The document summarizes key events in the American Revolutionary War from 1774 to 1783, including: 1) The First Continental Congress met in 1774 to respond to intolerable acts by the British but did not yet seek independence. 2) After the battles of Lexington and Concord in 1775, the Second Continental Congress decided to raise an army led by George Washington. 3) On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress issued the Declaration of Independence, written by Thomas Jefferson, declaring the colonies' freedom from Britain. 4) After several battles and campaigns, the British general Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown in 1781, effectively ending major fighting in the Revolutionary War.

1. Chapter 2
Standard 4

2.  Met in Phila, 1774- 12
of 13 colonies
attended
 How do we respond
to acts?
 Did not want
independence
 Wrote grievances
(London ignored)
 Declaration of
Rights

3.  Paul Revere rides into Concord to warn MA
Congress
 Moves all military supplies out of Concord

5.  After Lexington/Concord- leaders decide to
meet in Phila on May 10, 1775
 Still was not thinking of independence
 Sent grievances to king
 Plan on how to raise $$ for military
 Washington lead army

6.  CC did not have power to tax, so raising $$ to
build army very difficult
 Continental Army was mainly inexperienced,
local militia.
 Mainly used guerilla warfare

7. ADVANTAGES
 British
 More people/stronger
military
 More $$$
 American
 Leadership
 Aid from France
 geography
DISADVANTAGES
 British
 Didn’t want to fight
 Problems with other
countries
 Far away from home
 American
 Colonists split
 Lacked $$$
 No navy
 No professional soldiers

8.  Surprise at Ft.
Ticonderoga
 Gunpowder and
cannons
 Bunker (Breed’s) Hill
 British victory (built
Patriot confidence
though)
 Call for independence
growing
 King hires Hessians
 Fight for money

9.  Common Sense – influenced many to vote for
Independence
 July 4, 1776- Continental Congress issues the
Declaration of Independence
 Written by Thomas Jefferson
 Writings by John Locke influenced Jefferson
 All people have certain “natural rights”
 If gov’t failed to protect or violated rights, the people
have the right to overthrow gov’t

10.  The Declaration has 4
parts
 Preamble (why doc
was created)
 Declaration of
Natural Rights (from
Locke)
 List of grievances
(complaints against
GB)
 Resolution (declares
colonies free)

11.  1/3 of pop were Patriots (Whigs)
 1/3 were Loyalists (Tories)
 1/3 were neutral
 British could only control Loyalists.
 Used them as spies, soldiers, etc., but not much

13.  Congress asks Washington to try and defend
NYC, but many fled
 British controlled it until end of war
 Next move go to Philadelphia, but British camp
in nearby Trenton, NJ
 Washington crossed Delaware river defeated
British on 12.26.1776

15.  Britain tried to capture Hudson River Valley
 Plan: Burgoyne move south and Howe move
north
 Howe goes to Phila instead
 Pushes Washington to Valley Forge for winter
 Frenchman Marquis de Lafayette and Prussian
Baron Friedrich von Steuben help train soldiers and
boost morale
 Burgoyne left and defeated at Saratoga
 Convinced France to help America

16.  America sends Ben Franklin to France to ask
for aid
 United States signs first 2 treaties
 2.6.1778- France is first country to recognize US as
independent
 2nd treaty formally makes USA and France allies

17.  Britain tries to defeat US by coming from South
 Charles Town falls, and Charles Cornwallis
becomes British General
 Cornwallis moves to Virginia, eventually to
Yorktown
 American and French surround Yorktown
 Force Cornwallis to surrender

18. Cornwallis surrenders- fighting over!

19.  John Jay, Ben
Franklin, John Adams
 Granted US
independence
 Land west to Miss.
 North to Great lakes
 South thru Florida
 Loyalists weren’t
persecuted