

POLITICAL PARTY: Federalist

EARLY LIFE

The son of a landowner and planter, George Washington was born on February 22, 1732, in the British-ruled colony of Virginia. His father died when he was 11, and his older brother, Lawrence, helped raise him. Washington was educated in basic subjects including reading, writing, and mathematics, but he didn't attend college. Not much else is known about his childhood. Stories about his virtues-such as his confession of chopping down his father's cherry tree-were actually invented by an admiring writer soon after Washington's death.

During his 20s, he fought as a soldier in the French and Indian War, Great Britain's fight with France over the Ohio River Valley territory. After the war, Washington returned to Virginia to work as a farmer.

Virginians elected Washington to their colonial legislature, or government, when he was 26. Soon after, he married Martha Dandridge Custis, a wealthy widow with two young children. They settled at Mount Vernon, a family home Washington had inherited.

REVOLUTIONARY WAR HERO

As a government official, Washington spoke out against unfair laws, such as high taxes, during Great Britain's rule. In 1774 and 1775, he was one of Virginia's representatives at the First and Second Continental Congresses, a group of representatives from the 13 colonies that would eventually become the United States. The Second Congress helped future third president, Thomas Jefferson, write the Declaration of Independence in July 1776, proclaiming that the 13 colonies were now independent states, no longer under British rule. An army was formed to oppose the British, and Washington was selected to lead it.

For five years, Washington served as the head of the army as the Revolutionary War against the British raged. The British finally surrendered in 1781 at Yorktown, Virginia. Washington was now a hero, seen as an important person who helped the colonies finally gain independence from Great Britain. After the war, Washington retired from the army and returned to private life.

PATH TO PRESIDENCY

After the end of the war, the former colonies operated under the Articles of Confederation, a document that placed most power with the states. For example, each state printed its own money. There was no national leader. The individual states were not supporting each other as one country, and the new nation seemed to be in trouble.

In 1787 state representatives gathered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at the Constitutional Convention to fix these problems. There, the delegates wrote the Constitution of the United States. This document created a strong federal government: two chambers of legislators (also called lawmakers), a federal court system, and a president. The Constitution still serves as the foundation for the United States government today.

Based on the Constitution's directions, states chose representatives to elect a president. Washington won the vote, making him the first-ever president of the United States. John Adams received the second most votes and became vice president.

SETTING TRADITIONS

As the nation's first president, Washington set the example for other presidents. He worked out how the nation would negotiate treaties with other countries. He decided how the president would select and get advice from cabinet members. He also established the practice of giving a regular State of the Union speech, a yearly update on how the country is doing. He appointed federal judges and established basic government services such as banks. As president, he also worked hard to keep the new country out of wars with Native Americans and European nations.

During Washington's time as president, New York City was the nation's temporary capital; then Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Although Washington helped plan a permanent national capital, his presidency ended before the federal government moved to the city later named in his honor: Washington, D.C.

LASTING LEGACY

After serving two back-to-back terms as president, Washington retired to Mount Vernon in 1797. He died two years later on December 14, 1799. Washington, who kept one of the largest populations of enslaved people in the country, arranged in his will for them to be freed by the time of his wife's death. After his death, he was praised as being "first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen."

From the Nat Geo Kids books Our Country's Presidents by Ann Bausum and Weird But True Know-It-All: U.S. Presidents by Brianna Dumont, revised for digital by Avery Hurt

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
NAME: George Washington NICKNAME: Father of His Country BORN: February 22, 1732, in Popes Creek, Virginia DIED: December 14, 1799, in Mount Vernon, Virginia TIME IN OFFICE: April 30, 1789, to March 3, 1797 VICE PRESIDENT: John Adams POLITICAL PARTY: Federalist The son of a landowner and planter, George Washington was born on February 22, 1732, in the British-ruled colony of Virginia.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Despite having little experience in commanding large, conventional military forces, Washington's strong leadership presence and fortitude held the American military together long enough to secure victory at Yorktown and independence for his new nation.

1. Washington was appointed commander of the Continental Army on June 14, 1775

On June 14, 1775, the Second Continental Congress, responding to the growing crisis near Boston, directed that one of its own constituents - George Washington - take command of the newly designated Continental Army. Not only did Washington have the most military experience amongst the Congressional delegates, but as John Adams pointed out there were also great political advantages in having a someone outside of New England take command of a military force that was congregated around Boston and largely made up of New Englanders.

Arriving shortly after the conclusion of the Battle of Bunker Hill, Washington moved swiftly to assume command of the ragtag forces surrounding besieging the British garrison within the city of Boston. What Washington did not realize at the time was that it would be six long years of battle, marching, siege, crises, and winter encampments before Washington had an opportunity to return to his beloved Mount Vernon. In September 1781, as the combined American and French forces made their way down to Yorktown, Virginia, Washington was able to make a brief visit to his home along the Potomac River. During this visit, Washington and Rochambeau refined their plan for defeating Charles Cornwallis' forces trapped on the York Peninsula.

2. Prior to his appointment as head of the Continental Army, Washington had never commanded a large army in the field

George Washington was but one of only a handful of candidates considered by the Second Continental Congress who possessed any significant military experience. But by European standards Washington's experience in commanding large conventional armies was non-existent. Leading up to the French & Indian War, Washington had ably commanded the Virginia Regiment, but this provincial military unit never had more than 2,000 men in its ranks. In 1754 Washington commanded roughly 100 regulars and 300 militia at the ill-fated Battle of Fort Necessity.

Despite this seeming lack of experience in managing large army formations, Washington brought a number of strengths to his new position as commander of the Continental Army. Washington had learned many important command principles from the British regular officers that he marched with during the French & Indian War and British army manuals that he studied. He also witnessed, firsthand, how vulnerable British formations could be in the rough, timbered frontier land that predominated in North America. His verve, impressive physical presence, and command instincts helped to hold together an ill-equipped force that outlasted his more experienced opponents. And as Benjamin Franklin would famously state, "[a]n American planter, who had never seen Europe, was chosen by us to Command our Troops, and continued during the whole War. This man sent home to you, one after another, five of your best generals, baffled, their Heads bare of Laurels, disgraced even in the Opinion of their Employers."

So much for conventional experience.

3. Washington and the Continental army narrowly escaped total destruction in the New York campaign of 1776

Unlike the successful Siege of Boston, the efforts to defend the city of New York ended in near disaster for the Continental Army and the cause of independence. In what proved to be the largest battle of the Revolutionary War in terms of total combatants, Washington's forces on August 22, 1776, were flanked out of their positions atop the Gowanus Heights (part of today's modern Brooklyn) and soundly defeated by William Howe's roughly 20,000 man force on Long Island.

Confronted by a powerful British army to his front and the East River to his back, Washington rapidly formulated a risky plan to save his threatened army atop Brooklyn Heights. With the constant threat that the Royal Navy would enter the East River and block his avenue of retreat, Washington ordered that all available flatboats be brought down to his position so that the army could be moved to nearby Manhattan on the night of August 29-30, 1776. Aided by a providential fog that hid the evacuation, Washington was able to successfully move all 9,000 of his troops to Manhattan without losing a man - a remarkable military feat that astounded his British enemy.

As the New York campaign progressed, Washington's forces were subsequently defeated at the Battle of White Plains on October 28, 1776, and later at Fort Washington on November 16, 1776. The debacle at Fort Washington cost the Americans 59 killed and another 2,837 captured. Chased from New York, Washington's fractured and demoralized army retreated all the way across New Jersey and into Pennsylvania.

It was during these dark days at the close of 1776 that Thomas Paine's words from the recently published American Crisis rang most true - "These are the times that try men's souls...the summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now deserves the love and thanks of man and woman."

4. Washington crossed the Delaware River twice in December 1776

Washington's great triumph against the Hessian forces at Trenton on December 26, 1776, is one of the best-known episodes of the Revolutionary War. ( Map: Battle of Trenton) Fearing a counterattack by British regulars, Washington hustled his tired warriors and frozen Hessian captives back to the Pennsylvania side of the Delaware River.

Would this single victory over a Hessian garrison be enough to sustain the morale and inspiration of the beleaguered Patriot cause? Encouraged by reports of the enemies' general confusion in New Jersey and a successful campaign to extend the enlistments of many soldiers ready in his ranks, Washington decided to seize the initiative once more. Determined to expand upon his initial success Washington shuttled his army and artillery back across the frozen Delaware on December 30, 1776, and into a strong position along the Assunpink Creek outside of Trenton. It was here that Washington awaited the arrival of Gen. Charles Cornwallis' force of 8,000 Redcoats and Hessians.

Disdaining any complicated maneuvers, a confident Cornwallis ordered three successive frontal assaults on January 2, 1777, by his Hessian grenadiers and British Regulars. Each attack across the narrow Assunpink bridges and fords was driven back with heavy loss of life. The casualties were so heavy that one soldier remarked that the bridge to his front "looked red as blood, with their killed and wounded and their red coats." ( Map: Battle of Second Trenton)

With the rapid onset of an early winter's eve, Cornwallis ordered a cessation of offensive actions. Certain of a victory the following day, the British general boasted that "we've got the old fox safe now. We'll go over and bag him in the morning." Unfortunately for Cornwallis, the morning sun that illuminated the empty American camps proved that the "old fox" was gone. Washington during the night had stolen a march and had marched his army north to Princeton where the Americans proved victorious once more on January 3, 1777 ( Map: Battle of Princeton).

The victories at Trenton and Princeton, not only helped to bolster the morale of the American army and encourage recruitment, but these bold actions also greatly impressed the French who were actively weighing their involvement in the war.

Learn More: 10 Facts About Washington's Crossing of the Delaware

5. Washington's smallpox inoculation program was one of his best decisions of the war

Up until modern times, disease, not bullets, bayonets, or cannon fire, had been the great killer of soldiers in all armies. In 1775, smallpox had so devastated the American army in Canada that John Adams bemoaned that "...smallpox is ten times more terrible than the British, Canadians and Indians together."

