Lexington and Concord, 1775

• First official battles of the American Revolution

• Nicknamed “The Shot Heard Around the World”

• Battle fought by militia and/or minutemen

Battle of Saratoga, 1777• Turning point of the

American Revolution; first major American victory.

• Led to an alliance with France in 1778

• First major American victory of the war

Winter at Valley Forge, 1777-1778• 25% of the American

soldiers died from malnutrition, exposure to the cold, and diseases such as smallpox.

• Leadership of George Washington prevented many desperate soldiers from deserting the American army.

• American soldiers lacked clothing, boots, shelter, and food.

Battle of Yorktown, 1781• Last major battle of the

American Revolution• British General Cornwallis

surrenders • French navy blockaded

British forces at Chesapeake Bay preventing them from receiving supplies or escaping American attacks

Leaders of the American Revolution

• Our “Founding Fathers”, played an important role in creating the United States of America.

• Whether it was protesting British laws, drafting inspirational political documents, or fighting on the battlefield; the influence of these men can still be felt in today’s society.

• Let’s list the accomplishments of our Revolutionary leaders on page 14.

Thomas Jefferson • Primary author of the

Declaration of Independence

• Served as a delegate of the First and Second Continental Congresses

• Served as governor of Virginia during the revolution

Samuel Adams

• Leader of the Sons of Liberty

• Organized boycotts and riots protesting British taxation of the colonists

Thomas Paine • Author of Common

Sense• Wrote a series of

pamphlets urging the colonists to separate from England and fight for independence

George Washington • Commander-in-Chief of

the Continental Army• Elected president of

the Constitutional Convention in 1787

• Elected as the first president of the United States

Benjamin Franklin • Negotiated the Treaty

of Alliance with France in 1778

• Served on a committee of five chosen to draft the Declaration of Independence

• Served as a delegate at the Second Continental Congress

John and Abigail Adams

• John represented British soldiers accused of murder during the Boston Massacre

• John was a co-author of the Declaration of Independence

• Abigail encouraged John to “remember the ladies” when drafting the Constitution

Haym Solomon

• Joined the New York Sons of Liberty in 1776

• Encouraged Hessian mercenaries to desert the war effort

• Helped convert French loans into cash to help finance the revolution

Bernardo de Galvez

• Spanish governor of Louisiana who fought with rebels against England

• Smuggled goods to Americans after British blockade during the war

• City of Galveston named in his honor

James Armistead

• Joined Continental Army under Marquis de Lafayette in 1781

• Posing as a runaway slave, he served as a spy and supplied information to help defeat British at Yorktown

• Granted his freedom by Virginia assembly in 1787

Patrick Henry• Virginian patriot that led

the opposition to the Stamp Act of 1765

• Gave the "Give me Liberty, or give me Death!" speech at the House of Burgesses

• Anti-Federalist who wanted a Bill of Rights added to the Constitution