American history is rich in momentous events that led the country to its present state. The most significant was the Revolutionary War that took place from 1775 to 1783, claiming America’s independence from the British. This paper aims to outline the four battles of the Revolutionary War and analyze their role in shaping modern America. The first two battles of Lexington and Concord took place on the same day on April 19, 1775, starting the Revolution against the British ruling (American History: The Revolutionary War). Even though the colonists suffered significant losses, the Battles of Lexington and Concord proved to be a military victory on a large scale. It showed the British that Americans would not tolerate unjust reforms and the colonial state’s neglecting attitude. A few months later, on June 17, 1775, the British won the Battle of Bunker Hill (American History: The Revolutionary War). However, it did not make Americans lose their fighting spirit, as it was a Pyrrhic victory, and only encouraged the revolutionary cause even further.
Therefore, the full-scale war of American independence took place, until on September 28, 1781, General George Washington, commanding the French and Continental troops, started the siege at Yorktown against General Cornwallis and the British forces. On October 19, Lord Cornwallis’ army officially surrendered after years of war and lost lives (American History: The Revolutionary War). The siege was the last significant battle of the War of Independence, which considerably damaged the will of the British to continue the fight after such a disheartening loss. Accordingly, the Battle of Yorktown was the turning point of the American Revolution, as the defeat of Cornwallis’s army caused the British government to negotiate the end of the conflict (American History: The Revolutionary War). Thus, the Revolutionary War officially came to its end, claiming America’s independence as a free-standing country that soon started to build its way to the United States as the world knows them today.
Reference
“American History: The Revolutionary War: Major Battles and Campaigns.” Lloyd Sealy Library. 2020, Web.