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By Michael Gryboski
People across the United States are celebrating the nation’s Independence Day, which marks the anniversary of when the 13 colonies declared their independence from the British Empire.
The demand for independence, however, was not enough, as American colonists had to fight the United Kingdom to gain autonomy from the powerful European nation.
While not an exhaustive list of victories on the part of the American rebels, the battles and sieges listed nevertheless showcase key moments in the struggle for independence.
Here are seven important victories in the American Revolution. They include one of the opening skirmishes, a battle that guaranteed foreign intervention on behalf of the rebellion, and the siege that ended it all.
The Battle of Concord – April 19, 1775
The battles of Lexington and Concord were the first official battles of the American Revolution, taking place when colonial forces offered resistance against British troops in Massachusetts, who had been searching for a cache of weapons.
After dispersing a small militia force in Lexington, around 700 British soldiers marched to Concord, where they encountered approximately 2,000 minutemen, who violently harassed the column until it withdrew from the area.
“The relatively low casualties of the Battles of Lexington and Concord proved they could stand up to one of the most powerful armies in the world. News of the battle quickly spread, reaching London on May 28,” noted History.com.
“By the following summer, a full-scale war of independence had broken out, paving the way for the creation of the United States of America.”
The Battle of Fort Ticonderoga – May 10, 1775
Less than a month after the war began, Colonel Ethan Allen and his Green Mountain Boys force worked with rebel commander Benedict Arnold to attack Fort Ticonderoga, based in New York.
Fewer than 100 Americans stormed the fortress at night, overcoming a single sentry for the garrison of about 50 and capturing the position without a single fatality on either side.
“The capture of Fort Ticonderoga was the first offensive victory for American forces in the Revolutionary War. It secured the strategic passageway north to Canada and netted the patriots an important cache of artillery,” explained the American Battlefield Trust.
“Fort Ticonderoga remains firmly in American hands until the Saratoga Campaign of 1777, when the British Army, under the command of General John Burgoyne, recaptures it as they move south from Canada.”
The Siege of Boston – April 19, 1775 to March 17, 1776
For nearly a year, militia and Continental Army forces laid siege to British forces in Boston, Massachusetts, with multiple minor battles being tied to the effort to take the city.
A turning point came when General George Washington was able to move artillery taken from Fort Ticonderoga and elsewhere onto Dorchester Heights, threatening Boston’s defenders.
“Conditions within the town were harsh for all who remained; although the British maintained control of Boston Harbor, provisions dwindled while they waited for supply ships to arrive,” noted the Massachusetts Historical Society.
“Using artillery captured by an expedition led by Henry Knox from Fort Ticonderoga and Crown Point, Washington’s forces aimed cannons at British ships anchored in the harbor. On 17 March, the British were finally forced to evacuate Boston.”
The Battle of Trenton – Dec. 26, 1776
In desperate need of a major victory, General George Washington famously led his Continental Army across the Delaware River to attack an encampment of Hessians, German soldiers who were employed by the British Army.
On the morning after Christmas, after traversing through fierce wintry weather, Washington’s forces attacked the encampment at Trenton, New Jersey, surprising the Hessians.
“In only one hour of fighting, the Continental Army captured nearly nine hundred Hessian officers and soldiers as well as a large supply of muskets, bayonets, swords, and cannons,” wrote Professor Cody Lass of Texas Tech University for the official Mount Vernon website.
“Washington assembled all of his officers in Trenton to discuss whether they should attack another post, hold their position in Trenton, or retreat back across the Delaware River. Washington decided that because of the condition of his army, the best move was to return to their camps across the river.”
The Battle of Saratoga – Sept. 19 to Oct. 7, 1777
Considered the turning point of the war, the Battle of Saratoga took place in New York, and came in response to an offensive headed by British General John Burgoyne.
Burgoyne encounters the defenses of Continental Army General Horatio Gates, who suffers heavy losses trying to take the positions and then has his army captured.
The Battle of Cowpens – Jan. 17, 1781
Taking place in South Carolina, the battle of Cowpens involved around 1,100 British troops under Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton being defeated by Brigadier General Daniel Morgan’s approximately 1,000 American troops.
During the battle, Morgan had his militia fire upon the British and then withdraw, giving them the false impression that the colonial soldiers were retreating.
When Tarleton’s forces pursue, they were met with regular soldiers who overpowered them and then drove them off the field, with hundreds of British being captured, while around 100 were killed.
According to the American Battlefield Trust, the battle “further weakened British attempts to wrest the southern colonies from American control.”
“Morgan’s brilliant victory over Tarleton at the Battle of Cowpens was humiliating for the elite British Army officer. His loss directly contributed to Cornwallis’ defeat in the southern colonies, the British surrender at Yorktown, and American independence,” noted the Trust.
The Siege of Yorktown – Sept. 28 to Oct. 19, 1781
After a series of setbacks, British forces under General Lord Cornwallis retired to Yorktown, Virginia, partly in order to maintain a guarded port in the region for the British Empire.
American and French forces numbering around 17,500 laid siege to the city, with the French navy defeating British ships and cutting off the 8,300-strong army from escaping by sea.