Explore our timeline of the American Revolution and learn about the important events and battles that happened throughout this period of American history – from the Battles of Lexington and Concord to the signing of the Treaty of Paris. View the War of 1812 and Civil War timelines.
1754
- May 28 - The French and Indian War begins
- July 10 - Albany Plan of Union—Benjamin Franklin proposes a single government for the colonies
1763
- February 10 - The Treaty of Paris ends the French and Indian War. The English drive the French from North America, and the English national debt soars
- October 7 - Proclamation of 1763—King George III banned colonists from settling beyond the Appalachian mountains
1764
- April 5 - Sugar Act—Smugglers could be tried in Admiralty Courts, without the benefit of a jury
1765
- March 22 - Stamp Act—Tax on paper goods and legal documents
- March 24 - Quartering Act—Colonies must provide housing and food for British troops
- March 29 - Virginia House of Burgesses passes the Virginia Resolves, 7 resolutions that challenge the legality of the Stamp Act
- October 7-25 - Stamp Act Congress meets in Philadelphia to discuss the crisis
1766
- March 18 - Parliament repeals the Stamp Act and passes the Declaratory Act, which reiterates Parliament's authority over the colonies
1768
- February 11 - Massachusetts Assembly issues Massachusetts Circular Letter, denouncing Townsend Acts
- August 1 - Boston Non-Importation Agreement—Boston merchants agree to not import British goods, or sell to Britain
1770
- January 19 - Golden Hill Riot, NY
- March 5 - Boston Massacre
1772
- June 9 - Gaspée Affair—A British ship patrolling for smugglers runs aground in Rhode Island and a local mob burns it; the mob is then accused of treason
1773
- May 10 - Tea Act—An attempt by Parliament to undercut smugglers by reducing the price of tea to the colonies
- December 16 - Boston Tea Party
1774
- March 31 - Boston Port Act— Parliament closes the city’s port in response to the Tea Party.
- May 20 - Administration of Justice Act and Massachusetts Government Act, two of the so-called Intolerable Acts, further anger colonists
- June 2 - Quartering Act is amended
- September 5–October 26 - First Continental Congress—Carpenter’s Hall, Philadelphia
1775
- March 23 - Patrick Henry’s “Liberty or Death” speech, Richmond, VA
- April 18 - Revere and Dawes Ride
- April 19 - Battles of Lexington and Concord, MA
- May 10 - Ethan Allen and Green Mountain Boys seize Fort Ticonderoga, Second Continental Congress meets
- June 15 - George Washington appointed commander-in-chief
- June 17 - Battle of Bunker Hill
- July 3 - George Washington assumes command of the Army outside Boston
- July 5 - Congress approves the Olive Branch Petition, a final attempt to avoid war with Britain
- October 13 - The U.S. Navy is established
- November 19-21 - First Siege of Ninety Six, SC
- November 13 - Americans take Montreal
- December 9 - Battle of Great Bridge, VA
- December 22 - Battle of Great Canebreak, SC
- December 23-30 - Snow Campaign, SC
- December 30-Jan 1 - Battle of Quebec
1776
- January 10 - Thomas Paine publishes Common Sense
- February 27 - Battle of Moore's Creek, NC
- March 3 - Continental Navy captures New Providence Island, Bahamas
- March 17 - British evacuate Boston
- April 12 - Halifax Resolves, NC—First colony to authorize its delegates to vote for independence
- June 7 - Lee Resolution: Richard Henry Lee proposes independence to the Second Continental Congress
- June 28 - Battle of Sullivan’s Island, SC
- July 1 - Cherokee attack the southern frontier
- July 4 - Congress adopts the Declaration of Independence
- August 27 - Battle of Brooklyn, NY
- September 15 - British occupy Manhattan
- September 16 - Battle of Harlem Heights, NY
- September 22 - British execute Nathan Hale, a soldier in the Continental Army
- October 11 - Battle of Valcour Island, Lake Champlain
- October 28 - Battle of White Plains, NY
- November 16 - Battle of Fort Washington, NY
- November 20 - British capture Fort Lee, NJ
- December 23 - Thomas Paine publishes The American Crisis
- December 26 - Battle of Trenton, NJ
1777
- January 3 - Battle of Princeton, NJ
- January 6 - May 28 - Continental Army winters at Morristown, NJ
- April 27 - Battle at Ridgefield, CT
- June 14 - Flag Resolution- Congress declared “That the flag of the thirteen United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field”
- July 5 - British capture Fort Ticonderoga
- August 6 - Battle of Oriskany, NY
- August 16 - Battle of Bennington, VT (Walloomsac, NY)
- September 11 - Battle of Brandywine, PA
- September 19 - Battle of Saratoga, NY (Freeman’s Farm)
- September 20-21 - Battle of Paoli, PA
- September 26 - British take Philadelphia
- October 4 - Battle of Germantown, PA
- October 7 - Battle of Saratoga, NY (Bemis Heights)
- October 17 - British surrender at Saratoga, NY
- October 22 - Battle of Fort Mercer, NJ
- November 16 - British capture Fort Mifflin, PA
- December 5–7 - Battle of White Marsh, PA
- December 19 - Washington and his army winter in Valley Forge
1778
- February 6 - The United States and France become allies
- February 7 - British General William Howe replaced by Henry Clinton
- May 20 - Battle of Barren Hill, PA
