1. The Revolutionary War

3. ► In 1774, the First Continental Congress met in Philadelphia. North Carolina sent three representatives.

5. The Revolutionary War ► Citizens prepared for battle. They called themselves minutemen, since they could be ready at a minute ’ s notice.

9. The Revolutionary War ► In April 1775, minutemen fought British soldiers at Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts. These battles started the American Revolution.

12. The Revolutionary War ► In May, the Second Continental Congress created an army. At the Battle of Bunker Hill, colonists proved that they could fight the strong British armies.

16. The Revolutionary War ► The war spread north and south. Colonists called Loyalists, or people to loyal to Britain, clashed with Patriots, or people who wanted independence.

19. The Revolutionary War ► In 1776, the first battle in North Carolina took place. Patriots defeated Loyalists at Moores Creek Bridge.

23. The Revolutionary War ► This victory helped to keep the British from winning the South. It encouraged North Carolina to claim independence together.

24. The Revolutionary War ► A Patriot committee met at Halifax. It recommended independence for North Carolina and urged all colonies to declare independence together.

26. The Revolutionary War ► These recommendations, called the Halifax Resolves, were discussed at the Continental Congress.

27. The Revolutionary War ► The members voted to declare independence.

30. The Revolutionary War ► Thomas Jefferson wrote a formal declaration to explain the reasons for independence and the rights of the new states.

34. The Revolutionary War ► The Declaration of Independence was approved July 4, 1776, and signed by 55 representatives, including three from North Carolina.

35. The Revolutionary War The Fighting Spreads

36. The Revolutionary War ► The British began a war that lasted five years. The Americans lost many battles, but they kept fighting.

38. The Revolutionary War ► In 1777, Patriots won the Battle of Saratoga. This victory was the turning point of the American Revolution.

42. The Revolutionary War ► George Rogers Clark captured British forts in Illinois and Indiana.

45. The Revolutionary War ► John Paul Jones, became the first American naval hero. He led the navy to important victories at sea.

46. The Revolutionary War ► The British turned toward the South. By 1780, they had captured several southern cities.

49. The Revolutionary War ► Lord George Cornwallis was in charge of capturing Virginia and North Carolina.

51. The Revolutionary War ► Local groups of partisans, or Patriot supporters, organized and attacked Loyalists while Cornwallis delayed his march.

52. The Revolutionary War ► Cornwallis sent an officer to enlist Loyalist support. In October 1780, the officer was defeated at Kings Mountain.

54. The Revolutionary War ► This American victory forced the British to give up in North Carolina.

55. The Revolutionary War ► In January 1781, the Americans won an important victory at the Battle of Cowpens in South Carolina.

57. The Revolutionary War ► In March, the last important battle in North Carolina took place. Patriots killed many British in the Battle of Guilford Court House near Greensboro.

59. The Revolutionary War The End of the War

60. The Revolutionary War ► Cornwallis became trapped at Yorktown, a port on a peninsula in Chesapeake Bay.

63. The Revolutionary War ► French troops joined Americans to block him by land. French ships blocked the entrance to Chesapeake Bay.

65. The Revolutionary War ► In 1781, Cornwallis surrendered. The Battle of Yorktown ended the American Revolution.

67. The Revolutionary War ► The Americans had fewer men and less experience than the British. They won because they were defending their homeland.

69. The Revolutionary War ► They attacked by surprise. The British were not used to that kind of fighting.

71. The Revolutionary War ► Fighting did not stop at once when Cornwallis surrendered. In North Carolina, there was civil war.

72. The Revolutionary War ► The Treaty of Paris in 1783 favored the colonies. Britain recognized their independence and set borders for a new country.

74. The Revolutionary War ► The United States extended west to the Mississippi River.

75. The Revolutionary War ► Now the states needed a government to unite them and protect them from freedom.