After initial successes, particularly the capture of Fort Ticonderoga in upstate New York, an American invasion of Canada stalled and ended in failure at the end of the year. At Moore’s Creek in North Carolina and Sullivan’s Island at Charleston, American forces stopped British invasions. Washington then forced 11,000 British soldiers to evacuate Boston the following March, when Henry Knox successfully led 12 artillery pieces from Fort Ticonderoga to Dorchester Heights overlooking the city below.īy the early spring of 1776, the war had expanded to other regions. George Washington arrived that July to assume command of the American forces, organized as the Continental Army. In an attempt to drive the colonials away from the city, British forces attacked the Americans at Breed’s Hill on June 17th, resulting in heavy casualties for the redcoats in the war’s first major battle. The militia harassed the British all the way from Concord to Boston, and then surrounded the city. The American War of Independence had officially begun. The “minutemen” intended only a show of force, and were dispersing, when a shot rang out. British regulars arrived on the Lexington Green early on the morning of April 19 and discovered the town’s militia awaiting their arrival. Fighting began outside of Boston in the spring of 1775 during a British raid to seize munitions at Lexington and Concord. Both sides prepared for war as negotiations continued to falter. Despite the growing unrest, many Americans perceived war and independence as a last resort.īy 1775, however, tensions reached a boiling point. From 1763 to 1776, Parliament, King George III, royal governors, and colonists clashed over regulations of trade, representation, and taxation. Though seemingly a reasonable course of action – considering the British had come to the defense of the colonies in the French and Indian War – many colonials were livid at the levying of taxes. Beginning in 1763, Great Britain instituted a series of parliamentary acts for taxing the American colonies. Great Britain had amassed an enormous debt following the French and Indian War so, as a means to help alleviate at least some of the financial burden, they expected the American colonies to shoulder their share. However, this period of tranquility and prosperity would not last. This laissez-faire approach allowed the colonies to flourish financially, which in turn proved profitable for the mother country as well. The colonies enjoyed a period of “salutary neglect” meaning that the colonial governments were more or less able to self-govern without intervention from Parliament. Share to Google Classroom Added by 300 Educatorsįor the better part of the 17th and 18th centuries, the relationship between Great Britain and her North American colonies was firm, robust, and peaceable. Saved Land Browse Interactive Map View active campaigns.Speak Out to Protect Wyse Fork Battlefield.Help Save 52 Hallowed Acres at Three Virginia Battlefields. Help Preserve 177 Acres at Buffington Island.
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