Having survived his own bout with smallpox in 1751, Washington was altogether familiar with how disease could rob the cause of a viable army. Not only would smallpox kill off soldiers in the ranks, but the threat of infection also scared away many of the recruits that Washington's army depended upon.

Starting during the winter of 1777 in Morristown, New Jersey, Washington took the bold and controversial move to have soldiers in his army inoculated against smallpox infection using a technique called variolation. Later during the winter encampment at Valley Forge, Washington went even further, demanding that his entire army be inoculated - an action that required great secrecy since inoculated soldiers were incapacitated for a period of time. By some reports, death by smallpox in the ranks dropped from 17% of all deaths to a low of 1% of all reported deaths - a tremendous reduction.

Historian Elizabeth Fenn, author of Pox Americana: The Great Smallpox Epidemic of 1775-1782, claims that "Washington's unheralded and little-recognized resolution to inoculate the Continental forces must surely rank with the most important decisions of the war..."

Learn More: George Washington and the Inoculation of the Continental Army

6. Supply issues became one of Washington's greatest challenges

One of the oldest of military adages is that amateurs study tactics while professional warriors study logistics. As with all military campaigns, providing for the vast material needs of an army in the field requires a focus on organization and effective supply management. Unfortunately for Washington and the Continental Army, a poor supply chain became a chronic issue that negatively impacted combat effectiveness. Biographer Ron Chernow states that "[s]eldom in history has a general been handicapped by such constantly crippling conditions...He repeatedly had to exhort Congress and the thirteen states to remedy desperate shortages of men, shoes, shirts, blankets, and gunpowder. This meant dealing with selfish, apathetic states and bureaucratic incompetence in Congress. He labored under a terrible strain that would have destroyed a lesser man."

Nowhere were supply troubles more evident and onerous than during the Valley Forge winter encampment of 1777-1778. Rather than snow and frigid temperatures, it was actually the rainy, temperate weather at Valley Forge that turned the surrounding roads to mud, further hindering an already tenuous supply network.

Local farmers were more likely to send their foodstuffs and supplies to the nearby British who had hard currency to offer in return. The Continental Army, by comparison, could only offer payment in greatly devalued paper currency or through IOUs. Washington became so concerned over the poor state of supply that he appointed Gen. Nathanael Greene as his new quartermaster. Greene, who was initially concerned about taking this thankless job, overhauled the inefficient supply system and greatly improved the state of the Continental Army through his efforts.

Video: Valley Forge in the American Revolution

7. Mount Vernon escaped destruction in 1781, but the method used to gain its security alarmed Washington

In April of 1781, the British sloop of war HMS Savage anchored menacingly in the Potomac River near George Washington's plantation home at Mount Vernon. The Savage, under the command of Captain Thomas Graves, had been raiding up and down the Potomac and now demanded that the General's estate provide the sloop with "a large supply of provisions." If the order to provide supplies was actively resisted, Mount Vernon was likely to have been put to the torch as other nearby plantation homes had been.

While the Savage was anchored close to shore, seventeen intrepid Mount Vernon slaves made their way down to the ship and gained their freedom as they arrived on the warship's deck. Lund Washington, George Washington's distant cousin and estate manager, first thought to resist this ultimatum per his master's instruction, but later agreed to provide sheep, hogs, and "an abundant supply of other articles" to the Savage, partially in an attempt to win back the escaped slaves. Captain Graves gladly accepted the supplies, spared the plantation, and refused to return the slaves.

Washington, once he learned of Lund's decision to provide supplies to the enemy, was incensed. From his headquarters in New Windsor, New York, he wrote Lund and dismissed any significant concern over the escaped slaves, but noted that "It would have been a less painful circumstance to me, to have heard, that in consequence of your non-compliance with [the HMS Savage's request], they had burnt my House, and laid the Plantation in ruins."

Learn More: The HMS Savage at Mount Vernon

8. Prior to its decisive victory at Yorktown, the American military teetered upon total collapse

Years of rampant military spending, economic mismanagement, and hyperinflation fueled by a successful British campaign to flood the colonies with counterfeit paper money had left the American financial coffers bare. Washington, in a letter to John Laurens in France, declared in January 1781 that he could not even pay the teamsters that were required to bring supplies to his troops. A gloomy and frustrated Washington admitted that "we are at the end of our tether, and that now or never our deliverance must come." French setbacks in Rhode Island, news of British successes in the Southern theater, and intelligence reports indicating a possible French exit in 1781 all added to the sense of impending defeat.

In late May 1781 Washington's situation and the fate of the American cause began to rapidly improve. Comte de Rochambeau, the commander of the French troops in America, informed Washington that France had made a 6,000,000 livre gift to the Continental Army. But it was the news that Rochambeau did not initially share with Washington that made an even bigger impact. The French fleet, now operating in strength in North American waters, had been secretly directed to the Chesapeake and a real opportunity to defeat Cornwallis' force now existed. Washington, who had been stubbornly fixated on attacking the British base at New York City, rallied to Rochambeau's plan and moved his army south to Virginia. On September 5, 1781, the French fleet under the command of Admiral de Grasse drove off the British fleet sent to relieve Cornwallis. The trap was now set. The siege of Yorktown began on September 28, 1781, and ended with a Franco-American victory on October 19, 1781 - the decisive battle of the Revolutionary War.

Learn More: The Yorktown Campaign | Watch "Now or Never: The Yorktown Campaign of 1781"

9. Washington deftly put down a growing military rebellion

Despite having achieved a decisive victory at the Battle of Yorktown in October of 1781, threats to the Patriotic cause continued. In March of 1783, a growing number of American military officers, discouraged by lack of regular pay and ongoing financial support, began to openly discuss options that included a wanton disbandment of the army or possibly even a military show of force pointed directly at Congress.

Washington, who learned of the "Newburgh Conspiracy" through a printed camp circular, appeared at a March 15, 1783 meeting and challenged the gathered group of officers. "My God! What can this writer have in view, by recommending such measures! Can he be a friend to the army? Can he be a friend to this country? Rather is he not an insidious foe?" Towards the end of his address, Washington reached into his pocket to retrieve a pair of spectacles and in a theatrical gesture remarked that "...I have not only grown gray, but almost blind in service to my country." This display of self-sacrifice from their longstanding leader deeply affected many of the officers who in turn abandoned their treasonous thoughts and returned the obvious affection of their leader.

Videos: Washington and the Newburgh Conspiracy

10. Washington's greatest display of power was his surrender of power

On December 23, 1783, Washington strode into the statehouse at Annapolis, Maryland and surrendered his military commission to a grateful Congress. In front of the gathered congressmen, Washington declared, "Having now finished the work assigned me, I retire from the great theatre of Action-and bidding an Affectionate farewell to this August body under whose orders I have so long acted, I here offer my Commission, and take my leave of all the employments of public life."

History is filled with example after example of military commanders seizing political power during times of revolution - Julius Caesar, Oliver Cromwell, Napoleon Bonaparte, Mao Zedong, and Muammar Gaddaffi are just some of the better-known examples. We take it for granted today that the United States Armed Forces are subordinated to civilian rule, but in the 18th century, it was far from certain that any general would simply surrender power to a civilian authority. But for George Washington, civilian control of the military was a core part of his beliefs. Washington's resignation signaled to the world and the American people that this new nation would be founded on different principles.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Ten Facts About George Washington and the Revolutionary War

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Despite having little experience in commanding large, conventional military forces, Washington's strong leadership presence and fortitude held the American military together long enough to secure victory at Yorktown and independence for his new nation.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Boston Tea Party

Part of the American Revolution

Date

December 16, 1773

Location

Caused by
Tea Act

Goals

To protest British Parliament's tax on tea. "No taxation without representation."

Methods

Throw the tea into Boston Harbor but do no damage to anything else.

Resulted in
Intolerable Acts

Parties to the civil conflict

The Boston Tea Party was a political protest by the Sons of Liberty in Boston, Massachusetts, on December 16, 1773. They were upset by the Tea Act of May 10, 1773, which allowed the British East India company to sell tea from China in American colonies without paying taxes on it, while the colonists were charged tax when they purchased it by order of the Townshend Acts.

American Patriots were upset because the taxes in the Townshend Act were a violation of their rights. Demonstrators, some disguised as Native Americans, destroyed an entire shipment of tea sent by the East India Company.

They boarded the ships and threw the chests of tea into the Boston Harbor. The British government responded harshly and the events grew into the American Revolution which began near Boston in 1775. The Tea Party became a famous event in American history, and since then other political protests such as the Tea Party movement have referred to themselves as historical successors to the Boston protest of 1773.

Background

The Stamp Act of 1765 and the Townshend Acts of 1767 angered colonists because they meant that the British could tax the colonies with no representation in the Westminster Parliament ("no taxation without representation"). One man who did not like the taxes was John Hancock. In 1768, his ship Liberty was forcefully taken by British customs officials and he was charged with smuggling. He was defended by John Adams and the charges were eventually dropped. However, Hancock later faced several hundred more accusations.

Hancock organized a boycott of tea from China sold by the British East India Company, whose sales in the colonies then fell from $383,458 (320,000 pounds) to $623 (520 pounds). By 1773, the company had large debts, huge stocks of tea in its warehouses, and no possibility of selling it because smugglers such as Hancock were importing tea without paying taxes (import tax). The British government passed the Tea Act, which allowed the East India Company to sell tea to the colonies directly, which allowed them to sell for lower prices than those offered by the colonial merchants and smugglers.

The British East India Company ships carrying tea were prevented from landing, as most American ports turned the tea away. Protesters had successfully prevented the unloading of tea in three other colonies, but in Boston, the British-appointed Royal Governor Thomas Hutchinson refused to allow the tea to be returned to Britain. He convinced the tea brokers, two of whom were his sons, not to back down.

The East India Company with the help of Governor Hutchinson made plans to bring in - by force - the tea under the protection given by British armed ships. Governor Hutchinson had been urging London to deal harshly with the Sons of Liberty. If he had done what the other royal governors had done and let the ship owners and captains resolve the issue with the colonists, Dartmouth, Eleanor, and Beaver would have left the harbor without unloading any tea.

