American Revolutionary War Facts

American Revolution Battle Facts

Lexington Battle
Fighting at Lexington

Introduction

Starting in Lexington Massachusetts in April of 1775 numerous bloody battles were fought as American colonist struggled for their independence from Brittan during the American Revolution. These battles were fought over a wide range of locations including Quebec in the north down to Savannah Georgia in the south. Some were small clashes with little significance where others were major engagements known to any kid who has ever opened a history book. Some of these major battles made once little known towns such as Lexington, Concord, Saratoga, Princeton, and Yorktown famous. The battle casualties during the war were approximately eight thousand Americans and over seven thousand combined British and German losses (German mercenaries). In the timeline of battles below you will see how the early battles tended to be in the north whereas later in the war most of the major battles took place in the south. On this page of Revolutionary War facts we list a few of the most significant battles of Americas War for Independence including where and when they took place and what the outcome was. On the other pages of this section you will find detailed information about many of the key battles of the war. All of this information is written for both kids and adults.

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Major American Revolutionary War Battles

1775 (April 19) - The Battles of Lexington and Concord

The first battles of the American Revolution. The British army objective was to destroy an arsenal of weapons in Concord Massachusetts.

1776 (Beginning April 27) - Battles in and Around New York

The British fleet sailed into New York Harbor and on April 27, 1776 attacked at the Battle of Brooklyn Heights (also named the Battle of Long Island). The British forced the patriots led by George Washington to retreat to Manhattan Island. The British soon pushed the Continental Army out of Manhattan including an attack on Fort Washington. The patriots were eventually forced to retreat to Pennsylvania.

1776 (December 26) - Battle of Trenton

On December 26 (the day after Christmas) 1776 George Washington made his now famous crossing of the Delaware River and attacked Hessian soldiers in and around Trenton New Jersey. Although not a very important tactical victory for the colonist it was a huge morale boost for the army which had suffered one loss after another.

1777 (October 7) - The Battle of Saratoga

The Americans victory at Saratoga is regarded as the turning point of the American Revolution. It resulted in high morale for the patriots and helped convince France to aid the American war effort.

1781 (January 17) - The Battle of Cowpens

On January 17, 1781 north of the town of Cowpens South Carolina the Continental Army won an important battle that helped drive the British troops to Yorktown Virginia where they would lose the last major battle of the American Revolution. The British forces made a crucial mistake during the battle thinking they had routed the patriots and not realizing that there were additional American troops that would eventually send them into a panicked retreat.

1781 (September 28 - October 19) - The Battle of Yorktown

The last major battle of the war occurred at Yorktown Virginia. British general Cornwallis was forced to surrender after a siege and bombardment of his positions. The French navy was crucial in the victory.

Conclusion - American Revolutionary War Battle Facts

Against what seemed to be unbeatable odds the American colonist won the American Revolutionary War. From a string of early battle defeats they were able to regroup and defeat the mighty British army. This was made possible by many factors including the bravery and determination of the patriots, the amazing military leadership of such men as George Washington, and the ability of Benjamin Franklin and other diplomats to influence the French to aid the Americans cause.