War Begins

1775
Lexington and Concord
Fort Ticonderoga

1776
Battle of Bunker Hill
British evacuation of Boston
British invasion of New York
Washington's retreat
Battle of Trenton

1777
Battle of Saratoga
Lexington, Concord, Ft Ticonderoga, 1775 map

  First Shots Fired
As conditions deteriorate in Boston, colonists calling themselves 'Patriots' begin to take action. When the British send out troops to confiscate arms suspected of being stored in Lexington and Concord, the Patriots are waiting for them, and shots are exchanged. That winter, a band of Patriots manage to take Fort Ticonderoga, and transfer many cannons all the way to Boston, to put pressure on the British. 

Patriot siege of Boston, 1775 map

  British Trapped
By 1775, the British have 6,000 troops occupying Boston, and the pot is boiling over. The Patriots, now led by George Washington, have a militia force of similar size, with fortifications all around the city designed to keep the British bottled up. When the British try to occupy land just north of the city, they find Patriots already in position, dug in and determined to fight. The British manage to dislodge the Patriots at the Battle of Bunker Hill, but take crippling casualties. The fight is now ON.


British victory, Battle of Long Island, 1776 map

  The British Return
The British are finally forced to evacuate Boston in the spring of 1776, and Patriots gathered in Philadelphia decide the time is ripe to declare independence. The ink is barely dry, however, before the British return, this time to invade New York. Their army is three times larger than the one which evacuated from Boston. The British land just south of New York, on Long Island. By evening, the Patriots are trapped against water that separates Brooklyn from Manhattan (right). Their position appears hopeless.


Washington retreat from New York, 1776 map

  Miraculous Escape
As evening sets in, Washington is trying to evacuate the wounded by small boat, when he realizes he might be able to evacuate the entire remainder of his army, before dawn. This is a chancy business, but the final boatload leaves in the morning, concealed by a lucky fog. Washington has escaped disaster. The British cross to Manhattan to pursue, and are checked briefly at the Battle of Harlem. But Washington is outnumbered and outgunned, and continues to retreat.


Washington victory at Trenton, 1776 map

  Surprise Victory at Trenton
Washington leads his dejected army on a long retreat from New York, traveling north until he is able to cross the Hudson River. He then turns south, and continues his retreat for the remainder of the year. He is nearing Philadelphia, when he decides to take another big chance. Doubling back, he re-crosses the ice-choked Delaware River to pounce on an unsuspecting British garrison at Trenton. The British are caught flat-footed and drunk, on Christmas Eve, and Washington has his first real victory.


Patriot victory at Saratoga, 1777map

  Turning Point at Saratoga
The following year, the British plan an ambitious, three-pronged offensive to split off the New England colonies from Washington's bedraggled army in New Jersey. But the plans go awry. The western prong is ambushed at the Battle of Oriskany, and forced to turn back. The main British army in New York ignores the plan, and sets sail instead for Philadelphia. This enables the Americans to defeat and capture the remaining force, at the Battle of Saratoga, in a decisive victory which wins French support.