The Revolutionary War
Did you know that people in present-day America were once ruled by the king of England and didn’t have freedom? Did you know that America had to fight Britain for their freedom? In this chapter you can read all about it. The book includes What Happened Before The War and Why It Started, During The War, and After The War: What Changed.
What Happened Before The Revolutionary War
Before the year 1775, people lived in colonies in present-day America and were known as colonists. In colonial days, people wore different clothes, had different schools, and had different jobs. Girls and boys wore clothes like cloaks, hoods, caps, stockings, and dresses. They went to schools where they had to read off a piece of paper and then they would be done. They had jobs like a blacksmith, a whitesmith, a silversmith, or a tailor. The jobs at home everyone in the family had to do. They lived a happy life, for the most part. The Revolutionary War started because Britain was in debt and they made the colonists pay for the taxes. The colonists thought this was unfair and that they should have freedom. The colonists were also mad because they didn’t get any part in the British Parliament, also known as the law-making part of Britain.
The Revolutionary War
The Revolutionary War started and there were different names for different people. Tories were colonists who supported Britain and it’s king. These people fought the Patriots, who were colonists who wanted to be free. Some people didn’t like war and didn’t want to be on a side, and they were called neutralists. Nobody had to join the fighting in the war if they didn’t want to, but most people were on a side. The first shots rang out on April 19, 1775 in Lexington Massachusetts. During The Revolutionary War, about 217,000 American troops were engaged, meaning that they were in the war. The Battle of Bunker Hill is an important battle that is also known as The Boston Massacre. During this battle, an American captain William Prescott and his troops stood in front of an angry crowd of American colonists. Prescott ordered “Do not fire until you see the whites of their eyes!” One of his troops said he heard incorrectly, thinking his captain said to fire their guns and started to shoot. Researchers wonder if the troop that was the first to fire really heard incorrectly. The crowd then moved closer. Soon enough, all of the troops started to fire their guns. Researchers think that The Boston Massacre was a very important battle. The Battle of Saratoga was the first great victory for America. Many people believed, and still do believe, that this was the turning point for America in the Revolutionary War. They think that The Battle of Saratoga was the reason America won the war.
After The War: What Changed
In October 1781, The British surrendered, meaning they lost the war. The Patriots got their freedom and lived in a new country America. In America, people get to pay their own taxes, not taxes from Britain. They also weren't ruled by Britain’s king, King George III. Instead, they elected a president George Washington. Later in time, new presidents got elected, and they still do today. Also, the colonies became states. There are now 50 states in the United States of America. Some of the important people that helped the Patriots win the Revolutionary War were Thomas Jefferson, Israel Putnam, George Washington, and Alexander Hamilton. Some of the people who helped the Patriots now have things named after them. For example, Israel Putnam has a park named after him called Putnam Park. Also, in New York, there is a bridge named after Alexander Hamilton. This proves that The Revolutionary War was important to the whole world because of the new country that started.
In this book you learned all about The Revolutionary War. You learned what happened before The Revolutionary War, what happened during The Revolutionary War, and what happened after The Revolutionary War. You learned how people’s lives in colonial days were very different from people’s lives now, about how there were many battles in The Revolutionary War, and the big changes in life after the war. This was a crazy time for everyone who had to live while the war was happening. Would you want to live in colonial times?
George Washington Thomas Jefferson Israel Putnam Alexander Hamilton
