War for Independence Chronology

Wars and Battles, 1775-1783

Many historians accept a distinction made by John Adams between the American Revolution and the War for Independence. The major events of the armed conflict are summarized in the table below.

The events that transformed colonists into an independent people are summarized in the American Revolution chronology.

1776	1777	1778	1779
1780	1781	1782	1783

Date	Main Theater	Secondary Theater	Other
1775
March			Virginia assembly suspended; Patrick Henry "liberty or death" speech
April 18	Revere and Dawes alert countryside
April 19	Battles of Lexington and Concord
May 10		Ethan Allen at Ticonderoga; Crown Point falls May 12	Second Continental Congress convenes in Philadelphia
May 25	Henry Clinton, Charles Cornwallis and John Burgoyne arrive in Boston
May 31			Mecklenburg Resolves (N.C.)
June 15			Washington named commander-in-chief; assumes command July 3
June 17	Battle of Bunker Hill
July 5			Olive Branch Petition
July 6			Declaration of Causes of Taking up Arms
August 23			George III declares colonies in rebellion
October			Congress authorizes naval construction
October 4			Court-martial of Benjamin Church
November 13		Montgomery at Montreal
November 16			Edmund Burke pleads American case in Parliament
November 29			Committee of Secret Correspondence formed
December 9		Battle of Great Bridge (Va.)
December 22			Parliament passes American Prohibitory Act
December 31		Arnold fails at Quebec
1776	Campaigns of 1776		top of page
January 15			Paine's Common Sense published
February 27		Loyalist loss at Moore's Creek Bridge (N.C.)
March 3		Continental Navy victory in Bahamas
March 17	British evacuate Boston
June 7			Richard Henry Lee introduces independence resolution in Congress
June 28		Battle of Sullivan's Island (S.C.)
June 29	William Howe to New York harbor; occupies Staten Island on July 2
July 2			Independence resolution approved by Congress
July 4			Jefferson's version of Declaration approved
July 12	Adm. Richard Howe to New York harbor
August 2			Declaration of Independence signed
August 27	British victory at Long Island
August 29-30	Washington escapes disaster at Brooklyn Heights
September 11			Staten Island Peace Conference
September 15	British occupy New York City
September 16	Rare American victory at Harlem Heights
September 21			New York City fire; Nathan Hale captured
October 11		Arnold at Valcour Island
October 28	British victory at White Plains
November 16	British victory at Fort Washington
November 20	Fort Lee abandoned
December 20			Congress relocates in Baltimore
December 24	Washington war council with generals
December 26	Patriot surprise victory at Trenton
1777	Campaigns of 1777		top of page
January 3	Patriot victory at Princeton
January - May	Washington winters at Morristown
March 4			Congress returns to Philadelphia
July 5		British take Fort Ticonderoga
August 6		Tactical draw at Oriskany
August 16		Stark over Hessians at Bennington
September 11	British victory at Banndywine
September 16	Battle of the Clouds
September 19		Gates victory at Freeman's Farm
September 21	Paoli Massacre
September 26	Howe occupies Philadelphia
September 27			Congress convenes in Lancaster, Pa.
October 4	American loss at Germantown
October 7		Burgoyne loss at Bemis Heights
October 17		Burgoyne surrender at Saratoga
October 22	Americans hold Fort Mercer
November 15			Congress adopts Articles of Confederation; sent to states for approval
November 16	Fort Mifflin falls to British
December 19	American winter camp at Valley Forge opens
1778	top of page
February 6			U.S.-French Alliance signed
May 20	Battle of Barren Hill
June 28	Battle of Monmouth
July 4		Clark takes Kaskaskia
August 8		Siege of Newport, R.I.
December 29		British occupy Savannah
1779	top of page
February 14		Loyalists lose at Kettle Creek
February 25		Clark takes Vincennes
April 24			John Paul Jones captures the Drake
June 21			Spain enters war against Britain
July 2			Congress returns to Philadelphia
July 3		Wyoming Valley attacks
July 4		G.R. Clark takes Kaskaskia
July		Connecticut cities raided by British
July 16		Wayne takes Stony Point
August 19	Lee strikes Paulus Hook
September 23			John Paul Jones takes Serapis
September 28	Tappan Massacre
November 11		Cherry Hill Massacre
1780	top of page
February 23		Clark victory at Vincennes
May 12	Charleston falls to British
May 29	British victory at Waxhaw Creek
June 20	Loyalists defeated at Ramseur's Mill
July 11			Arrival of first French toops
August 6	Loyalists defeated at Hanging Rock
August 16	British victory at Camden under Tarleton
September 23		Arrest of John Andre
September 25		Arnold's West Point plot unearthed
October 7	American victory at King's Mountain
1781	top of page
January			Pennsylvania troop mutiny
January 17	Morgan victorious at Cowpens
March 2			Articles of Confederation adopted by 13th state
March 15	Costly British victory at Guilford Courthouse
June 6	Americans take Augusta
July 6	Wayne defeated at Green Springs Farm
September 5	Battle of the Capes
September 6		Arnold raid on New London, Conn.
September 8	Greene defeated at Eutaw Springs
October 19	Cornwallis surrender at Yorktown
1782	top of page
March 20			Lord North resigns
July 11	British evacuate Savannah
November 30			Preliminary peace signed between Britain and U.S.
December 14	British evacuate Charleston
1783	top of page
April 19			Congress ratifies treaty
September 3			Treaty of Paris signed
November 16			Congress convenes at Annapolis, Md.
November 25		British evacuate New York City
December 4			Washington's farewell dinner with officers
December 23			Washington resigns commission at Annapolis

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