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The "shot heard round the world" fired at Lexington on April 19, 1775 began the war for American independence. It ended eight and a half years later September 3, 1783 with the Treaty of Paris.

Places To Go

The following are places to go (some real and some virtual) to find out about the American Revolution.

Historic Valley Forge 
Travel to Valley Forge. It was the main camp of the Continental Army and was located on the Schuylkill River near Philadelphia. This is part of the US History site that contains other sections about the American Revolution.

Minute Man National Historic Park
Visit Minute Man National Historic Park. The park commemorates where the opening battles of the American Revolution took place on April 19, 1775 along a 22 mile stretch of road that ran from Boston to Concord and encompassed Lexington Green and Concord's North Bridge.

The Boston Tea Party
Travel to the Boston of 1773. Britain had repealed the Townshend Acts but had kept the tax on tea. They did this partly to help the British East India Company and partly to show the American colonists that Britiain still had the right to tax them. So the colonists planned to not accept any of the tea that arrived in American ports. Three ships full of tea arrived in Boston Harbor, but the tea was not unloaded. The governor of the Massachusetts area, Thomas Hutchinson, who was British, said that the ships could not turn around and leave without the duties being paid on them. So about 60 angry colonists that included Samuel Adams and Paul Revere disguised themselves as Native Americans, went on board the ships during the night of December 16, 1773, and threw the tea into the harbor. Have students find out about consequences of this act of defiance.

Saratoga National Historic Park
Virtually visit the battle site near Stillwater, New York where the American victory over the British in 1777 was one of the major turning points of the American Revolution. From this webpage, you can take a virtual tour of the area and learn about the decisive Saratoga strategic battle campaign.

Paul Revere House
Virtually visit the Paul Revere House in Boston, Massachusetts. This site has a great "Just for Kids" section. Paul Revere's father was also named Paul Revere--although his father's real name was Apollos Rivoire, and he was born in France and Americanized his name when he came to the colonies.

United States Military Academy
Travel to the United States Military Academy--often called West Point. It is located in a beautiful area of upper state New York alongside the Hudson River. During the American Revolution, many of George Washington's troops abandoned the fight and returned home--sometimes because they were disillusioned with the fighting or with General Washington's decisions and sometimes to harvest crops and meet family obligations. When the war was over, George Washington realized that the new nation needed a trained, committed army in the event of another war. The United States Military Academy at West Point was eventually established on a site that was one of General Washington's war headquarters and where a fortress had been built. West Point is the oldest continuously occupied military post in America.

Freedom Trail
Walk the Freedom Trail in Boston. The Freedom Trail is a 3-mile walking tour that passes by 16 historically significant sites such as the Faneuil Hall, the Boston Massacre site, and the Paul Revere House.

John Adams 
Meet John Adams. He was the first vice-president and the 2nd president. He first became active in politics from his opposition to the Stamp Act.

Nathan Hale
Chat with Nathan Hale. He was a school teacher turned soldier and spy in the Revolutionary War. When caught behind enemy lines with sensitive information, he was hanged by the British without trial. Find out if he really said "I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country."

Ben Franklin
Spend some time with Ben Franklin. What an interesting man! He was instrumental in

George III
Make the royal acquaintance of George III of England. According to this site, "George III is widely remembered for two things: losing the American colonies and going mad."

Betsy Ross Homepage
Chat with Betsy Ross and find out if she really sewed the first flag of the new nation.

Crispus Attucks
Meet Crispus Attucks. He was one of the individuals who was killed at the Boston Massacre in 1770.

The Enigma of Benedict Arnold
Spend time with Benedict Arnold. He was a general in the American Revolution and distinguished himself in several significant battles including the Battle of Saratoga. In February of 1777, Congress promoted five brigadier generals of junior rank to major generalships but did not include Benedict Arnold in the promotions. In 1780, he was given command of West Point, New York. He arranged to turn West Point over to the British in exchange for a British military appointment and money, but the plot was discovered. Benedict Arnold escaped and became a member of the British troops. He led two raids against American soldiers. He eventually went into exile in England and Canada. He died in England in 1801.

The Price They Paid
Meet the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence and find out what happened to them throughout the rest of their lives. Have students do further research and check the accuracy of these facts.

Biographies of the Founding Fathers
Get to knew the men who shaped our nation from the signers of the Declaration of Independence to the signers of the Articles of Confederation to the signers of the Constitution.

Thomas Paine
Meet Thomas Paine. He came to America in 1774 from England. He became involved in the conflicts between the colonies and England. He wrote and published the pamphlet Common Sense in January 1776 in which he argued that the American colonies should be given independence.

Margaret Cochran Corbin
Meet Margaret Cochran Corbin. When her soldier husband died in the attack on Fort Washington in November of 1776, she commanded his cannon until she was seriously wounded. In 1779, she was the first woman to be pensioned by the government as a disabled soldier. In 1926, the Daughters of the American Revolution moved her remains from Highland Falls, New York to West Point where a monument was erected in her honor.

