Alex I.

  Research Report

    Introduction

Here's a map of the original colonies.

America is one of the world's greatest powers, a nation built in the dust of the Revolutionary War... A war that many thought could not be won. The British, the world leader in almost everything, had offspring: America, or the 13 colonies at the time, were growing in power. In the few years leading up to the war, the states made  their own currency, a government, and a country.   

     

The Battle of Yorktown

The battle of Yorktown was the last battle of the Revolutionary War.  There, Lord Cornwallis and the British army were muffled, ending the Revolutionary War.  It was a long battle; the British knew if they lost, they would have to back out of the war. They were already exhausted after the French and Indian war. This was the final punch to the British.  The attack front was from 3 different angles: the east, west, and north. The British were hit from the east  by the French fleet, north by the U.S. Militia, and south by the U.S. Congressional army.  The attack was designed to corner the British and force their surrender.

The British fought valiantly but the Pincer Maneuver worked perfectly: the enemy was pushed up against the sea and couldn't leave because of the French fleet blocking the port. The French fleet was assisted by Spanish warships. They won a naval battle against Sir Thomas Graves.  The commanding British naval officer was crushed by the French and Spanish in one of the most  important  battles of the war. If not won, the British would still have had a way to escape and to bring reinforcements.  

It might have looked like this. This is a picture of a 1700 naval battle. Could you tell??

The Battle of Bunker Hill

The Battle of Bunker Hill was fought on June 1775 and its primary objective was to capture Bunker Hill. But actually, the battle was mainly fought on Breeds Hill , and other fortified lines across Charleston peninsula . The continental spies knew that the British would send troops to the non occupied hill.  They would fortify it to defend Boston Harbor, a key point in the war. Without it British shipping would be crippled ,and reinforcements would be almost impossible to get. The U.S sent 1,200 continental troops . They got there before the British and captured the hills freely. After the the British were alerted, they sent 3 waves of troops to take Breeds Hill. The 3rd and final wave did it, but only because the Patriots had run out of ammo, they retreated and went back to Bunker Hill. Even though the British had won the battle, they had 226 men killed and over 800 wounded. It was a literal victory for the British but a physical win for the Patriots.        

This was one of the key factors of the battle: the British positioned their artillery in a completely useless spot and it did not affect the battle.

The Battle of Lexington / Concord

Lexington and Concord were the first battles of the revolution and were fought on April 19, 1775. The battles marked the outbreak of open armed combat between the British and the 13  colonies. The first shots were fired at sunup. The U.S. militia was outnumbered and retreated. The British separated looking for supplies  into groups of about 100. They planned to later burn them if they could capture them. One of the smaller battles happened when 400 militiamen took on 100 lobsterbacks . The main objective for the Patriots was to capture Boston while the British tried to defend the key fort and dock.  The colonists “won the battle” but lost a lot of ammunition and supplies.

This is a 1900 depiction of the battle. It was more close range than many other battles.

Strategy

British- The British during the 1700s did not believe in non-conventional warfare. They liked to fight very formally using no camouflage or ambushes. They would line up and fire at the Patriots and then bombard with artillery  (a fancy word for long range cannons). After the bombardment, they would charge with  bayonets and cutlasses in hand trying to absolutely murder the enemy using everything they've got.

Patriots-The Patriots knew they couldn't win a head on engagement with the British but had to use small hit and run raids and guerrilla raids to take out the exhausted British army. Also the colonies invented the Kentucky longrifle, the first weapon to use grooves to increase the accuracy of the rifle. They used it to take out British officers from far away.

A civil war-era Kentucky longrifle

Conclusion

There you have it, some of the most important battles of the revolution from Lexington to Yorktown. The challenges and triumphs. Defeats and victories all for the right of being its own country. All those men who lost their lives for something great. The fact that if they could look back and see what this country has become, they would be proud and sad for their decision, with ripped emotions over their lives which they gave up.