- June 18 - British abandon Philadelphia, Continental Army marches out of Valley Forge
- June 28 - Battle of Monmouth, NJ
- July 4 - George Rogers Clark captures Kaskaskia, in modern Illinois
- July 29–August 31 - French and American forces besiege Newport, RI
- December 29 - British capture Savannah, GA
1779
- February 3 - Battle of Port Royal Island, SC
- February 14 - Battle of Kettle Creek, GA
- February 23–24 - George Rogers Clark captures Vincennes, in modern Indiana
- March 3 - Battle of Brier Creek, GA
- June 18 - Sullivan expedition attacks Indian villages in NY
- June 20 - Battle of Stono River, SC
- June 21 - Spain declares war on Great Britain
- July 7 - British burn Fairfield, CT
- July 11 - British burn Norwalk, CT
- July 16 - Americans capture Stony Point, NY
- July 24 - August 14 - Penobscot Expedition (Castine, ME)
- July 28 - Battle of Fort Freeland, PA
- August 19 - Battle of Paulus Hook, NJ
- August 29 - Battle of Newtown, NY
- September 16 - October 19 - American/French effort to retake Savannah fails
- September 23 - John Paul Jones and the USS Bonhomme Richard capture HMS Serapis near English coast
- November - Washington’s Main Army begins camping at Morristown, NJ
1780
- January 28 - Fort Nashborough established (now Nashville, TN)
- March 14 - Spanish capture Mobile
- May 12 - British capture Charleston, SC
- May 25 - Mutiny of Connecticut regiments at Morristown, NJ
- May 26 - Battle at St. Louis, now in Missouri
- May 29 - Battle of Waxhaws, SC
- June 20 - Battle of Ramseur’s Mill, NC
- June 23 - Washington’s Main Army leaves their winter camps at Morristown, NJ
- July 11 - French troops arrive at Newport, RI
- August 6 - Battle of Hanging Rock, SC
- August 16 - Battle of Camden, SC
- August 19 - Battle of Musgrove Mill, SC
- September 23 - British officer John Andre arrested for spying
- October 7 - Battle of Kings Mountain, SC
- October 14 - Gen. Nathanael Greene named commander of the southern Continental Army
- October 18 - British occupy Wilmington, NC
1781
- January 17 - Battle of Cowpens, SC
- February 1 - Battle of Cowan’s Ford, NC
- February 12 - Spanish forces take Fort St. Joseph, now Miles, MI
- March 2 - Articles of Confederation adopted; Battle of Clapp’s Mill, NC
- March 6 - Battle of Weitzel’s Mill, NC
- March 15 - Battle of Guilford Courthouse, NC
- April 25 - Battle of Hobkirk Hill, SC
- May 9 - Spanish capture Pensacola
- May 15 - Battle of Fort Granby, SC
- May 22–June 18 - Siege of Ninety Six, SC
- June 6 - Americans retake Augusta, GA
- July 6 - Battle at Green Spring, VA
- August 28 - Battle of Elizabethtown, NC
- September 5 - Battle of the Capes, Chesapeake Bay
- September 8 - Battle of Eutaw Springs, SC
- September 28 - October 19 - Siege of Yorktown, VA
- October 19 - General Cornwallis officially surrenders at Yorktown, VA
1782
- March 8—9 - Indians attacked by militia at Gnadenhutten, in modern OH
- March 20 - Lord North resigns as Prime Minister of Great Britain
- April 19 - Netherlands recognizes American independence
- May 8 - American and Spanish forces capture Nassau, Bahamas
- July 11 - British evacuate Savannah, GA
- July 13 - British/Indian raid on Hannahstown, PA
- August 7 - Washington establishes the Badge of Military Merit, now known as the Purple Heart
- August 19 - Battle of Blue Licks, KY
- November 4 - Encounter at John’s Ferry, SC
- November 10 - George Rogers Clark raids Chillicothe, modern OH
- November 30 - British and Americans sign preliminary Articles of Peace
- December 14 - British evacuate Charleston, SC
1783
- March 15 - Washington addresses the Newburgh Conspiracy and discontent in the Continental Army, Newburgh, NY
- April 19 - Congress ratifies the preliminary peace treaty
- September 3 - US and Great Britain sign the Treaty of Paris
- November 25 - British evacuate New York City
- December 4 - Washington bids farewell to his officers in New York City
- December 23 - Washington resigns as commander in Annapolis, MD
Topic(s):
Related Battles
Battle Facts
Massachusetts | April 19, 1775
Result: American Victory
Estimated Casualties
393
American
93
93
British
300
300
Battle Facts
Massachusetts | June 17, 1775
Result: British Victory
Estimated Casualties
1,532
American
450
450
British
1,054
1,054
Battle Facts
Quebec City, QC | December 31, 1775
Result: British Victory
Estimated Casualties
534
American
515
515
British
19
19
Battle Facts
New Jersey | December 26, 1776
Result: American Victory
Estimated Casualties
910
American
5
5
British
905
905
Battle Facts
New York | September 19, 1777
Result: American Victory
Estimated Casualties
1,465
American
330
330
British
1,135
1,135
Battle Facts
Rhode Island | August 29, 1778
Result: Inconclusive
Estimated Casualties
441
American
181
181
British
260
260
Battle Facts
South Carolina | February 11, 1780
Result: British Victory
Estimated Casualties
5,764
American
5,506
5,506
British
258
258
Battle Facts
South Carolina | October 7, 1780
Result: American Victory
Estimated Casualties
1,108
American
90
90
British
1,018
1,018
Battle Facts
South Carolina | January 17, 1781
Result: American Victory
Estimated Casualties
1,017
American
149
149
British
868
868
Battle Facts
Virginia | September 28, 1781
Result: American Victory
Estimated Casualties
8,978
American
389
389
British
8,589
8,589