Mary Ludwig Hays McCauley
Meet Mary Ludwig Hays McCauley. She was also known as Molly Pitcher. She was married to an artilleryman in the war. During the battle of Monmouth in June of 1778, she carried pitchers of drinking water to her husband and other soldiers. When her husband collapsed, she continued firing his cannon.

The British Brigade
Meet British redcoats. British soldiers wore red and white uniforms with brass buttons and buckles.

Hessian Soldiers
Meet the Hessian soldiers who fought in the American Revolution. England had difficulty in recruiting their own men to fight in America. So they paid soldiers from other countries to fight for them. England approached Catherine the Great of Russia about having Russian soldiers fight in America, but she turned England down. Germany, however, was receptive. More than 30,000 were paid to help the English fight. Many of those Germans were from areas in Germany called Hessen-Kassel and Hessen-Hanau. The men from this area were called Hessians, and this term eventually was used for all German soldiers. Thousands of the Hessians deserted or were captured and later released. It is estimated that at least 6000 Hessians remained in America after the war and mostly settled around Lancaster, Pennsylvania; Reading, Pennsylvania; and Frederick, Maryland.

Ethan Allen
Reacquaint yourself with Ethan Allen. He was the leader of the Green Mountain Boys of Vermont. He fought, not only for independence for the colonies from England, but also for the statehood of Vermont.

Marquis de Lafayette
Meet the Marquis de Lafayette. His given name was Marie Joseph Paul Yves Roche Gilbert du Motier. He was a great ally to the colonial troops during the war.

John Paul Jones
Meet John Paul Jones, the commander of the ship, the Bon Homme Richard, which was involved in one of the major sea battles during the American Revolution. Learn about the circumstances under which he said to a British sea captain, “Sir, I have not yet begun to fight.”

Johann Kalb
Get to know Johann Kalb. He was German, but he was in the French army. Since only noblemen could become officers, he gave himself the name of Baron Jean de Kalb. He became a brigadier general in 1761. Then in 1768, the French government sent him to America to spy on the colonists and find out their attitudes toward England. He went back to France but then returned to America in 1777 and worked for the revolutionists and worked with Lafayette and spent the winter with George Washington at Valley Forge. He was killed in 1780 by the British, led by Lord Cornwallis. Six counties in the United States are named for De Kalb, making it the third most popular name for counties in the nation.

Historical Maps from Early America 
Find maps detailing the Battle of Saratoga, the seige of British forces at Yorktown, General Washington's battle engagements in 1776, and more.

Travels with the Tall Ship Rose
Set sail on an historic schooner. The Rose is a full-rigged ship, a replica of an 18th century Royal Navy frigate that cruised the American coast during the American Revolution.

Liberty : The American Revolution
Check out this companion website to the PBS series by the same name. It has a fun early American quiz that students can take. Select "Revolutionary Game" from the menu.

History Place : The American Revolution
Find detailed information from the prelude to the war for American independence beginning about 1763 to the aftermath of the war and the birth of the new nation.

The Treaty of Paris
Read the full text of the Treaty of Paris which ended the American Revolution. It was signed in September 1783 and ratified on January 14, 1784.

Learn about some of the laws that the British passed that led to colonist dissatisfaction.

• 1733 Molasses Act
  The British added a tax to every gallon of molasses imported into the colonies. This made the price of rum, which is made from molasses, increase. So some colonists began to import molasses illegally and secretly.
• 1764 Sugar Act
  The British put a duty on foreign refined sugar imported by the colonists. The colonists were prohibited from importing French wine or foreign rum. It gave the British planters in the West Indies a monopoly in the American sugar market.
• 1765 Stamp Act
  The British required that all legal papers such as newspapers, marriage licenses, diplomas, ships' papers, etc. be taxed. All these papers had to have a large blue seal or stamp on them as proof of payment. This caused colonists in New York City and Boston to riot and to threaten the stamp masters selling the stamps.
• 1767 Townshend Acts
  The British set taxes on the import of lead, glass, paints, paper, and tea. So the colonists boycotted all English manufactured products. This was a significant sacrifice for the colonists because they had not been allowed by England to produce their own goods. The British troops that were sent to enforce these laws and keep peace became involved with the Boston Massacre.
• 1773 Tea Act
  The British placed an import tax on tea arriving in the colonies. It also gave the British East India Company a monopoly on tea sold to the colonies which was unfair to American merchants. The colonists imposed an embargo on tea taxed from England. The Boston Tea Party ensued.

The Declaration of Independence
Find the details about how on September 9, 1776, the Continental Congress passed a resolution that changed the name of the nation from the United Colonies to the United States. Later, Thomas Paine, who wrote that famous pamphlet, expanded the name to the United States of America, and he was the first person to use that name in print.

About Submarines
Find out about a submarine used in the American Revolution. It was called the Turtle and was developed by David Bushnell. It was was driven by hand-and foot-cranked propellers.

