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General Thomas Gage marched 700 British troops from Boston to nearby Concord
To
find and arrest Samuel Adams and John Hancock To find a colonial munitions stockpile
by Paul Revere, Samuel Prescott, and others of the coming British troops
Philadelphia- May 1775 13 colonies sent delegates Continental Army created George Washington- commander in chief Navy created Privateers became official American navy ships Olive Branch Petition Pleaded with George III to stop the abuses of Parliament and that they wanted peace and harmony with the Mother Country
Battle of Bunker Hill- June 1775 16,000 American militia set up camp on the heights above Boston American militia leader William Prescott established a fortification on Breeds Hill (Bunker Hill) Three straight British frontal assaults finally knocked the Americans from the position
King George III hires 30,000 German mercenaries (Hessians) to put down the rebellion in America American army invades Canada under the leadership of Benedict Arnold and Richard Montgomery- December 31, 1775 Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys attacked and conquered Fort Ticonderoga along the Hudson River and confiscated many cannons which would later be used by Washington during his attack on Boston
January 1776- pamphlet in which Paine outlined British rights and the kings abuses of those rights Declared that America should throw off the chains of bondage and become independent from Britain Sold over 100,000 copies right away and is considered to be a major spark for the Declaration of Independence
The Battle for BostonMarch 1776 General Washington and his troops siege Boston from the heights above the city British General Gage escaped to Halifax, Nova Scotia with his troops and 1,100 Tories (Loyalists)
Aided
European Aid
European countries were petitioned by American ambassadors to help the Americans in their quest for independence Germany, Poland, and France sent military commanders to help train American troops France sent supplies and money
Declaration of Independence
May 1776- Continental Congress advised the colonies to create their own governments A federal Congress was created July 2, 1776- Congress declared American independence (verbally announced)
No
Declaration of Independence
committee was selected to write an official Declaration of Independence Headed by Thomas Jefferson
Advised
Franklin
Based
on the writings of previous Englishmen who wrote about the English Bill of Rights after the Glorious Revolution almost 100 years prior
Declaration of Independence
The rest of the document listed the kings abuses of the rights of Englishmen in America Also showed how the American colonists tried to come to peaceful negotiations many times prior to this declaration
Declaration of Independence
Approved by the Congress on July 4, 1776 First signed by John Hancock (President of the Congress) and eventually signed by 56 delegates The last one to sign did so in November 1776
Declaration of Independence Copies were sent to all of the colonies Would later serve as a model to other nations seeking their independence