1. American Independence

2. Second Continental Congress
• Americans didn’t want to break from Britain
• Wrote the Olive Branch Petition to King
George III
• The petition asked for English Rights
• The King didn’t even read it!
• The king ordered more troops to America
• George Washington was named commander
of the Continental Army

3. King George III

4. Prohibitory Act
• Passed by Parliament
• Cut off all British trade to the colonies and
they wouldn’t protect them anymore

5. Fort Ticonderoga
• Ethan Allen led the Green Mountain Boys to
capture British Fort Ticonderoga.
• Benedict Arnold was headed out to do the
same thing
• Both served as commanders and took Fort
Ticonderoga without firing a single shot

8. Fort Ticonderoga

9. Ethan Allan calling for surrender

10. Bunker Hill
• General Gage and the Americans had control
of Bunker Hill outside of Boston
• William Howe and 3,000 British attacked the
hill THREE TIMES
• The Americans ran out of ammunition on the
third try and retreated.

14. • Britain hired Hessians
to help with the war
effort.
• They were German
hired soldiers called
mercenaries

15. Taking Boston
• Colonel Henry Knox hauled the cannons from
Fort Ticonderoga to Dorchester Heights
outside of Boston.
• The Americans had the high ground and the
British left Boston.

16. Henry Knox

17. Henry Knox arriving with cannon