The Boston Tea Party

On December 16, 1773, the evening before the tea was supposed to be landed, the Sons of Liberty, in three groups of 50 Boston residents each, organized by Samuel Adams, burst from the Old South Meeting House and headed toward Griffin's Wharf. Three ships - the Dartmouth, the Eleanor, and the Beaver - had hundreds of crates of tea on them. The men boarded the ships and began destroying the cargo. By 9 pm they had opened 342 crates of tea in all three ships and had thrown them into Boston Harbor.

They took off their shoes, swept the decks, and made sure that each ship's first mate knew that the Sons of Liberty had destroyed only the tea. The whole event was remarkably quiet and peaceful. The next day, they sent someone around to fix the one padlock they had broken.

John Adams and many other Americans considered tea drinking to be unpatriotic following the Boston Tea Party. Tea drinking declined during and after the Revolution, resulting in a shift to coffee as the preferred hot drink of Americans.

The Reaction

Whether or not Samuel Adams helped plan the Boston Tea Party is debated, but he immediately worked to advertise and defend it. He explained that the Tea Party was not the act of a lawless mob but was instead a peaceful, meaningful protest and the only remaining option the people had to defend their constitutional rights. The issue was never the tax itself but how the tax was passed without American input. United States Congress taxed tea from 1789 to 1872.

There were both colonial and British officials who disliked that the Boston Tea Party happened. For instance, Benjamin Franklin stated that the destroyed tea must be paid for. The British government punished the colonies by closing the port of Boston and put in place other laws that were known as the " Intolerable Acts," called the Coercive Acts in Britain.

The Boston Tea Party was one of the important events that led to the American Revolution. At the very least, the Boston Tea Party and the reaction that followed caused support to grow for revolutionaries in the thirteen colonies who were eventually successful in their fight for independence.

American activists with different political views have used the Tea Party as a symbol of protest. In 1973, on the 200th anniversary of the Tea Party, a mass meeting called for the impeachment of President Richard Nixon and protested oil companies in the ongoing oil crisis. Afterward, protesters boarded a replica ship (an exact copy of a ship) in Boston Harbor and dumped several empty oil drums into the harbor.

In 1998, two conservative U.S. Congressmen put the federal tax code into a chest marked "tea" and dumped it into the harbor.

The Boston Tea Party Museum is located on the Congress Street Bridge in Boston. It features reenactments, a documentary, and a number of interactive exhibits. The museum features two replica ships of the period, Eleanor and Beaver. Additionally, the museum possesses one of two known tea chests from the original event as part of its permanent collection.

Interesting facts about the Boston Tea Party

Boston was one of four cities that was to receive tea shipments from the British East India Company.

The Beaver, one of the ships that was boarded by the Sons of Liberty, had been quarantined in the outer harbor for two weeks because of a case of smallpox.

The tea that was destroyed was originally from China.

George Washington condemned the Boston Tea Party, which was not referred to as a "party" until about 50 years later.

The identities of the participants were hidden for decades after the event.

One of the members of the raiding party was Moby Dick author Herman Melville's grandfather, Thomas Melville.

Enough tea was dumped into the harbor to fill 18.5 million teabags.

The only person harmed in the Boston Tea Party was John Crane. He was knocked unconscious by a falling crate and thought to be dead. He was reportedly hidden under a pile of wood shavings in a nearby carpenter's shop but awoke hours later.

Images for kids

This iconic 1846 lithograph by Nathaniel Currier was entitled The Destruction of Tea at Boston Harbor; the phrase "Boston Tea Party" had not yet become standard. Contrary to Currier's depiction, few of the men dumping the tea were actually disguised as Native Americans.

This notice from the "Chairman of the Committee for Tarring and Feathering" in Boston denounced the people who bought tea as "traitors to their country."

Plaque affixed to side of the Independence Wharf building (2009)

The Boston Tea Party Museum in Fort Point Channel

Replica of the Beaver in Boston

In Spanish: Motín del té para niños

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
By John Andrews
(Adapted)
From a letter written to a friend in 1773

On November 29, 1773, there arrived in Boston Harbor a ship carrying an hundred and odd chests of the detested tea. The people in the country roundabout, as well as the town's folk, were unanimous against allowing the landing of it - but the agents in charge of the consignment persisted in their refusal to take the tea back to London. The town bells were rung, for a general muster of the citizens. Handbills were stuck up calling on "Friends! Citizens! Countrymen!"

Mr. Rotch, the owner of the ship, found himself exposed not only to the loss of his ship, but to the loss of the money value of the tea itself, if he should attempt to send her back without clearance papers from the custom house - for the admiral kept a vessel in readiness to seize any ship which might leave without those papers. Therefore, Mr. Rotch declared that his ship should not carry back the tea without either the proper clearance or the promise of full indemnity for any losses he might incur.

Matters continued thus for some days, when a general muster was called of the people of Boston and of all the neighboring towns. They met, to the number of five or six thousand, at ten o'clock in the morning, in the Old South Meeting House - where they passed a unanimous vote THAT THE TEA SHOULD GO OUT OF THE HARBOR THAT AFTERNOON!

A committee, with Mr. Rotch, was sent to the custom house to demand a clearance. This the collector said he could not give without the duties first being paid. Mr. Rotch was then sent to ask for a pass from the governor, who returned answer that "consistent with the rules of government and his duty to the king he could not grant one without they produced a previous clearance from the office."

By the time Mr. Rotch returned to the Old South Meeting House with this message, the candles were lighted and the house still crowded with people. When the governor's message was read a prodigious shout was raised, and soon afterward the moderator declared the meeting dissolved. This caused another general shout, outdoors and in, and what with the noise of breaking up the meeting, one might have thought that the inhabitants of the infernal regions had been let loose.

That night there mustered upon Fort Hill about two hundred strange figures, SAID TO BE INDIANS FROM NARRAGANSETT. They were clothed in blankets, with heads muffled, and had copper colored countenances. Each was armed with a hatchet or axe, and a pair of pistols. They spoke a strange, unintelligible jargon.

They proceeded two by two to Griffin's Wharf, where three tea-ships lay, each with one hundred and fourteen chests of the ill-fated article on board. And before nine o'clock in the evening every chest was knocked into pieces and flung over the sides.

Not the least insult was offered to any one, save one Captain Conner, who had ripped up the linings of his coat and waistcoat, and, watching his opportunity, had filled them with tea. But, being detected, he was handled pretty roughly. They not only stripped him of his clothes, but gave him a coat of mud, with a severe bruising into the bargain. Nothing but their desire not to make a disturbance prevented his being tarred and feathered.

The tea being thrown overboard, all the Indians disappeared in a most marvelous fashion.

The next day, if a stranger had walked through the streets of Boston, and had observed the calm composure of the people, he would hardly have thought that ten thousand pounds sterling of East India Company's tea had been destroyed the night before.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
By John Andrews (Adapted) From a letter written to a friend in 1773 On November 29, 1773, there arrived in Boston Harbor a ship carrying an hundred and odd chests of the detested tea.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Built on a collection of 40,000+ popular, high-quality books from 250+ of the world's best publishers, Epic safely fuels curiosity and reading confidence for kids 12 and under.

Get Started

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
online access fun thousands children great kids ebooks books

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Built on a collection of 40,000+ popular, high-quality books from 250+ of the world's best publishers, Epic safely fuels curiosity and reading confidence for kids 12 and under. Get Started

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Read We Were There at the Boston Tea Party on Epic

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Author - Robert N. Webb , Illustrator - E.F. Ward

Illustrator - E.F. Ward

Create an Epic account to start reading!

The duo join the conspiracy against the redcoated British carrying messages from patriots to set the stage for the famous event in Boston.

Read this Book on Epic!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
online access fun thousands children great kids ebooks books

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Read We Were There at the Boston Tea Party on Epic

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Author - Robert N. Webb , Illustrator - E.F. Ward Illustrator - E.F. Ward Create an Epic account to start reading! The duo join the conspiracy against the redcoated British carrying messages from patriots to set the stage for the famous event in Boston. Read this Book on Epic!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In the early 1770s citizens of the 13 British colonies in North America were starting to rebel against Great Britain. A network of patriots, known as the Committees of Correspondence, called together the First Continental Congress to plan future action.

The First Continental Congress met in secret in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on September 5, 1774. All colonies except Georgia sent delegates, or representatives. George Washington, Patrick Henry, John Adams, and Samuel Adams were among them. Each colony had one vote.

The delegates decided not to call for independence from Britain. Instead they demanded such rights as life, liberty, property, public assembly, and trial by jury. They protested having to pay British taxes without being represented in Parliament (the part of the British government that made laws). The congress also called for the colonies to boycott, or refuse to buy, British goods.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Continental Congress was the first government of the United States. When the congress adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, it brought the United...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
American Revolution: The Continental Congress

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Kids learn about The Continental Congress meetings; major events in the American Revolutionary War.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Not ready to purchase a subscription? Click to download the free sample version Download sample

The Second Continental Congress was held in the Independence Hall of Philadelphia on May 10, 1775. It succeeded the First Continental Congress and preceded the Congress of Confederation in 1781.
See the fact file below for more information on the Second Continental Congress or alternatively, you can download our 23-page Second Continental Congress worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.
Key Facts & Information

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

On September 5, 1774, the First Continental Congress met in Philadelphia, in reaction to the Parliament's Coercive Acts. Between 1774 and 1789, the Continental Congress served as the governing body of the Thirteen colonies, except Georgia.

Among the delegates in the First Continental Congress were future US presidents John Adams and George Washington. The Congress particularly issued the Declaration of Rights which reaffirmed its loyalty to the British Crown, but condemned the Parliament's imposition of new taxes.

On October 26, 1774, the First Continental Congress disbanded after its failed measures to have the Coercive Acts repealed.

THE REVOLUTION AND SECOND CONGRESS

On May 10, 1775, the Second Continental Congress convened in Philadelphia, days after the armed resistance in the towns of Lexington and Concord.

