Revolutionary War Battles

April 19, 1775: Nobody knows who fired "The Shot Heard Round The World" in these two battles that mark the beginning of the Revolutionary War.

• Bunker & Breed's Hill

• Lexington & Concord

• Freeman's Farm & Bemis Heights

• Ticonderoga and Quebec

May 10, 1775: Ethan Allen and his "Green Mountain Boys" caught the British sleeping and took over this fort and its valuable cannons.

• Fort Mercer

• Fort Lafayette

• Fort Ticonderoga

• Fort Saratoga

June 17, 1775: Low on ammunition, American William Prescott yelled to his men - "Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes" during this early battle. The Patriots lost but the British had twice as many casualties.

• Battle of Bunker Hill

• Battle of Saratoga

• Battle of Trenton

• Battle of Yorktown

December 26, 1776: After several defeats and retreats, Washington crossed the Delaware on Christmas night and led his troops to a huge victory against Hessian soldiers in this battle that lifted the spirits of his Continental Army.

• Battle of Quebec

• Battle of Breed's Hill

• Battle of Cowpens

• Battle of Trenton

October 7, 1777: Victory for the Americans in this battle over a hungry and tired British Army is considered the turning point of the war. Winning here convinced the French to join the Patriots cause against the British.

• Battle of Yorktown

• Battle of Princeton

• Battle of Valley Forge

• Battle of Saratoga

December, 1778: Washington and his army spend the winter here. Lacking food, clothing, and supplies, nearly 2000 men die. Conditions improve in the Spring and the Army gets training from Von Steuben.

• West Point

• Valley Forge

• Hudson River Valley

• Lexington & Concord

September 23, 1779: Off the coast of England, Captain John Paul Jones captures the British warship, HMS Serapis. It is during this sea battle that Jones says "We have not yet begun to fight!" from the deck of his badly damaged and sinking ship. Name Jones' ship, a gift from France, that was sunk during this battle.

• Bonhomme Richard

• Old Ironsides

• Andrea Doria

• Titanic

March to May, 1780: After losses in the north, the British Army turned south where there were more Loyalists. Early British successes in the south included the battle and seige of this southern city - the greatest loss for the Continental Army was General Lincoln's surrender of 5000 American troops to the British.

• Savannah

• Atlanta

• Richmond

• Charleston

January 17, 1781: This victory was a result of brilliant strategy by the new commander of the southern army, Nathanael Greene. The British were fooled by a fake retreat and lost the battle. The loss here led to the end of the British "Southern Campaign".

• Battle of Kings Mountain

• Battle of Guilford Court

• Battle of Cowpens

• Battle of Savannah

October 19, 1781: After a siege that lasted for 3 weeks, General Cornwallis surrenders to General Washington in this Virginia city. Fighting will continue for several months, but the last major land battle was fought here.

• Charleston

• Yorktown

• Richmond

• New York