Revolutionary War Key Events Step Book
Teacher Directions and Tips:
• Copy the templates provided onto 4 sheets of white paper. White paper works best with
the images.
• Copy “Declaration of Independence” and “Lexington and Concord” front to back so that
the “Declaration of Independence” is at the bottom of one side and “Lexington and
Concord” is upside down at the top of the reverse side.
• Copy “Battle of Saratoga” and “First Continental Congress” front to back so that “Battle
of Saratoga” is on the bottom of one side and “Continental Congress” is upside down at
the top of the reverse side.
•Copy “Surrender at Yorktown” and “Boston Tea Party” front to back so that “Surrender at
Yorktown” is on the bottom of one side and “Boston Tea Party is upside down at the top of
the reverse side.
•Copy “Treaty of Paris” and “Boston Massacre” front to back so that “Treaty of Paris” is on
the bottom of one side and “Boston Massacre” is upside down at the top of the reverse
side.
• Stack the copied sheets as shown below so that the titles can be seen. Fold the top
parts of the sheets over, and crease so that the tabs are the same size and can be easily
read. See the finished sample below.
• Use a long handled stapler to staple the sheets at the fold. Alternatively, you can use a
thin line of glue in the creases of the sheets.
•Students will add information to the graphic organizers under each of the corresponding
tabs. Illustrations may be added if desired.
Declaration of Independence
Battle of Saratoga
Surrender
at Yorktown
Surrender at Yorktown
Treaty of Paris
Susie Orr, Fairfax County Public Schools, revised 2012.
Image credits as listed on each slide. Foldable technique developed by Dinah Zike, Comfort, TX.
Answer Key for Key Events: (USI.6c)
Students responses may include some or all of the following points. Points of
significance listed go beyond the SOL essential knowledge.
Boston Massacre:
Who: Colonists and British soldiers in Boston
What: Colonists were shot after taunting British soldiers. 5 died.
Significance: Increased tensions throughout the colonies, one of the first events that occurred
prior to the war that began 5 years later. First time brother was pitted against brother and the
sides for the American Revolution were drawn after this battle.
Boston Tea Party:
Who: Samuel Adams and Paul Revere
What: They led patriots in throwing tea into Boston Harbor to protest tea taxes.
Significance: Symbolizes protests in America even today; a culmination of colonial resistance
to a tax signifying British control. The Boston Harbor was closed, and the Coercive Acts
followed, closing Boston commerce. The colonists responded by calling the First Continental
Congress.
First Continental Congress:
Who: Delegates from all colonies except Georgia
What: They met to discuss problems with Great Britain and to promote independence.
Significance: The colonists coordinated their resistance to British control, asking to repeal the
Coercive Acts. Before this time individual states were more important than the unified group.
This was the first attempt to try to unify 13 different states.
Battles at Lexington and Concord:
Who: British regulars and patriots - the Massachusetts militia.
What: Armed conflicts- British were given orders to capture and destroy the military supplies of
the Massachusetts militia.
Significance: They were the first armed conflicts of the Revolutionary War. The Siege of
Boston resulted after the British withdrew to Charlestown.
Approval of the Declaration of Independence:
Who: 13 colonies
What: The colonies declared independence from Great Britain (July 4, 1776).
Significance: The colonies announced to Great Britain that they were no longer part of the
British empire. They knew that If they were unsuccessful, they would be treated as traitors and
executed.
Battle of Saratoga:
Who: British fighting American troops.
What: An American victory
Significance: This was the turning point in the war, and brought France into the war as an
American ally providing supplies and ammunition- a key to the final American victory.
Surrender at Yorktown:
Who: General George Washington and Comte de Rochambeau, and Lord Cornwallis.
What: This was the colonial victory over forces of Lord Cornwallis
Significance: It marked the end of the Revolutionary War.
Signing of the Treaty of Paris:
Who: John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and John Jay (representing the United States) signed
at the Hotel d'York in France. British Parliament member David Hartley signed representing
the British Monarch, King George III.
What: Treaty signed on September 3, 1783, between Great Britain and the United States of
America.
Significance: Great Britain recognized American independence in this treaty.
Who:
What:
Significance:
Approval of the Declaration of Independence
Who:
What:
Significance:
Battles at Lexington and Concord
Who:
What:
Significance:
Battle of Saratoga
Significance:
Who:
What:
First Continental Congress
Who:
What:
Significance:
Surrender at Yorktown
What:
Who:
Boston Tea Party
Significance:
Who:
What:
Significance:
Signing of the Treaty of Paris
Boston Massacre
Significance:
What:
USI.6c
Who:
Key Events in the American Revolution
Susie Orr, Fairfax County Public Schools, 2012.
Foldable technique developed by Dinah Zike, Comfort, TX.
Image credits
Drafting the Declaration of Independence. The Committee - Franklin, Jefferson, Adams,
Livingston and Sherman. Copy of engraving after Alonzo Chappel.
1776
Records of the Bureau of Public Roads
Archival Research Catalog (ARC) ID: 513332
Retreat from Concord
Records of the Commission of Fine Arts
Archival Research Catalog (ARC) ID: 518209 Unrestricted Access
Battle of Saratoga This image is a work of an employee of the Architect of the Capitol, taken or
made during the course of the person's official duties. As a work of the U.S. federal government, all
images created or made by the Architect of the Capitol are in the public domain, with the exception of
classified information.
The scene of the surrender of the British General John Burgoyne at Saratoga, on October 17, 1777,
was a turning point in the American Revolutionary War that prevented the British from dividing New
England from the rest of the colonies
Surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown, Virginia, October 19, 1781, by which over 7,000 British
and Hessians became prisoners. Copy of lithograph by James Baillie, circa 1845.
Records of Commissions of the Legislative Branch
Archival Research Catalog (ARC) ID: 532883
Surrender at Yorktown: Rotunda of the US Capital, This work is in the public domain in the United
States because it was published (or registered with the U.S. Copyright Office) before January 1, 1923.
Public domain works must be out of copyright in both the United States and in the source country of
the work in order to be hosted on the Commons. If the work is not a U.S. work, the file must have an
additional copyright tag indicating the copyright status in the source country.
Boston Tea Party: Wikimedia Commons, This media file is in the public domain in the United
States. This applies to U.S. works where the copyright has expired, often because its first publication
occurred prior to January 1, 1923. See this page for further explanation
Treaty of Paris: Library of Congress, This media file is in the public domain in the United States.
This applies to U.S. works where the copyright has expired, often because its first publication
occurred prior to January 1, 1923. See this page for further explanation.