American Revolution
Senior 2 · History
American Revolution
Lesson 2 of 3
22 min
The course of a revolution means how it unfolded: the main events, battles and turning points, in order. Examiners test the course with dates and with "why did X win?" questions. The key puzzle here is how a new army of farmers and townspeople defeated the world's strongest navy and a professional army.
| Date | Event | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Aug–Sept 1776 | British defeat Washington near New York and occupy the city | New York became Britain's main base for the rest of the war. |
| Dec 1776 | Washington crosses the Delaware and wins at Trenton | A small victory that saved American morale. |
| Oct 1777 | Saratoga: British General Burgoyne's army surrenders | The turning point: it persuaded France to join the war. |
| 1777–1778 | Winter at Valley Forge | Cold and hunger, but the Continental Army was trained into a disciplined force. |
| Feb 1778 | Treaty of Alliance with France | French money, troops and above all a navy. Spain (1779) and the Dutch (1780) also went to war with Britain. |
| 1778–1781 | British campaign in the South | Early British successes at Savannah and Charleston, but guerrilla war wore them down. |
| Sept–Oct 1781 | Yorktown: American and French forces trap General Cornwallis; a French fleet blocks British rescue by sea | Cornwallis surrenders on 19 October 1781. The last major battle. |
| 3 Sept 1783 | Treaty of Paris | Britain recognises the independence of the United States. |
Question: Why is Saratoga (1777) called the turning point of the war?
Before Saratoga, France had helped the Americans secretly but would not risk open war with Britain for a rebellion that might fail. The surrender of a whole British army at Saratoga proved the Americans could win. In February 1778 France signed a formal alliance, bringing an army, money and a navy. Without the French fleet, Cornwallis could not have been trapped at Yorktown. Saratoga changed the war from a rebellion into an international conflict that Britain could not win.
Tip
Three dates carry the whole war: 1775 the war begins (Lexington and Concord); 1776 independence is declared (4 July); 1781 the fighting effectively ends (Yorktown). Add 1777 Saratoga as the turning point and 1783 the Treaty of Paris as the end.
Where and when did the fighting begin?
Solution. At Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts, on 19 April 1775.
Who was the main author of the Declaration of Independence, and when was it adopted?
Solution. Thomas Jefferson; it was adopted by Congress on 4 July 1776.
Explain two ways France helped the Americans.
Solution. France supplied money, weapons and soldiers, and its navy defeated the British fleet off Chesapeake Bay in 1781, which trapped Cornwallis at Yorktown and forced his surrender.
Give two reasons Britain lost the war.
Solution. Any two of: long supply lines across the Atlantic; the need to fight France, Spain and the Dutch at the same time; poor co-ordination between generals; underestimating American support for independence; weak support at home.
Remember
Sources and credits
This lesson adapts CC BY-SA material and is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