On June 14 1775, the Congress created the Continental Army, led by the Commanding General George Washington. The main aim of the Congress was to fight against the British troops. Side by side, battlefields were occupied by American and British troops. Battles in Brooklyn and Charlestown were won by the British and the rest by the Americans.

The following month, John Dickinson penned the Declaration of the Causes and Necessity of Taking Arms.

On June 22, the Congress approved the printing of the first American bills ($1 million) in order to support the ongoing battles. Under their de facto government, they were able to sign treaties, organize armies, appoint ambassadors, and elect delegates. Their alliance with France greatly helped them in battles.

The final reconciliation with the British Crown was through the Olive Branch Petition, sent on July 8. King George III refused to repeal the Intolerable Acts and immediately rejected the petition.

On January 9 1776, Thomas Paine, a patriot, published his pamphlet called "Common Sense". It strengthened the separation of the colonies from Britain.

By July 4, 1776, the Congress had declared its separation from the British Crown through the Declaration of Independence. It was primarily penned by Thomas Jefferson with the five person committee, including Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Roger Sherman, and Robert Livingston. It was signed by 56 people representing the united 13 colonies. Delegates from Pennsylvania got the most number of signatories.

Before the final draft, Thomas Jefferson made several revisions, including the attack on slavery.

On June 14 1777, they passed the Flag Resolution which saw the creation of the first United States flag. The flag was composed of 13 stars representing the 13 colonies, and alternating red and white stripes.

The Articles of Confederation were signed by the former colonies on March 1, 1781, and created the real government with legal powers. Later, the Congress of Confederation was established replacing the Second Continental Congress.

Given the Declaration of Independence, the Congress was able to seek foreign alliances, including France. In 1778, the Franco-American alliance began and became one of the notable achievements of the Second Continental Congress.

In 1783, the Congress led the negotiation for the Treaty of Paris, which would later officially end the war. Among the demands presented by delegates Franklin, Adams, and Jay, first, the recognition of American independence, and second, submission of territories south of Canada and east of the Mississippi River.

In 1789, the new US Constitution replaced the Articles of Confederation, while the Continental Congress was adjourned and replaced by the US Congress.

Second Continental Congress Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about Second Continental Congress across 23 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Second Continental Congress worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Second Continental Congress which was held in the Independence Hall of Philadelphia on May 10, 1775. It succeeded the First Continental Congress and preceded the Congress of Confederation in 1781.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

Second Continental Congress Facts

The Delegates

Intolerable Acts

Declaration of Independence

Teme Tells

Continental Leaders to Know

The American Flag

The Patriots

Did You Know?

Battles of the Continental Army

The Continental and US Congress

Link/cite this page

If you reference any of the content on this page on your own website, please use the code below to cite this page as the original source.

Link will appear as Second Continental Congress Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, July 9, 2019
Use With Any Curriculum
These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Second Continental Congress Facts & Worksheets For Kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Not ready to purchase a subscription? Click to download the free sample version Download sample The Second Continental Congress was held in the Independence Hall of Philadelphia on May 10, 1775. It succeeded the First Continental Congress and preceded the Congress of Confederation in 1781.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Second Continental Congress Facts for Kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Learn Second Continental Congress facts for kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Second Continental Congress (article) | Khan Academy

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Learn for free about math, art, computer programming, economics, physics, chemistry, biology, medicine, finance, history, and more. Khan Academy is a nonprofit with the mission of providing a free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Liberty's Kids 108 - The Second Continental Congress

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The American Revolution for Kids - Benjamin Franklin - American Revolution for Kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
For Kids: Ben Franklin is one of the most loved and well known founders of the United States of America. He was quite a personality. He was a writer, publisher, scientist, inventor, musician, and diplomat.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
During his term, he resolved a conflict against France peacefully. He also passed the Alien and Sedition Acts which made it illegal to say bad things about the government. Many people did not like those acts because they felt it took away their freedom of speech.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Thomas Jefferson was a Virginia lawyer. He was a delegate to the Continental Congress, the writer of the Declaration of Independence, a governor of Virginia, ambassador to France, Secretary of State under President George Washington (our 1st president), Vice President under John Adams (our 2nd president) and elected President of the United States in 1801, becoming our 3rd president. He served two terms.

While Thomas Jefferson served as President of the United States (our 3rd president), among other things, he acquired the Louisiana Purchase, which more than doubled the size of the county and opened the west to exploration and settlement, and sponsored Lewis and Clark, two famous American explorers.

You might say he had quite a successful career in politics. He was a wonderful orator. When he wrote the first draft of the Declaration of Independence, for example, he wrote it as if he was giving a speech.

He was also an inventor. His special interest was inventing new farm equipment. He also loved to surprise his dinner guests with fun foods like ice cream, and macaroni made with his macaroni machine.

He was a staunch believer in religious freedom.

And, in his later years, he founded, designed, and overlooked the construction of the University of Virginia.

He was happily married, had quite a few kids, and is considered one of America's Founding Fathers.

Thomas Jefferson was a voice for liberty. Yet at the time he wrote the Declaration of Independence stating that "all men are created equal", he owned 600 slaves.

Out of all his many achievements as diplomat, writer, inventor, architect, gardener, and politician, Thomas Jefferson requested that only three of his many accomplished be listed on his tomb at Monticello:

Author of the Declaration of American Independence

Author of the Virginia Statue for Religious Freedom

And Father of the University of Virginia

Getting to Know Jefferson (video, animated) Jefferson's Office at Monticello (interactive) Thomas Jefferson (video, Discovery) All about Jefferson Liberty Kids - Conflict in the South, the Liberty Kids discover Thomas Jefferson owns slaves Thomas Jefferson loved to play chess - Here are some items
from the Personal Life of Thomas Jefferson (interactive) Games, Interactives, Kids Sites about Thomas Jefferson Declaration of Independence Thomas Jefferson's Inventions Other Famous People of the Revolutionary War for Kids
report this ad

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The American Revolution for Kids and Teachers - Thomas Jefferson - American Revolution for Kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Thomas Jefferson was a Virginia lawyer. He was a delegate to the Continental Congress, the writer of the Declaration of Independence, a governor of Virginia, ambassador to France, Secretary of State under President George Washington (our 1st president), Vice President under John Adams (our 2nd president) and elected President of the United States in 1801, becoming our 3rd president.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
History >> American Revolution

The Battle of Bunker Hill took place on June 17, 1775, just a few months after the start of the American Revolutionary War.

Battle of Bunker Hill by Pyle

Boston was being besieged by thousands of American militia. The British were trying to keep control of the city and control its valuable seaport. The British decided to take two hills, Bunker Hill and Breed's Hill, in order to gain a tactical advantage. The American forces heard about it and went to defend the hills.

Where did the battle take place?

This seems like the easiest question ever, doesn't it? Well, not really. There were two hills that the British wanted to take in order to be able to bombard the Americans from a distance. These were Breed's Hill and Bunker Hill. The Battle of Bunker Hill actually took place mostly on Breed's Hill. It's only called the Battle of Bunker Hill because the army thought they were on Bunker Hill. Sort of a funny mistake and it makes for a good trick question.

Bunker Hill Monument by Ducksters
You can visit Bunker Hill and climb to the top of
the monument for a view of the city of Boston

The Leaders

The British were led up the hill by General William Howe. The Americans were led by Colonel William Prescott. Maybe this should have been called the Battle of the Williams! Major John Pitcairn was also one of the British leaders. He was in command of the troops that started the fighting at Lexington that began the Revolutionary War. From the American side, Israel Putnam was the General in charge. Also, leading patriot Dr. Joseph Warren was part of the battle. He was killed during the fighting.

What happened at the battle?

The American forces learned that the British were planning on taking over the hills around Boston in order to gain a tactical advantage. As a result of this information, the Americans secretly moved their troops onto Bunker and Breed's Hill, two unoccupied hills just outside of Boston in Charlestown, Massachusetts. They built up fortifications during the night and prepared for battle.

The next day, when the British realized what had happened, the British attacked. Their commander William Howe led three charges up Breed's Hill. The Americans fought back the first two charges, but started to run out of ammunition and had to retreat at the third charge. The British gained the hill, but their costs were great. Around 226 British were killed and 800 wounded while the Americans did not suffer nearly as many casualties.

Battle Map - Click to see larger picture

Result of the Battle

Although the British won the battle and gained control of the hills, they paid a heavy price. They lost hundreds of soldiers including several officers. This gave the Americans the courage and confidence that they could stand up to the British in battle. Many more colonists joined the army after this battle and the revolution continued to grow in strength.

Bunker Hill Cannon Ball by Ducksters
A cannon ball dug up from Bunker Hill

Interesting Facts about The Battle of Bunker Hill

Because the Americans were low on ammunition, they were told "Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes."

The American troops worked hard during the night building up the defenses. Much of the wall they built, called a redoubt, was nearly 6 feet high.

Future President of the United States, John Quincy Adams, watched the battle from a nearby hill with his mother Abigail Adams. He was seven years old at the time.

The British suffered the most casualties of any single fight during the American Revolutionary War.

Activities

Take a ten question quiz about this page.

Listen to a recorded reading of this page:

Your browser does not support the audio element.
Learn more about the Revolutionary War:

Works Cited

History >> American Revolution

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Kids learn about the Battle of Bunker Hill major event in the American Revolutionary War.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
History >> American Revolution

The Battles of Saratoga were a series of battles that culminated in the Battle of Saratoga and the surrender of British General John Burgoyne. This decisive victory by the Americans was a turning point of the Revolutionary War.

The Leaders

The main leader for the British was General John Burgoyne. He had the nickname "Gentleman Johnny".

The Americans were led by Major General Horatio Gates as well as Generals Benedict Arnold and Benjamin Lincoln. Other key commanders included Colonel Daniel Morgan and General Enoch Poor.

General Horatio Gates
by Gilbert Stuart

General General John Burgoyne
by Joshua Reynolds

Leading up to the Battles

British General Burgoyne had come up with a plan to defeat the American colonies. He would split the colonies in two along the Hudson River. With the colonies divided, he was sure they could not stand.

