Skip to main content

11. The American Revolution

The strengths each side brought, the loyalists and the undecided, Lexington and Concord, Bunker Hill, the war at home, Valley Forge, and Saratoga.

11. The American Revolution

When the possibility of a clash with the British became real, New England farmers began to arm themselves and train for battle. These troops were dubbed "minut…

11a. American and British Strengths and Weaknesses

The question remains: What factors led an undisciplined, unprepared, divided American nation to prevail over the world's largest empire? British Strengths and…

11b. Loyalists, Fence-sitters, and Patriots

After patriots tore down the statue of King George III in New York City on July 9, 1776, they melted parts of it down and made bullets to use against the Briti…

11c. Lexington and Concord

Ready to fight at a moment's notice, minutemen began fighting early in the American Revolution. Their efforts at Lexington and Concord inspired many patriots t…

11d. Bunker Hill

This map shows details of the 1775-76 siege of Boston and outlines Bunker Hill and Breed's Hill on the Charlestown Peninsula. On the night of June 16, 1775, a…

11e. The Revolution on the Home Front

The African American poet Phyllis Wheatley was America's first published black poet and a patriot to boot. Most Americans did not actively participate in the R…

11f. Washington at Valley Forge

Cold, hunger, and sickness marked the Continental Army's stay at Valley Forge in Pennsylvania. Today, Valley Forge's wide fields are dotted with revolutionary…

11g. The Battle of Saratoga

British general John Burgoyne earned the nickname "Gentleman Johnny" for his love of leisure and his tendency to throw parties between battles. His surrender t…

11h. The French Alliance

This coat of arms captures the spirit of the Franco-American alliance. Half of the shield is painted with the pattern of the American flag, while the fleur-de-…

11i. Yorktown and the Treaty of Paris

The outlook for General Washington and the Americans never looked better. Although the American military was still enduring losses in 1780, the French were mak…