American Independence

Second Continental Congress

• Americans didn’t want to break from Britain

• Wrote the Olive Branch Petition to King George III

• The petition asked for English Rights

• The King didn’t even read it!

• The king ordered more troops to America

• George Washington was named commander of the Continental Army

King George III

Prohibitory Act

• Passed by Parliament

• Cut off all British trade to the colonies and they wouldn’t protect them anymore

Fort Ticonderoga

• Ethan Allen led the Green Mountain Boys to capture British Fort Ticonderoga.

• Benedict Arnold was headed out to do the same thing

• Both served as commanders and took Fort Ticonderoga without firing a single shot

Fort Ticonderoga

Ethan Allan calling for surrender

Bunker Hill

• General Gage and the Americans had control of Bunker Hill outside of Boston

• William Howe and 3,000 British attacked the hill THREE TIMES

• The Americans ran out of ammunition on the third try and retreated.

• Britain hired Hessians to help with the war effort.

• They were German hired soldiers called mercenaries

Taking Boston

• Colonel Henry Knox hauled the cannons from Fort Ticonderoga to Dorchester Heights outside of Boston.

• The Americans had the high ground and the British left Boston.

Henry Knox

Henry Knox arriving with cannon