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American Revolution Dbq

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The American Revolution was the first time any country had fought for independence, and that was a big deal in the 1700s. At the time, Great Britain was considered to be the greatest empire in the nation-how did thirteen little colonies with no military experience defeat this powerful empire? The colonists were very hesitant at first, but with superb leadership, help from the French, and a few errors made by British commanders, the colonies were able to conquer Great Britain and create their own empire. In 1775, the First Continental Congress met to discuss the problems with the British and believed in equal rights to every citizen. By the time the Second Continental Congress took place the first shots of the war were fired at Lexington and Concord by local militia men. The Congress decided to create an army and elected George Washington as commander in chief, keeping in mind his experience in the French and Indian War. So far, the colonists had some minutemen-men ready to fight in a minute-still there had been no real battle. Washington took these men to many bloody battles, although their best battle was at Valley Forge in 1776; Washington and his 2400 troops surprised the German troops (hired by the British) on Christmas morning. Although that was a victorious battle, by …show more content…

France was happy to help America defeat Great Britain mostly because they were still upset about losing their North American territories to the British in the French and Indian War. There was an estimated 12,000 soldiers and 32,000 sailors sent to America by the French. In the wake of the British surrender at Yorktown, the colonists compromised with Great Britain which eventually led to the Treaty of Paris in 1783; the war was officially over and America was fully

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