Burgoyne was to lead his army south from Lake Champlain to Albany, New York. At the same time General Howe was to advance north along the Hudson River. They would meet at Albany.

Burgoyne and his army successfully advanced south. They first recaptured Fort Ticonderoga from the Americans then proceeded to march south. General Howe, however, had other plans. Instead of heading north to Albany, he headed east to take Philadelphia. Burgoyne was on his own.

Bennington

As the British continued south, the Americans harassed them along the way. They cut down trees to block the roads and took shots at the soldiers from the forests. Burgoyne's progress was slow and the British began to run out of food. Burgoyne sent some of his soldiers to Bennington, Vermont to find food and horses. However, Bennington was guarded by American General John Stark. They surrounded the British troops and captured around 500 soldiers. It was a decisive victory for the Americans and weakened the British forces.

Map of the Battles of Saratoga
Click picture to see larger version

The Battle of Freeman's Farm

The first battle of Saratoga took place on September 19, 1777 on the farmland of British loyalist John Freeman. Daniel Morgan led 500 sharpshooters to the field where they saw the British advancing. They were able to take out a number of officers before the British began to attack. At the end of the battle the British gained control of the field, but they had suffered 600 casualties, twice as many as the Americans.

The Battle of Bemis Heights

After the Battle of Freeman's Farm the Americans set up their defenses at Bemis Heights. More militia men arrived and the American forces continued to grow. On October 7, 1777 the British attacked. Their attack failed miserably and they were defeated by the Americans. British casualties mounted to nearly 600 men and General Burgoyne was forced to retreat.

The Americans under General Gates pursued the British army. Within days, they had them surrounded. The British surrendered on October 17, 1777.

Surrender of General Burgoyne
Source: U.S. Federal Government

Results

The Battles of Saratoga and the surrender of the British army under General Burgoyne was one of the major turning points of the Revolutionary War. The Americans morale was boosted and the country now felt it could win the war. Just as important to the war, the French decided to support the Americans with military aid.

Interesting Facts About the Battles of Saratoga

Benedict Arnold did not get along with General Gates. At one point they had a heated argument and Gates relieved Arnold of his command.

George Washington declared a day of Thanksgiving on December 18, 1777 to celebrate the victory over the British at Saratoga.

Despite being relieved of his command, Benedict Arnold entered the battle at Saratoga. He was injured when his horse was shot and fell on his leg.

The American ranks swelled from 9,000 soldiers at the first battle to over 15,000 by the time the British surrendered. The British army, on the other hand, shrunk from 7,200 at the first battle to around 6,600 at the second battle.

Activities

Take a ten question quiz about this page.

Listen to a recorded reading of this page:

Your browser does not support the audio element.
Learn more about the Revolutionary War:

Works Cited

History >> American Revolution

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Learn about the Battles of Saratoga at Freeman's Farm and Bemis Heights. Major event in the American Revolutionary War.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Learn about the daily life of a Revolutionary War Soldier including the Continental army, the militia, how much they were paid, how old they were, and more.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
American Revolution

There were two main kinds of soldiers that fought in the Revolutionary War in America, and that was the Militia and the Continental Army.

The Militia was made up of people that were regular citizens that were prepared to fight if there was an emergency and if they were needed.

Who Were the Militia?

The Militia were people that were regular citizens, and they had regular jobs. Most of the people in the Militia army were between the ages of 16 and 65 years old. These were men that were trained a few times of the year, but most of the time, they had jobs as farmers, trade skills, and other responsibilities.

The Militia fighters were people that would prepare in case they were needed to fight in the army at any time. The Militiamen lived in the cities, and they would not only fight in a war, but they also would be there to take care of any crime, Indians or bandits that came into their area.

Continental Army

The other soldiers were called the Continental Army. These were people that were part of the United States Army under George Washington.

This army, unlike the Militia, was made up of people that would go and sign up to be in the military, and they would stay in the military for a certain amount of time. Some of the time was shorter while other times were for years.

The soldiers would be trained to fight, and they knew how to fight in the War if they needed to.
Minutemen
Another name for the Militia was "minutemen," because it was said that they would be there to fight within a minute. These people that were part of the Militia did not always win the battles, and many of these citizens would be there mainly to defend the community.

Some of the people of the Militia were old, and they were not very prepared for War.

1774

In the year 1774, the Militia that lived in Massachusetts changed their Militia around, and they took some of their best fighters and prepared them to be ready to fight when they were called on. This was a very important time in the community, and the Militia was prepared to fight when the time came.

Paul Revere

Paul Revere came through Massachusetts at midnight on April 18, 1775, and let the Militia know that the British troops were coming to fight. Then, the very next morning, the British attacked, but the Militia was ready, and they were able to make the British soldiers flee the area.

This made the Militia very popular, and as the War continued, other units of Militia or minutemen began to form. They were made in different colonies such as Connecticut, Maryland, and New Hampshire.

More Facts About Colonial Militia:

Anyone that was between 16 and 60 was required to keep a firearm and agree to be part of the Militia if they were needed.

The main job of the Militia was to fight against the Indians and the French.

Sometimes the Militia fought beside other soldiers, such as during the French and Indian War.

Minutemen were part of the Militia, but they were different because they were volunteers, and the Militiamen were required to fight by law.

The minutemen trained more than the Militia.

What Did You Learn?

Who were the men of the Colonial Militia?
The men of the Colonia Militia were men between the ages of 16 and 60 that were regular citizens.

Did the men have to join the Militia?
The men that were citizens were required by law to be part of the Militia.

What was the difference between the Militia and the Minutemen?
The difference between the Militia and the Minutemen was that the Militiamen were required to be in the army, but the Minutemen were volunteers.

Why were the minutemen called minutemen?
They were called minutemen because they were ready to fight "in a minute's time."

What was the main job of the Militia?
The primary role of the Militia was to keep the community safe and to fight against the French and the Indians.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
There were two main kinds of soldiers that fought in the Revolutionary War in America, and that was the Militia and the Continental Army. The Militia was made up of people that were regular citizens that were prepared to fight if there was an emergency and if they were needed.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Kids learn about the Battle of Yorktown major event ending the American Revolutionary War.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Not ready to purchase a subscription? Click to download the free sample version Download sample

The American Revolution was a political battle that took place between 1775 and 1783 during which colonists in the Thirteen American Colonies rejected the British monarchy and aristocracy, overthrew the authority of Great Britain, and founded the United States of America.
See the fact file & timeline of key events below for more information on the American Revolution. Alternatively, you can download our 41-page American Revolution worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.
Historical Background

The British government attempted to pass laws, enforce several taxes, and increase its control over the colonies. The colonies strongly objected to these laws and taxes. They wanted England to have no control over them.

For ten years before the war started, tension grew between England and the colonies.

Causes & Events of the American Revolution

When the British government became involved, members of the colonies worried that they would lose their freedom and be persecuted.

Members of the colonies didn't agree with paying taxes to Britain. This lead to their motto 'No Taxation Without Representation.'

The colonies didn't like the laws imposed on them by Britain, including the Sugar Act, the Tea Act, and the Stamp Act.

Members of the colonies were constantly being punished by the British for rioting, which made them even angrier.

The Boston Port Act forced the colonies to pay for the tea they had destroyed, in what came to be called the Boston Tea Party, before the port would be reopened, which angered the locals and scaring others.

The Tea Act of 1773 was imposed on the American colonies by the British government. The Act intended to subsidize the struggling East India Company, which was very important for the British economy, and the Tea Act would raise money from the 13 colonies for it.

The people of the colonies did not agree with the unfair taxes they had to pay and, as a result, destroyed over £90,000 worth of tea in the Boston Tea Party of 16 December 1773. The American protesters boarded three trade ships in the Boston Harbor and threw 342 wooden chests of tea into the water. In today's money, that tea would have been worth roughly a million dollars.

The Stamp Act was another tax imposed on the American colonies by the British in 1775. The tax covered printed materials, specifically newspapers, magazines, and any legal documents.

It was named The Stamp Act because, when these materials were purchased, they were given an official stamp (pictured above) to show that the buyer had paid the new tax.

The Boston Massacre started because the local people were taunting British soldiers - shouting and threatening them - because they did not agree with the British Army having a place in their city.

During the Boston Massacre, British soldiers stationed in Boston killed five men and injured six others. Two of the injured men later died because of their wounds.

The five men who died were Crispus Attucks, Samuel Gray, James Caldwell, Samuel Maverick, and Patrick Carr. Crispus Attucks is thought to be the first American casualty of the American Revolution.

All eight soldiers involved in the Boston Massacre were arrested. Six of them were released, and two were charged with manslaughter. Their punishment was 'branding of the thumb'.

The British called the massacre the 'Incident on King Street'.

The American Revolution, also known as the Revolutionary War, officially began in 1775.

British soldiers and American patriots started the war with battles at Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts.

Colonists in America wanted independence from England.

The colonies had no central government at the beginning of the war, so delegates from all of the colonies were sent to form the first Continental Congress.

George Washington, a former military officer and wealthy Virginian, was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army.

Members of the Continental Congress wrote a letter to King George of England outlining their complaints and declaring their independence from England.

On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence, in which the colonies declared their independence from England.

On October 17, 1777, the Battles of Saratoga brought a huge victory for the Americans after the defeat and surrender of General John Burgoyne.

The winter of 1777 to 1778 became a huge challenge for General Washington as they spent winter training at Valley Forge.

By February 16, 1778, France honored the Treaty of Alliance with America and recognized them as an independent country from Britain.

The official government of the United States was defined through the Articles of Confederation on March 2, 1781.

The last major battle of the American Revolutionary War took place at the Battle of Yorktown. General Cornwallis surrendered, marking the unofficial end of the war.

The war ended in 1783, and the United States of America was born. By April 9, 1784, King George III ratified the treaty.

Timeline of the American Revolutionary War

June 29, 1767 - The British parliament passed the Townshend Acts [named after Charles Townshend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer], which imposed taxes on common products imported to the Colonies like paper, tea, and glass. The Colonial assemblies reiterated by condemning taxation without representation.

