We WON (Didn't we?)

The following year, delegates from all 13 colonies meet in Philadelphia to assess the situation. Their original intent is only to draft a set of grievances to present to the King. The colonists are still hoping of getting some relief.

But then, word arrives that British forces have abruptly abandoned Boston, due to cannons which magically appear, to threaten the entire British position. The British evacuate, sailing back to their base in Nova Scotia.

Sensing victory, the delegates go far beyond a simple formal protest, and vote instead to take a huge gamble. They declare the 'United States of America' to be an independent country, free forever from British control.
Fort Ticonderoga cannons, 1775-76

  Bringing in the Guns
In an incredible feat of endurance, patriots somehow manage to drag 60 cannons down to Boston all the way from Fort Ticonderoga, far to the north (see map). The journey takes 80 oxen and three months, but the cannons arrive in Boston by spring. They are quickly moved into position on the heights overlooking Boston, and the British are forced to evacuate. Well done, Lads.

Declaration of Independence, 1776

  Choosing Independence
When colonial delegates assemble in Philadelphia for the Second Continental Congress, they are mainly looking for ways to convince the King to ease off a bit. But they are influenced by a newly-published pamphlet, which argues persuasively that the time for kings is OVER. When news arrives, shortly thereafter, of the British evacuation from Boston, delegates become convinced that the time for action has arrived. They vote unanimously to adopt a Declaration of Independence, formally breaking from Britain.


British invasion of New York, 1776

  Invasion of New York
Six weeks later, the British are suddenly back, this time arriving in New York. The invasion fleet which arrives off Manhattan Island, however, is three times the size of the one that evacuated Boston, three months earlier. Had the delegates in Philadelphia known about the fleet, they might have hesitated to declare independence so confidently. It takes the British six weeks to consolidate their forces, before launching their assault on the tip of Long Island.