The American Revolutionary War, or the War for Independence, started in 1774 with "the shot heard 'round the world" and the battles at Lexington and Concord. At the start of the war, the Americans seemed to have no chance of winning. The newly adopted Continental Army was made up of men with very little fighting experience, was short on resources, and was going up against a well-trained British army that was backed by the power and resources of the British Crown.

​Much of the first two years of fighting happened throughout Massachusetts and some of Canada. As expected, the Americans struggled during this early part of the war. On the battlefield, the Americans were no match for the British. On multiple occasions, Washington and his men retreated from battle, narrowly escaping with their lives. Still, the British were not able to deliver a finishing blow, and the Continental Army continued to live to fight another day.

By year three, the war had begun to spread to the middle and southern colonies too. Rather than simply capturing just Massachusetts, King George and Parliament realized they would need to fight a larger, much more costly war that would span throughout all thirteen colonies. Washington used this knowledge to his advantage, and after surviving a difficult winter at Valley Forge PA, he change his strategies. Instead of facing the British face-to face on the battlefield, he used hit-and-run tactics to fight a defensive war that he hoped would eventually tire the British out.

​Then, in October of 1777, the Americans won a key battle at Saratoga Springs, NY. This victory helped the Americans convince France to join the war effort. France provided the Americans with training, supplies and the might of the French Navy. Now the Americans had a shot.
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​Still, even with French support the war raged on for years throughout the colonies. That is, until 1781, at Yorktown, VA, when Washington managed to pin the British Army between his Continental Army and the French Navy, leaving them nowhere to go. Though the treaty to end the war wouldn't be signed for another two years, the surrender of General Cornwalis at Yorktown signaled the end. The British had tired, and support for the war in England had become so unpopular that King George was left with little choice, but to let his colonies go. America had won.
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The story of the American Revolution is similar to that of David and Goliath: The Americans, an unprepared, inexperienced army, with little resources, going against a powerful behemoth of army, backed by the British crown. At the start of the war, the Americans didn't seem to have a chance in the world at winning. Still, somehow they did win.
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This activity includes a Prezi that will walk students through the major events of the war. Students will answer questions as they review the material.
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In 2009, a young Lin-Manuel Miranda was invited to the White House to perform some music from his hit musical, In the Heights. Instead, he performed a song from a new project he was working on, a musical about the life of founding father Alexander Hamilton. When Miranda introduced the idea to the crowd, there was an audible laugh. Little did the crowd know that they were about to hear the beginning of what would become one of the most successful musicals in Broadway history.

This activity will introduce students to this amazing musical, and to the story of Alexander Hamilton. Students will listen to some of the songs, watch some of the performances, and break down some of the lyrics to support their understanding of Hamilton and the war.
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On December 19th, 1777, 12,000 soldiers and 400 women and children marched into Valley Forge to set up camp for the winter. The six month encampment would prove to be one of the most challenging times for Washington's army.

In this activity, students will learn about the difficulties at Valley Forge and decide whether they would have stayed and endured.
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All is fair in love and war... and capture the flag. Now that students have learned about the major events that shaped the American Revolution, it's time to play it out on the field... the battle field!

In this activity, students will reenact the major events of the American Revolution with a game of capture the flag, revolution rules.