October 1, 1768 - British troops were sent to Boston to quell rising political unrest in the colonies. The civilians treated the newly arrived Redcoats as invaders by taunting them. Boston citizens, having gained control of the city, prevented the soldiers from carrying out their duties. This led to rising tension between the two sides.

March 5, 1770 - Boston Massacre - British soldiers opened fire on a mob of colonists at the Customs House on what was formerly King Street [now, State Street]. Their action resulted in the deaths of 5 individuals - 3 who died on the spot and the other two later on.

April 12, 1770 - The Townshend Acts were repealed.

June 10, 1772 - Rhode Island locals ran the revenue schooner Gaspee aground and burned it in defiance to unfair trade legislation.

May 10, 1773 - To support the failing East India Company, the British parliament exempted the company's tea from import taxations and allowed east India to sell its product to the colonies directly. This angered the colonists seeing the move as a tax indirectly funding one British company.

July 1773 - The Hutchinson Letters Affair - These letters, written by Massachusetts Governor Thomas Hutchinson, were published in a Boston newspaper. Through these, many colonists were convinced that the British were planning to squelch their freedoms.

December 16, 1773 - Boston Tea Party - An act of vengeance for the Tea Acts, colonists - American patriots - dressed as Mohawk Indians dumped some 300 chests of tea of the East India Company into the sea at Boston Harbor.

May-June 1774 - The Parliament's answer to the Boston Tea Party was the passing of four laws known as the Intolerable Acts, harsh laws that stripped Massachusetts off of its power to govern itself and of judicial independence. The colonists, in turn, boycotted from buying British goods.

September 1774 - The Continental Congress was formed in direct opposition to the Intolerable Acts.

April 19, 1775 - Battles of Lexington and Concord - the first skirmish of the American Revolution between the British soldiers and the Minutemen. The latter had been warned by the upcoming attack by the American Patriot Paul Revere.

June 16, 1775 - George Washington was appointed the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army by the Continental Congress.

June 15, 1775 - The Battle of Bunker Hill occurred, the first major battle in the American Revolutionary War. While the use of Bunker Hill as the location of the battle is common, the majority of the fight happened on Breed's Hill. At this time, after the colonists learned the British were planning to send troops to occupy the hills surrounding Boston, some 1,000 Continental Army soldiers under the command of Colonel William Prescott built earthen fortifications on Breed's Hill and waited for the enemy forces.
The British won the battle, obviously, as they had more ammunition and experience when it came to fighting. But their victory came with a staggering 1,054 casualties compared to the Patriots' 367. The fight was a morale booster for the Americans as they realized they had a chance at winning against the British. The British, in turn, also realized that war in the colonies wasn't easy and that it would be costly.

July 5, 1775 - The Continental Congress extended the Olive-Brach Petition, a proposal requesting the British Crown to recognize American rights and end the Intolerable Acts. In return, there would be a cease-fire. But British King George III rejected it.

August 23, 1775 - George III declared the 13 British colonies to be in open rebellion.

Winter 1775-1776 - The Invasion of Quebec [Canada] - This was the first major military move made by the Continental Army during the American Revolution and was headed by Richard Montgomery and Benedict Arnold.

January 9, 1776 - The pamphlet Common Sense was anonymously published in Philadelphia. The 48-page booklet was written by Thomas Paine and encouraged the citizens of the 13 British colonies to gain independence from the British Crown.

May 2, 1776 - France started to give secret aids to the Continental Army.

July 4, 1776 - greatly celebrated in recent times like the Fourth of July, on this day, the Continental Congress signed the Declaration of Independence.

August-December 1776 - Battles of Long Island and White Plains
Battle of Long Island - also known as the Battle of Brooklyn and the Battle of Brooklyn Heights, this fight was the first major one of the American Revolution fought after the Continental Congress declared America's independence. It was also the revolution's biggest battle in terms of fighting and troop deployment. The battle was won by the British.

October 26, 1776 - Battle of White Plains - fought on October 26, 1776, the battle resulted in the British winning with Washington's troops retreating farther north.

December 26, 1776 - fought between the Americans and the Hessians, the Battle of Trenton was a small but vital battle for the Americans. After a series of defeats, the Continental Army was at its lowest point until George Washington and his army defeated the Hessian soldiers at Trenton. The win boosted American morale and army re-enlistments.

January 2-3, 1777 - in the Battle of Princeton, New Jersey, General Washington attacked the British rearguard and train situated near Princeton after left Trenton to avoid the advances of the enemy. The Americans won this round.

September 19-October 7, 1777 - Battles of Saratoga - These series of battles were part of the British-initiated Saratoga Campaign wherein they attempted to capture the strategic Hudson River valley. The fight consisted of two small battles fought on the same ground - 14 kilometers south of Saratoga, New York. The Americans won the battles. The Saratoga battles marked a number of things - 1) It was the climax of the Saratoga Campaign, 2) The resulting victories were very decisive for the Continental Army, and 3) The battles' greatest outcome was British surrender.

October 13, 1777 - 5,700 British soldiers, together with German and Loyalist troops, surrendered following the British' defeat in Saratoga. It was a great turning point for the Americans in the American Revolution.

February 6, 1778 - France recognized the United States' independence.

August 16, 1780 - the Battle of Camden resulted in the defeat of Major General Horatio Gates' army against the British forces led by Lieutenant General Charles, Lord Cornwallis. It was an embarrassing defeat for Gates following his victory at Saratoga. He also had a bigger army. But his political connections greatly helped his not being questioned or court-martialed with regards to the disastrous defeat.

March 1, 1781 - The Articles of Confederation were ratified by the Second Congress. These articles served as the First Constitution of the United States.

September 5, 1781 - Battle of the Capes [also known as the Battle of the Chesapeake and the Battle of the Virginia Capes] This naval battle fought between France [Rear Admiral Francois Joseph Paul, the Comte De Grasse] and Britain [Rear Admiral Thomas Graves] ended with the French winning strategically for the Americans as the win basically denied the British troops evacuation and reinforcements.

October 19, 1781 - This date marked the end of the Siege of Yorktown [also known as the Battle of Yorktown, Surrender at Yorktown, German Battle and the Siege of Little York] fought by the British [Lord Charles Cornwallis] against the combined forces of the Americans [General George Washington] and the French [Comte de Rochembeau]. The battle ended with Cornwallis' surrender and the start of peace negotiations between the warring parties.

March 5, 1782 - The British Parliament gave peace negotiations with the nod.

September 3, 1783 - The date of the signing of the Treaty of Peace in Paris [more commonly known as the Treaty of Paris], which formally ended the American Revolutionary War.

Key Individuals of the American Revolution

King George III - The reigning British monarch during the war.

George Washington - The commander-in-chief of the Continental Army and the first United States president.

Benjamin Franklin - more than an inventor, Benjamin Franklin was a writer, a statesman, and a diplomat, one of the five-man committee who drafted the Declaration of Independence.

Thomas Jefferson - The 3 rd president of the United States, Jefferson, is credited for mainly drafting the Declaration of Independence.

Thomas Paine - The English author wrote Common Sense, the 48-page pamphlet which encouraged the colonists to gain their independence. He also served as the personal assistant of General Nathanael Greene.

John Hancock - The president of the Second Continental Congress [1775-1777] and the main signer of the Declaration of Independence. He became the first governor of the Massachusetts Commonwealth.

Patrick Henry - An American patriot and lawyer who stirred fellow Virginians to enlist in the Continental Army with his passionate "Give me liberty or give me death!" speech.

John Adams - The first vice-president and second president of the United States, John Adams, was one of the five-man committee tasked with drafting the Declaration of Independence.

his Prussian Major-General was appointed the temporary Inspector General of the Continental Army in 1778 and disheartened at the condition of the American troops. He went on to create a standard method of drills for the whole army. His military blue book "Regulation for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States" was used by the United States Army until 1814.

Thomas Sumter - Brigadier General Sumter was a prominent figure in the South Carolina militia. He earned the nickname Carolina Gamecock after defeating British officer Banastre Tarleton, and the latter complained about him fighting "like a gamecock." British General Lord Cornwallis also called Sumter "one of my great plagues."

Paul Revere - Made famous by his midnight ride, Paul Revere became famous for alerting the Colonial militia of the incoming British forces before the battles of Lexington and Concord.

Casimir Pulaski - This Polish nobleman, soldier, and commander is dubbed the "father of American cavalry" after the reforms he made on the American Cavalry during the revolution. After joining the American Revolutionary War, he became known for saving General Washington's life. He is also one of the seven people to be awarded honorary United States citizenship.

Gilbert du Motier, "Marquis de Lafayette" - Lafayette offered his military service to the Continental Army during the American Revolution at the young age of 19 as he believed the American's fight for independence was a noble cause. He developed a close relationship with George Washington, played an important role in campaigning for support for the army from the French, and eventually, conducting an exceptional military campaign in Virginia that resulted in Cornwallis' surrender.

Benedict Arnold - More known for his treasonous acts against the Americans, Arnold started as one of the early heroes. He later became one of the most infamous traitors in U.S. history after he switched sides and fought for the British.

American Revolution Worksheets

This is one of our best ever bundles and includes everything you need to know about the American revolution across 41 wonderful pages. These are ready-to-use American Revolution worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the many events, places, and people that make up the infamous American Revolution. These worksheets are cross-curricular and can be used in Social Studies as well in English Language Arts.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

American Revolution Facts

Crossing the Delaware

Fill in the Blanks

Patriots vs Loyalists I

Patriots vs Loyalists II

The Liberty Bell

War Heroes

The Boston Massacre

What is 'Branding of the Thumb'?

The Tea Act Word Search

Artwork Analysis

Revolution Acrostic

Thirteen Colonies

Sons of Liberty

Matching Battles

Stairway to Independence

Stars and Stripes

Pivotal Revolutions

Intolerable Acts

Treaty of Paris

Women at War

Design Your Own Stamp

Description Of Worksheet Activities:

Link/cite this page

If you reference any of the content on this page on your own website, please use the code below to cite this page as the original source.

