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skills reproducible
READING A CHRONOLOGY
The American Revolution
For more than six years, American colonists battled Great Britain in an effort to win their independence.
Use this chronology of some key dates in the Revolution to answer the questions that follow.
1775
1776
April 18Paul Revere (above) and two other men ride
through the Massachusetts countryside
to warn Minutemen (militia fighters) of the
approach of British troops. The next day,
Minutemen clash with soldiers at the villages
of Lexington and Concord—and the first
shots of the Revolution are fired.
June 15George Washington is named commander in
chief of the Continental Army.
July 4The Declaration of Independence (above)
is adopted. It says that the 13 American
colonies are independent of Britain.
Oct. 18The British army drives Washington from
New York City. Redcoats will occupy New
York for the rest of the war.
Dec. 26Washington leads his army across the
Delaware River to defeat the Hessians
(British allies) in Trenton, New Jersey.
questions
1. True or false? The Declaration of Independence angered the British, provoking the first shots in the war.
2. When did George Washington assume command of the Continental Army?
3. What happened when Washington crossed the Delaware?
4. Who did the Americans gain as an ally in 1777?
5. How long did the British occupy Philadelphia?
6. True or false? Because of Benedict Arnold’s traitorous plan, the Americans lost an important fort.
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skills reproducible
The American Revolution Chronology cont’d.
1777
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Sept. 25British forces capture Philadelphia; the
Continental Congress, which meets there,
manages to escape.
Oct. 17The Americans’ defeat of the British at
Saratoga, New York, convinces France to
aid them.
1780
Sept. 25Benedict Arnold’s plot to turn over West
Point to the British is exposed.
1781
Mar. 15Attempting to take the Carolinas, British
General Charles Cornwallis suffers
massive losses at Guilford Courthouse,
North Carolina, and retreats.
Oct. 19Outmaneuvered by American and French
troops, General Cornwallis surrenders to
General Washington at Yorktown, Virginia
(below). The defeat causes new leaders in
Britain’s Parliament to begin peace talks.
Dec. 19An ill-equipped, discouraged Continental
Army begins a harsh winter at Valley Forge,
Pennsylvania (above). Washington’s
leadership holds the army together.
1778
June 18Washington retakes Philadelphia after
the British retreat.
Dec. 29The British seize Savannah, Georgia. From
this point on, most fighting is done in the
Southern colonies.
1783
Sept. 3British and American representatives
sign a treaty in Paris, France, officially
ending the war and recognizing the
United States as an independent nation.
questions cont’d.
7. Who controlled New York City during the war?
8. What happened at the battle of Yorktown to change Britain’s attitude about the war?
9. How long after Britain’s General Cornwallis surrendered to General Washington did the war officially end?
10. How do you think the situation during the hard winter of 1777-78 at Valley Forge could have turned out
­differently? How might that have affected the war’s outcome?
November 22, 2010 • JUNIOR SCHOLASTIC online reproducible • Page 2 of 2