Research some of the major battles of the American Revolution:

• Battle of Lexington
  In April of 1775, 700 British soldiers headed from Boston to Lexington to seize colonial weapons and supplies. These approaching soldiers were the ones that Paul Revere and William Dawes rode through the countryside warning about. When the militiamen in Lexington heard that the British were coming, they gathered and waited for them. On April 19, an advance groups of 350 British encountered the militiamen at Lexington. The colonists began to disperse. Then someone fired a single shot--no one is sure which side the shot came from. This caused the British soldiers to immediately begin shooting, and they killed eight militiamen. This has been called "the shot heard round the world".
• Battle of Concord
  After the skirmish at Lexington, the British continued on to nearby Concord on the same day, April 19, 1775, where they destroyed military supplies as they had been instructed. They were attacked by angry colonists and more than 70 British were killed as they retreated to Boston.
• Battle of Bunker Hill
  Travel to Bunker Hill and Breeds Hill which overlook Boston. One of the early battles of the American Revolution was fought there in June of 1775. The British had occupied Boston. The American militiamen, who had been laying siege to Boston, put cannons on Bunker and Breeds hills to try and drive the British out. The American attempt was unsuccessful. There was a a great amount of fire from British warships in the harbor, and the colonial army ran out of gun powder and ammunition. However, it took the British several attempts to drive the colonists off the hills, and the "redcoats" suffered many casualties. The ability of the colonial army to stand against the British troops gave the colonists increased morale and determiniation.
• The Battle of Trenton
  This is the famous battle where General Washington and his troops sneaked across the Delaware River in small boats during the night and defeated the British troops, most of whom were Hessians. Hessians were mercenary troops from Germany employed by the British. The battle took place in December of 1776.
• Battle of Saratoga
  The British had a plan to split the American colonies along the Hudson River in New York and block off New England from the rest of the colonies. Some British troops were to travel south from Canada and some were to travel north along the Hudson from New York City and try and capture Albany. However, the American troops defeated the British troops in a series of battles around Saratoga in October of 1777. A benefit of this American victory was that, even though the French had been supplying some unofficial supplies to help the colonists, they finally decided to begin official aid to the American colonies.
• Battle of Yorktown
  This was a major victory for General Washington at these battles in Yorktown, Virginia in September and October of 1781. The Americans were allied with French troops along with the Marquis de Lafayette, and British Lord Cornwallis surrendered on October 19, 1781. As a result of this surrender, Great Britain soon asked for peace, ending the American Revolution.

Little Known Facts about the American Revolutionary War
According to this site, "Everyone knows how 50 or 60 "Sons of Liberty," disguised as Mohawks, protested the 3 cents per pound British tax on tea by dumping chests of the popular drink into Boston Harbor on December 16, 1773. Fewer know that the improper Bostonians repeated the performance on March 7, 1774. The two tea parties cost the British around $3 million in modern money."

Lesson Plans/Webquests

• Johnny Tremain: The Revolutionary War Webquest
• One if By Land, and Two if By Sea!
• Voices of the American Revolution
• Revolutionary Tea Parties and the Reasons for Revolution
• The Boston Tea Party: Costume Optional?
• No Only Paul Revere: Other Riders of the American Revolution
• Images of the American Revolution
• Revolutionary War Battle Webquest
• Acts of Parliament : In Defense of the British
• Revolutionary War Newspaper

• Collier, Christopher. The American Revolution, 1763-1783. New York : Benchmark Books, 1998.
• Dolan, Edward F. The American Revolution : How We Fought the War of Independence. Brookfield, Conn. : Millbrook Press, c1995.
• Egger-Bovet, Howard. Book of the American Revolution. Boston : Little, Brown, c1994.
• Erdosh, George. Food and Recipes of the Revolutionary War. New York : PowerKids Press, 1997.
• Graham-Barber, Lynda. Doodle Dandy! : The Complete Book of Independence Day Words. New York : Bradbury Press ; Toronto : Maxwell Macmillan Canada ; New York : Maxwell Macmillan International, c1992.
• Grant, R. G. The American Revolution. New York : Thomson Learning, 1995.
• Hakim, Joy. From Colonies to Country. New York : Oxford University Press, c1999.
• Isaacs, Sally Senzell. America in the Time of George Washington : 1747 to 1803. Des Plaines, Ill. : Heinemann Library, c1998.
• Kallen, Stuart A. The Eoad to Freedom : 1750-1783. Edina, Minn. : Abdo & Daughters, c1990.
• Kent, Deborah. The American Revolution : "Give Me Liberty, Or Give Me Death". Hillside, N.J. : Enslow Publishers, c1994.
• Lukes, Bonnie L. The American Revolution. San Diego, CA : Lucent Books, c1996.
• Marrin, Albert.The War for Independence : The Story of the American Revolution. New York : Atheneum, c1988.
• Marzollo, Jean. In 1776. New York : Scholastic, 1993.
• Moore, Kay. If You Lived at the Time of the American Revolution. New York : Scholastic, c1997.
• Nardo, Don. The American Revolution. San Diego, Calif. : Greenhaven Press, c1998.
• Stein, R. Conrad. Valley Forge. Chicago : Childrens Press, 1994.
• Uschan, Michael V. America's Founders. San Diego : Lucent Books, 2000.
• Young, Robert The Real Patriots of the American Revolution. Parsippany, N.J. : Dillon Press, c1997.