Many historians accept a distinction made by John Adams between the American Revolution and the War for Independence. The major events of the armed conflict are summarized in the table below. The events that transformed colonists into an independent people are summarized in the American Revolution timeline.
|
Date
|
Main Theater
|
Secondary Theater
|
Other
|
| 1775 | |||
|
March
|
Virginia assembly suspended; Patrick Henry "liberty or death" speech | ||
|
April 18
|
Revere and Dawes alert countryside | ||
|
April 19
|
Battle of Lexington and Concord | ||
|
May 10
|
Ethan Allen at Ticonderoga; Crown Point falls May 12 | Second Continental Congress convenes in Philadelphia | |
|
May 25
|
Henry Clinton, Charles Cornwallis and John Burgoyne arrive in Boston | ||
|
May 31
|
Mecklenburg Resolves (N.C.) | ||
|
June 15
|
Washington named commander-in-chief; assumes command July 3 | ||
|
June 17
|
Battle of Bunker Hill | ||
|
July 5
|
Olive Branch Petition | ||
|
July 6
|
Declaration of Causes of Taking up Arms | ||
|
August 23
|
George III declares colonies in rebellion | ||
|
October
|
Congress authorizes naval construction | ||
|
October 4
|
Court-martial of Benjamin Church | ||
|
November 13
|
Montgomery at Montreal | ||
|
November 16
|
Edmund Burke pleads American case in Parliament | ||
|
November 29
|
Committee of Secret Correspondence formed | ||
|
December 9
|
Battle of Great Bridge (Va.) | ||
|
December 22
|
Parliament passes American Prohibitory Act | ||
|
December 31
|
Arnold fails at Quebec | ||
| Campaigns of 1776 | |||
|
January 15
|
Paine's Common Sense published | ||
|
February 27
|
Loyalist loss at Moore's Creek Bridge (N.C.) | ||
|
March 3
|
Continental Navy victory in Bahamas | ||
|
March 17
|
British evacuate Boston | ||
|
June 7
|
Richard Henry Lee introduces independence resolution in Congress | ||
|
June 28
|
Battle of Sullivan's Island (S.C.) | ||
|
June 29
|
William Howe to New York harbor; occupies Staten Island on July 2 | ||
|
July 2
|
Independence resolution approved by Congress | ||
|
July 4
|
Jefferson's version of Declaration approved | ||
|
July 12
|
Adm. Richard Howe to New York harbor | ||
|
August 2
|
Declaration of Independence signed | ||
|
August 27
|
British victory at Long Island | ||
|
August
29-30 |
Washington escapes disaster at Brooklyn Heights | ||
|
September 11
|
Staten Island Peace Conference | ||
|
September 15
|
British occupy New York City | ||
|
September 16
|
Rare American victory at Harlem Heights | ||
|
September 21
|
New York City fire; Nathan Hale captured |
||
|
October 11
|
Arnold at Valcour Island | ||
|
October 28
|
British victory at White Plains | ||
|
November 16
|
British victory at Fort Washington | ||
|
November 20
|
Fort Lee abandoned | ||
|
December 20
|
Congress relocates in Baltimore | ||
|
December 24
|
Washington war council with generals | ||
|
December 26
|
Patriot surprise victory at Trenton | ||
| 1777 | Campaigns of 1777 | ||
|
January 3
|
Patriot victory at Princeton | ||
|
January - May
|
Washington winters at Morristown | ||
|
March 4
|
Congress returns to Philadelphia | ||
|
July 5
|
British take Fort Ticonderoga | ||
|
August 6
|
Tactical draw at Oriskany | ||
|
August 16
|
Stark over Hessians at Bennington | ||
|
September 11
|
British victory at Banndywine | ||
|
September 16
|
Battle of the Clouds | ||
|
September 19
|
Gates victory at Freeman's Farm | ||
|
September 21
|
Paoli Massacre | ||
|
September 26
|
Howe occupies Philadelphia | ||
|
September 27
|
Congress convenes in Lancaster, Pa. | ||
|
October 4
|
American loss at Germantown | ||
|
October 7
|
Burgoyne loss at Bemis Heights | ||
|
October 17
|
Burgoyne surrender at Saratoga | ||
|
October 22
|
Americans hold Fort Mercer | ||
|
November 15
|
Congress adopts Articles of Confederation; sent to states for approval | ||
|
November 16
|
Fort Mifflin falls to British | ||
|
December 19
|
American winter camp at Valley Forge opens | ||
|
February 6
|
U.S.-French Alliance signed | ||
|
May 20
|
Battle of Barren Hill | ||
|
June 28
|
Battle of Monmouth | ||
|
July 4
|
Clark takes Kaskaskia | ||
|
August 8
|
Siege of Newport, R.I. | ||
|
December 29
|
British occupy Savannah | ||
|
February 14
|
Loyalists lose at Kettle Creek | ||
|
February 25
|
Clark takes Vincennes | ||
|
April 24
|
John Paul Jones captures the Drake | ||
|
June 21
|
Spain enters war against Britain | ||
|
July 2
|
Congress returns to Philadelphia | ||
|
July 3
|
Wyoming Valley attacks | ||
|
July 4
|
G.R. Clark takes Kaskaskia | ||
|
July
|
Connecticut cities raided by British | ||
|
July 16
|
Wayne takes Stony Point | ||
|
August 19
|
Lee strikes Paulus Hook | ||
|
September 23
|
John Paul Jones takes Serapis | ||
|
September 28
|
Tappan Massacre | ||
|
November 11
|
Cherry Hill Massacre | ||
|
February 23
|
Clark victory at Vincennes | ||
|
May 12
|
Charleston falls to British | ||
|
May 29
|
British victory at Waxhaw Creek | ||
|
June 20
|
Loyalists defeated at Ramseur's Mill | ||
|
July 11
|
Arrival of first French toops | ||
|
August 6
|
Loyalists defeated at Hanging Rock | ||
|
August 16
|
British victory at Camden under Tarleton | ||
|
September 23
|
Arrest of John Andre | ||
|
September 25
|
Arnold's West Point plot unearthed | ||
|
October 7
|
American victory at King's Mountain | ||
|
January
|
Pennsylvania troop mutiny | ||
|
January 17
|
Morgan victorious at Cowpens | ||
|
March 2
|
Articles of Confederation adopted by 13th state | ||
|
March 15
|
Costly British victory at Guilford Courthouse | ||
|
June 6
|
Americans take Augusta | ||
|
July 6
|
Wayne defeated at Green Springs Farm | ||
|
September 5
|
Battle of the Capes | ||
|
September 6
|
Arnold raid on New London, Conn. | ||
|
September 8
|
Greene defeated at Eutaw Springs | ||
|
October 19
|
Cornwallis surrender at Yorktown | ||
|
March 20
|
Lord North resigns | ||
|
July 11
|
British evacuate Savannah | ||
|
November 30
|
Preliminary peace signed between Britain and U.S. | ||
|
December 14
|
British evacuate Charleston | ||
|
April 19
|
Congress ratifies treaty | ||
|
September 3
|
Treaty of Paris signed | ||
|
November 16
|
Congress convenes at Annapolis, Md. | ||
|
November 25
|
British evacuate New York City | ||
|
December 4
|
Washington's farewell dinner with officers | ||
|
December 23
|
Washington resigns commission at Annapolis | ||