Link will appear as American Revolution Worksheets & Facts: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, September 27, 2020
Use With Any Curriculum
These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
American Revolution Worksheets, Facts, Timeline & Key Battles For Kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Not ready to purchase a subscription? Click to download the free sample version Download sample The American Revolution was a political battle that took place between 1775 and 1783 during which colonists in the Thirteen American Colonies rejected the British monarchy and aristocracy, overthrew the authority of Great Britain, and founded the United States of America.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Liberty's Kids 136 - Yorktown | History Cartoons For Children

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Kids learn about The Treaty of Paris; the final end to the American Revolutionary War.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
DK Learning: Make every lesson your best yet

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
DK's uniquely visual approach engages students, enhancing their learning experience

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
History Brief: The Treaty of Paris 1783 " Video " Surfnetkids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In this episode of History Brief, the Treaty of Paris is signed, officially ending the Revolutionary war. What were the terms of the agreement? What was

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The British Parliament passed the Sugar Act in 1764. It provided for a strongly enforced tax on sugar, molasses, and other products imported into the American colonies from non-British Caribbean sources. The act was also called the Plantation Act or the Revenue Act.

British Prime Minister George Grenville proposed the Sugar Act. It was actually a renewal of the largely ineffective Molasses Act of 1733. The Sugar Act was aimed at ending the smuggling trade in sugar and molasses from the French and Dutch West Indies. It was also meant to provide increased income for the British Empire, which had been enlarged following the French and Indian War.

Molasses is a syrup made from sugar. The American colonies imported large quantities of molasses to make rum. England wanted to make sure that they bought it from the sugar plantations of the British West Indies. However, molasses from French and Dutch colonies was cheaper. To counter that, the Molasses Act put a tax of six pence (a pence is a penny) per gallon on foreign molasses to try to force the colonists to buy the British product. The problem was that the British did not adequately enforce the tax. Therefore, the American colonies were able to get around it by bribing officials and smuggling the cheaper foreign molasses from non-British colonies. With these methods the American colonists did not need to buy molasses from the British West Indies.

The Molasses Act expired in 1763. The next year the British Parliament reinstated it-with some changes-as the Sugar Act. Grenville wanted the act to be more favorable to England. Although he lowered the tax on foreign molasses to three pence, he included more items-such as sugar, coffee, and some fabrics-under the tax. In addition, the tax was strictly enforced. Tax evaders had to appear before a British judge. Ship cargoes were confiscated if the rules were not followed. Under these harsh conditions the American colonists were unable to acquire any foreign cheap molasses. The sugarcane planters of the British West Indies gained a virtual monopoly of the American market. The act also hampered other colonial maritime commerce. The American colonists protested the Sugar Act, and two years later Parliament lowered the tax.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The British Parliament passed the Sugar Act in 1764. It provided for a strongly enforced tax on sugar, molasses, and other products imported into the American colonies from non-British Caribbean sources. The act was also called the Plantation Act or the Revenue Act. British Prime Minister George Grenville proposed the Sugar Act.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Not ready to purchase a subscription? Click to download the free sample version Download sample

The Sugar Act was passed by the Parliament of Great Britain in 1764 and was one of many Acts that aimed to raise money from citizens living in the British colonies. The Act contributed to the start of the American Revolution. See the fact file below for more information on the Sugar Act:

* Before the Sugar Act existed, Great Britain had the Molasses Act of 1733 in place to help the British sugar plantations in the West Indies. Molasses from other places was a lot cheaper than sugar from the West Indies, and so the British farmers in the West Indies were losing out as people bought their sugar elsewhere.
* The Molasses Act meant that colonists had to pay tax on molasses bought from non-British islands, but no tax was paid on the sugar bought from the British West Indies.
* Molasses was used widely by people in New England to make rum, so the colonists soon began smuggling in molasses so they didn't have to pay the tax.
* The Molasses Act was set to expire in 1763 but the British government though that the demand for sugar and rum would only increase.
* The Sugar Act aimed to take advantage of the demand for sugar and rum and was seen as an easy way to raise money through tax.
* The Sugar Act of 1764 was put in place to raise revenue, as the British government was heavily in debt after the French and Indian War, and directly replaced the Molasses Act.
* The Sugar Act is also known as the American Revenue Act.
* The Sugar Act reduced the amount of tax that colonists had to pay on molasses by half but increased the enforcement of the law. This made smuggling of illegal molasses from non-British territories a lot harder.
* The tax on molasses under the Sugar Act was 3 cents per gallon.
* The Sugar Act also listed specific goods that could only be exported to Britain and no-where else, such as lumber (wood).
* The Stamp Act of 1765 was imposed on the colonies at the same time as the Sugar Act and required many printed materials, such as newspapers, to only be printed on specific, taxed paper.
* These two Acts contributed towards the start of the American Revolution as the colonies did not agree with paying tax to a country other than their own.

The Sugar Act Worksheets

This bundle includes 11 ready-to-use The Sugar Act worksheets that are perfect for students to learn about the Sugar Act which was passed by the Parliament of Great Britain in 1764 and was one of many Acts that aimed to raise money from citizens living in the British colonies.
This download includes the following worksheets:

The Sugar Act of 1764 Facts

Modified TRUE or FALSE

Throw the Canes

Sugar Coated

Compare and Contrast

Causes of the Revolution

The Plantation v. The Parliament

Taxation without Representation

Picture Me

A Cup of Sugar

Repeal the Sugar Act

Link/cite this page

If you reference any of the content on this page on your own website, please use the code below to cite this page as the original source.

Link will appear as The Sugar Act Of 1764 Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, December 18, 2016
Use With Any Curriculum
These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Sugar Act Of 1764 Facts, Information & Worksheets For Kids Study

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Not ready to purchase a subscription? Click to download the free sample version Download sample The Sugar Act was passed by the Parliament of Great Britain in 1764 and was one of many Acts that aimed to raise money from citizens living in the British colonies.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Long title

An act for granting certain duties in the British colonies and plantations in America, for continuing, amending, and making perpetual, an act in the sixth year of the reign of his late majesty King George the Second, (initituled, An act for the better securing and encouraging the trade of his Majesty's sugar colonies in America) for applying the produce of such duties, and of the duties to arise by virtue of the said act, towards defraying and disallowing several drawbacks on exports from this kingdom, and more effectually preventing the clandestine conveyance of goods to and from the said colonies and plantation, and improving and securing the trade between the same and Great Britain.

Statute book chapter

4 Geo 3 c.15

Introduced by

The Rt. Hon. George Grenville, MP
Prime Minister, Chancellor of the Exchequer & Leader of the House of Commons

Territorial extent
British America and the British West Indies

Dates

Royal Assent

5 April 1764

Commencement

29 September 1764

Repeal date

1766

Other legislation

Amendments

None

Related legislation

Molasses Act

Repealing legislation

Revenue Act 1766

Status: Repealed

The Sugar Act, passed on April 5, 1764, was a revenue-raising Act passed by the Parliament of Great Britain. It revised the earlier Sugar and Molasses Act, which had imposed a tax of sixpence per gallon on molasses in order to make English products cheaper than those from the French West Indies.

During the Seven Years War, known in America as the French and Indian War, the British government had substantially increased the National Debt to pay for the war, and considered that the colonists (who had been defended) should contribute to that. Colonists had largely evaded the earlier tax by bribing local officials.

The Sugar Act, passed under the leadership of British Prime Minister George Grenville, reduced the tax from sixpence to threepence, but provided for the tax to be strictly enforced and expanded its scope to include wine, and other goods. The act also placed a 3-cent tax on sugar goods (such as cloth, wine, beer, tobacco, coffee and indigo) to the colonists. It also allowed officers to seize goods from smugglers without going to court. The Sugar Act and the new laws to control smuggling angered the colonists.

The preamble to the act stated: "it is expedient that new provisions and regulations should be established for improving the revenue of this Kingdom ... and ... it is just and necessary that a revenue should be raised ... for defraying the expenses of defending, protecting, and securing the same."

Effect on the colonies

The Act caused local production to increase in the colonies, but colonists viewed it as unfair, and it was one of the causes leading to the American Revolution. Although the colonists said to the British that this was unfair, they knew that if they were represented in Parliament, they would be widely outvoted. Protests against this Act led to the end of the act.

The prime mover behind the protests to the act was Samuel Adams. Claiming the Act to be against the British constitution, natural law and the Massachusetts charter (and therefore void) failed to get other colonies or the bulk of Massachusetts citizens to protest. Switching tactics to emotional appeals and arguments that future, equally unrepresented, acts would affect more people (especially land owners), Adams and his supporters were able to get some moderate groundswell of protest. This level of dissent engineered by Adams helped encourage the more widespread resistance to the Stamp Act 1765.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Long title An act for granting certain duties in the British colonies and plantations in America, for continuing, amending, and making perpetual, an act in the sixth year of the reign of his late majesty King George the Second, (initituled, An act for the better securing and encouraging the trade

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Learn about the The Stamp Act of 1765. A tax the Britain placed on the American colonies eventually leading the Revolutionary War.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Rare Books and Manuscripts Division, The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundations

The French and Indian War (1754-63) doubled the debt of the British government and at the same time greatly increased British possessions in America. The British government therefore decided to station British troops in the colonies to prevent the French from recovering Canada and to defend the colonies against the Indians. Most Englishmen thought it only right that the colonies should help pay for the support of these troops. For a partial support of the troops the British Parliament therefore passed the Stamp Act in 1765. This provided that stamps purchased from the British government should be used on all important documents, periodicals, almanacs, pamphlets, and playing cards.

This tax aroused great opposition among the colonists for three reasons: the colonists thought they should not be taxed except by their own representatives; they opposed the presence of British troops; and the tax had to be paid in silver. This would carry so much of their sound money to England that it would seriously interfere with business. Benjamin Franklin, in England at the time, counseled compliance with the law. But a Stamp Act Congress, representing nine colonies, met in New York City on October 7, 1765, and declared that only the colonial assemblies should tax the colonists. The congress also petitioned the king and Parliament for repeal of the objectional measures. When the stamped papers began to arrive, mobs seized them or forced the ships' captains to take them back to England. They also forced stamp commissioners to resign, so that even where the stamps were landed there was no one to distribute them.

