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Take a Crash Course in the Revolutionary War

Yale University Art Gallery

Short on time and want to get an overview of the Revolutionary War?

Are you looking to impress your friends, family, or coworkers with knowledge of history, but you don’t know where or how to get started? We know that the Revolutionary War can seem like too vast of a topic to tackle.  But don’t fret. The American Battlefield Trust has broken down the Revolutionary War era into easily digestible sections for those of you who are looking for enough information to be dangerous about the topic, to those who are seeking to become the next leading Revolutionary War scholar. Just select the option below that works best for your schedule to get started on your crash course in the Revolutionary War era history!

15 Minutes

Public Domain

Short on time and want to get an overview of the Revolutionary War? Here's how to get started:

  1. Read a brief overview of the Revolutionary War. This short article gives a brief overview of the causes of the war, the battles waged between the Thirteen Colonies and Great Britain, and the creation of the United States of America.
  2. Watch the Wars for Independence In4. This short video describes the early years of the United States through the lens of the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. 
  3. Browse the American Revolution Timeline to help put the war’s events into context and relationships.

Total time: 15 minutes | Additional Resouces

Do you have another 45 minutes to spare? Keep scrolling to learn more about the Revolutionary War.

One hour

John Trumbull

Do you want to learn about the Revolutionary War on your lunch break? Here's how to get started:

  1. Gain a quick overview of the Revolutionary War:
  2. Read about The Intolerable Acts to learn why the colonist rebelled and took up arms against Great Britain. 
  3. Learn about the wartime strategy of the British and the resurgence of the Continental Army during the war. 
  4. Understand the outcomes of the conflict with the signing of The Treaty of Paris.

Total time: 63 minutes | Additional Resources

Do you have a few more hours to spare? Keep scrolling to learn more about the Revolutionary War.

Four Hours

Do you need an introduction to the Revolutionary War in an afternoon? Here's how to get started:

  1. Gain a quick overview of the Revolutionary War:
  2. Read about The Intolerable Acts and watch the Boston Massacre Animated Graphic Novel to learn why the colonists took up arms against Great Britain. 
  3. Learn about the wartime strategy of the British and the resurgence of the Continental Army during the war. 
  4. Meet influential people from both sides of the conflict by reading their biographies, such as George Washington and Charles Cornwallis.
  5. Understand the far reaching impact of the war with the signing of The Treaty of Paris and the Wars for Independence In4 video.

Total time: 240 minutes (4 hours) | Additional Resources

Nothing to do with the rest of your day? Keep scrolling to continue on your Revolutionary War learning path.

One Day

Do you need an introduction to the Revolutionary War on a day off? Here's how to get started:

  1. Gain a quick overview of the Revolutionary War:
  2. Read about The Intolerable Acts and the Boston Massacre to learn why the colonists took up arms against Great Britain.
  3. Watch videos about influential battles throughout the war, like the battles of Lexington and Concord and Brandywine.
  4. Meet influential people from both sides of the conflict by reading their biographies, such as George Washington and Charles Cornwallis.
  5. Browse original documents from the Revolutionary War, such as Common Sense by Thomas Paine and the Declaration of Independence to learn about the tumultuous political sphere. 
  6. Learn about the wartime strategy of the British and the resurgence of the Continental Army during the war.
  7. Understand how the war was remembered and memorialized with Monuments of the Revolutionary War In4.

 

Total time: 420 minutes (7 hours) | Additional Resources

Have the weekend free? Keep scrolling to continue on your Revolutionary War learning path.

Two Days

Wikimedia Commons

Have a weekend free and want to learn about the Revolutionary War? Get ready to impress your friends with your history knowledge:

  1. Gain a quick overview of the Revolutionary War:
  2. Read about The Intolerable Acts and the Boston Massacre to learn why the colonists took up arms against Great Britain.
  3. Watch videos about and influential battles throughout the war, like the battles of Lexington and Concord and Brandywine.
  4. Meet influential people from both sides of the conflict by reading their biographies, such as George Washington and Charles Cornwallis.
  5. Browse original documents from the Revolutionary War, such as Common Sense by Thomas Paine and the Declaration of Independence to learn about the tumultuous political sphere 
  6. Learn about the different wartime strategies that the British and the Continental Army employed during the war. 
  7. Explore the lives of everyday soldiers with articles like Three Men from Acton and Human Heroes.
  8. Gain an understanding of the far-reaching impact of the war by reading the Treaty of Paris and watching Wars for Independence In4.
  9. Understand how the war was remembered and memorialized with the video Monuments of the Revolutionary War In4 and the article The Society of Cincinnati. 
  10. Finish by exploring the technologies used during the war, such as Small Arms Weapon and Gunpowder.

 

Total time: 858 minutes (14.3 hours) | Additional Resources

Take the deep dive! Keep scrolling spend the rest of your week learning about the Revolutionary War.

One Week

John Trumbull

Do you want to become an expert on the Revolutionary War? Here is how to get started:

  1. Gain a quick overview of the Revolutionary War:
  2. Dive into the political climate before the world by exploring The Intolerable Acts, such as the Quartering Act and the Tea Act, and by reading Life in Colonial America Prior to the Revolutionary War to learn why the colonists took up arms against Great Britain. 
  3. Watch videos about influential battles throughout the war, like the battles of Lexington and Concord, Brandywine, and Brooklyn.
  4. Meet influential people from both sides of the conflict by reading their biographies, such as George Washington, Benedict Arnold, John Burgoyne, and Charles Cornwallis.
  5. Browse original documents from the Revolutionary War, such as Common Sense by Thomas Paine and the Declaration of Independence to learn about the tumultuous political sphere 
  6. Learn about the wartime strategy of the British and the resurgence of the Continental Army during the war. 
  7. Explore the lives of everyday soldiers with articles like Three Men from Acton and Human Heroes.
  8. Read Almost a Miracle: The American Victory in the War of Independence by John Ferling to understand how close the United States was to losing the Revolutionary War
  9. Gain an understanding of what happened after the war by reading the Treaty of Paris and watching Wars for Independence In4
  10. Understand how the war was remembered and memorialized with the video Monuments of the Revolutionary War In4 and the article The Society of Cincinnati. 
  11. Finish by exploring the technologies used during the war, such as Small Arms Weapon and Gunpowder.

 

Total time: 2,441 minutes (40.68 hours) | Additional Resources

Don't stop learning about the Revolutionary War. See which Revolutionary War books we recommend to keep on your learning path.

Now that you are well down the learning path, check out all of the great educational resources that the American Battlefield Trust Education Department has to offer. From our award winning Animated Maps to our expansive Civil War Curriculum, we have content for life long learners and K-12 classrooms, alike, covering the first 100 years of American history.