Important American Victories in the Revolutionary War
Julie Peloquin
US I Midterm question 3
10/23/14
The American Revolutionary War took place between 1775 and 1783, and in that time there were many battles and skirmishes between the British, Continental Army, and eventually French forces. It's difficult to point at any one engagement and declare it to be the turning point of the war, but there were a number of victories for the American forces that proved to be vital to their overall success. Among these are the fortification of Dorchester Heights, the first Battle of Trenton, the Battle of Monmouth, and finally the Siege of Yorktown. Following the capture of Fort Ticonderoga by Benedict Arnold, the artillery and cannons that had been stored there were brought to General Washington, who used this added firepower to set up a fortification on the hills over Dorchester, which prior to this point had been a position of strategic value but was too risky to take for fear of British retaliation. With the addition of the cannons and man made barriers using trees, the American forces were able to set up a strong defensive and offensive position from atop the cliffs, and the British artillery was unable to hit the cannons situated so high above them. In a letter addressed to her husband John Adams in March of 1776, Abigail Adams wrote “I hear we got possession of Dorchester Hill Last Night. 4000 thousand men upon it to day — lost but one Man.” (document 7-2) As a result of taking the cliffs, General Howe and his British forces were made to withdraw from the city of Boston, and did not retake the city at any point during the war. Despite the initial successes for the Americans at the beginning of the war, things had turned against them in New York with the forced evacuation from Long Island and capture of their forces in Manhattan. While the British forces wintered in New York in the winter of 1776, the Hessian mercenary forces took up winter quarters in Trenton, New Jersey. On the night of December 25th, George
US I Midterm question 3
10/23/14
The American Revolutionary War took place between 1775 and 1783, and in that time there were many battles and skirmishes between the British, Continental Army, and eventually French forces. It's difficult to point at any one engagement and declare it to be the turning point of the war, but there were a number of victories for the American forces that proved to be vital to their overall success. Among these are the fortification of Dorchester Heights, the first Battle of Trenton, the Battle of Monmouth, and finally the Siege of Yorktown. Following the capture of Fort Ticonderoga by Benedict Arnold, the artillery and cannons that had been stored there were brought to General Washington, who used this added firepower to set up a fortification on the hills over Dorchester, which prior to this point had been a position of strategic value but was too risky to take for fear of British retaliation. With the addition of the cannons and man made barriers using trees, the American forces were able to set up a strong defensive and offensive position from atop the cliffs, and the British artillery was unable to hit the cannons situated so high above them. In a letter addressed to her husband John Adams in March of 1776, Abigail Adams wrote “I hear we got possession of Dorchester Hill Last Night. 4000 thousand men upon it to day — lost but one Man.” (document 7-2) As a result of taking the cliffs, General Howe and his British forces were made to withdraw from the city of Boston, and did not retake the city at any point during the war. Despite the initial successes for the Americans at the beginning of the war, things had turned against them in New York with the forced evacuation from Long Island and capture of their forces in Manhattan. While the British forces wintered in New York in the winter of 1776, the Hessian mercenary forces took up winter quarters in Trenton, New Jersey. On the night of December 25th, George