Many wealthy merchants favored stopping all business that required the use of stamped papers. This, they said, would be perfectly legal, and it would so seriously interfere with the business of British merchants that Parliament would be forced to repeal the law. But printers and lawyers, small shopkeepers and laborers, who would be hurt if business stopped, wanted to disregard the Stamp Act entirely. These groups called themselves Sons of Liberty.

Both methods of resisting the law were employed to some extent. The printers went on printing newspapers. A good deal of trade was carried on without stamped clearance papers. The courts did some business without stamped papers, but the higher courts were closed much of the time. Merchants formed an agreement not to import British goods. In general there was a marked interference with business, and the poorer classes suffered greatly in the winter of 1766 for want of employment. The result was that rioting and disturbances were common.

This resistance helped to bring about the repeal of the law. Certain men in Great Britain, notably William Pitt the Elder, came to the assistance of the Americans. British merchants, whose trade was seriously cut, pressed for the repeal of the act. There was also a change in the ministry. The result of all of these influences was the repeal of the Stamp Act in March 1766. This step, however, was accompanied by a Declaratory Act setting forth Parliament's supreme power over the colonies in matters of taxation as well as in all other matters of legislation. ( See also Revolution, American.)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The French and Indian War (1754-63) doubled the debt of the British government and at the same time greatly increased British possessions in America. The British government therefore decided to station British troops in the colonies to prevent the French from recovering Canada and to defend the colonies against the Indians.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Intolerable Acts
By Shawntel

The Intolerable Acts were passed by King George III who wanted to punish the Massachusetts colonists and the British Parliament.

The Boston Port Act was the first act and it closed the harbor of Boston. The harbor would be reopened only after the people in Boston paid for the tea and showed an appropriate respect for British power. The second act, the Massachusetts Government Act, changed the agreement of Massachusetts. The third act, the Administration of Justice Act, provided that any officer or soldier of the British government who was arrested for murder could be sent to England for trial. The fourth act, a new Quartering Act, made Massachusetts authorities in charge for lodging British troops. Americans believe that the fifth act was also used as punishment. It granted freedom of worship to Roman Catholics in the region.

1774

Walsh, John C. "Quebec Act."

Sources
1.The Intolerable Acts, also known as the Coercive Acts, were passed because King George III wanted to punish Massachusetts colonists for the Boston Tea Party. the four acts were the Quartering act, the Boston port act, the Massachutts act and the Administration act.
2. World Book Student. 2009. [Place of access.] 26 Jan. 2009
<http://worldbookonline.com/student/article?id=ar454680>.
"Intolerable Acts." 3. Social Studies for kids. Social Studies for kids. 26 Jan 2009 <http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/wwww/us/intolerableactsdef.htm>.

Back To Home

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Intolerable Acts By Shawntel The Intolerable Acts were passed by King George III who wanted to punish the Massachusetts colonists and the British Parliament. The Boston Port Act was the first act and it closed the harbor of Boston.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The American Revolution for Kids - Intolerable Acts, First Continental Congress, Boycott, Militia & the Minutemen - Road to Revolution for Kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
For Kids: When something becomes intolerable that means it is so bad you will no longer put up with it and you will put a stop to it.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
James confronts John Adams about his defending British troops at the Boston Massacre. This illustrates the changing of loyalties that many had during the time of the British Colonies in America.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
liberty's kids american history the revolution social studies

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
ClassHook | John Adams & The Boston Massacre

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
James confronts John Adams about his defending British troops at the Boston Massacre. This illustrates the changing of loyalties that many had during the time of the British Colonies in America.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
George Washington's iconic victory on 26th December 1776 over Colonel Rahl's Hessian troops after crossing the frozen Delaware River; the battle that re-invigorated the American Revolution
The next battle of the American Revolutionary War is the Battle of Princeton To the American Revolutionary War index
Battle: Trenton

War: American Revolution

Date of the Battle of Trenton: 26th December 1776

Place of the Battle of Trenton: Trenton, New Jersey, on the Delaware River in the United States of America

Combatants at the Battle of Trenton: Americans against Hessians and British troops

Generals at the Battle of Trenton: General George Washington against the Hessian Colonel Rahl.

Size of the armies at the Battle of Trenton:
2,400 American troops with 18 guns against 1,400 Hessians with 6 light guns. A troop of the British 16th Light Dragoons left Trenton at the onset of the fighting.

Uniforms, arms and equipment at the Battle of Trenton: The two regiments of British light dragoons that served in America, the 16th and 17th, wore red coats and leather crested helmets.

The Hessian infantry wore blue coats and retained the Prussian style grenadier mitre cap with brass front plate.

The Americans dressed as best they could. Increasingly as the war progressed regular infantry regiments of the Continental Army wore blue uniform coats, but the militia continued in rough clothing.

Both sides were armed with muskets, bayonets and cannon, mostly of small calibre. The Pennsylvania regiments and other men of the woods carried long, small calibre, rifled weapons.

Hessian Troops at the Battle of Trenton: The British Government was unable to recruit sufficient British troops to fight the American Revolutionary War. There was considerable sympathy in Britain for the cause of the American Colonists and many considered the American Revolutionary War to be a proxy civil war between the privileged British establishment and the ordinary British citizen.

To make up the shortfall in troops, the British Government turned to its resort from previous wars of paying subsidies to German princelings to provide the troops it needed. The primary source of German troops was Hesse-Kassel, hence the frequent use of ' Hessians' to describe any German troops in British pay in the Revolutionary War.

The deployment of German troops provided the Americans with a useful propaganda tool.

In fact, the Hessian troops were largely well-disciplined, and often better behaved than British troops. Many settled in the United States once the war was over.

Winner at the Battle of Trenton: The battle was a resounding actual and moral victory for Washington and his American troops.

Account of the Battle of Trenton:
After being driven out of New York by the British and forced to retreat to the West bank of the Delaware during the late summer of 1776, the American cause was at a low ebb. In the harsh winter, Washington was faced with the annual crisis of the expiry of the Continental Army's period of enlistment. He resolved to attack the Hessian position at Trenton at the extreme southern end of the over-extended British line along the Delaware, before his army dispersed.

Washington's plan was to cross the Delaware River at three points; the first by a force commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Cadwallader, with a Rhode Island regiment, some Pennsylvanians, Delaware militia and two guns; a second force under Brigadier Ewing of militia; and the third commanded by himself, which would cross the river above Trenton and attack the Hessian garrison in the town. Washington had, as his subordinates, Major Generals Nathaniel Greene and John Sullivan.

In his force, Washington led some 2,400 men from Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut and New York.

Washington's force paraded in the afternoon of 25 th December 1776 and set off for the Delaware River, where they embarked in a flotilla of the characteristic Delaware River boats.

It was a cold, dark night and the river was running with flowing ice. At about 11pm, a heavy snow and sleet storm broke. Washington's force did not reach the east bank until around 3am on 26 th December 1776. His soldiers were badly clothed and many did not have shoes.

After landing in New Jersey, Washington's men marched to Trenton, some of the men leaving traces of blood on the snow.

The German garrison comprised the regiments of Rahl, Knyphausen and Lossberg, with Hessian jaegers and a troop of the British 16th Light Dragoons.

The Hessian commander, Colonel Rahl, had been ordered to construct defence works around the town, but had not troubled to do so. On the night before the attack, Rahl was at dinner when he was brought information that the Americans were approaching. He ignored the message which was found in his pocket after his death.

The main American force under Washington entered Trenton from the north-west. Sullivan marched around the town and attacked from the south. The rest of the American force took a position to the north-east cutting off the Hessians' retreat.

The Hessians attempted to form in the town, but were under artillery fire and attack from front and rear. The Americans occupied the houses and shot down the German gunners and foot soldiers in the streets.

Colonel Rahl was fatally wounded. His troops retreated to an orchard in the south-east of the town, where they surrendered.

Ewing and Cadwallader failed to make the river crossing and took no part in the attack.

Casualties at the Battle of Trenton: The Americans suffered 4 wounded casualties. It is said that in addition 2 American soldiers froze to death. The Hessians suffered 20 killed and around 100 wounded. 1,000 were captured.

Captain William Washington and Lieutenant James Monroe were wounded in the battle, the only American officer casualties.

Follow-up to the Battle of Trenton: After the Battle of Trenton, the captured Hessian troops were paraded through the streets of Philadelphia.

The effect of the battle of Trenton was out of all proportion to the numbers involved and the casualties. The American effort across the colonies was galvanized and the psychological dominance achieved by the British in the preceding year was overturned.

The British commander-in-chief Lieutenant General William Howe was stunned to hear that a strong German contingent had been surprised in such a manner and put up so little resistance.

Washington's constant problem was to maintain the enthusiasm of his army for the war, particularly with the system of one year recruitment, and Trenton proved a much-needed encouragement.
Anecdotes and traditions from the Battle of Trenton:

Washington's army crossing the Delaware in the freezing conditions before the Battle of Trenton, on the night of 25 th December 1776, has become an important national image for the United States as shown in Emmanuel Leutze's picture.

Present at the battle were: two other future presidents, James Madison and James Monroe, the future Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, John Marshall and Aaron Burr. One of the American artillery sections was commanded by Captain Alexander Hamilton.

References for the Battle of Trenton:
History of the British Army by Sir John Fortescue

The War of the Revolution by Christopher Ward

The American Revolution by Brendan Morrissey
The previous battle of the American Revolutionary War is the Battle of Fort Washington The next battle of the American Revolutionary War is the Battle of Princeton To the American Revolutionary War index

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
chief justice of the supreme court john marshall

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
George Washington's iconic victory on 26th December 1776 over Colonel Rahl's Hessian troops after crossing the frozen Delaware River; the battle that re-invigorated the American Revolution The next battle of the American Revolutionary War is the Battle of Princeton To the American Revolutionary War index Battle: Trenton War: American Revolution