Battles of the Revolution
- Oct 22, 2025
- 4 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
Let's take a moment and recognize how fortunate we are to be anticipating America's 250th (Semiquincentennial) in 2026. The celebrations have already begun! Check america250.org for a full list of events scheduled. The Smithsonian is also hosting events to commemorate the anniversary. A must see online exhibition can also be found on their website here.
It's a good time to brush up on your knowledge of the American Revolution! Here's what you need to know:
The American Revolution (1775–1783) was a series of military and political struggles through which thirteen British colonies in North America won independence and became the United States. It began as a colonial protest against taxation and imperial control but evolved into a global conflict involving Britain, France, Spain, and the Netherlands. The war unfolded in several phases—New England, the Middle Colonies, and the Southern campaigns—each marked by dramatic reversals of fortune.
The opening clashes at Lexington and Concord in April 1775 ignited the war, as colonial militias confronted British troops near Boston. The bloody Battle of Bunker Hill soon followed, proving that the inexperienced colonists could stand against the world’s most powerful army. In 1776, George Washington’s daring victories at Trenton and Princeton revived American morale after the loss of New York. The turning point came in 1777 at Saratoga, where an entire British army surrendered, persuading France to ally with the Americans. The war shifted south in its final years. Despite early British successes in Georgia and the Carolinas, guerrilla warfare led by partisans like Francis Marion wore down royal forces. Washington’s and Rochambeau’s combined armies trapped General Cornwallis at Yorktown in 1781, forcing his surrender and effectively ending the conflict. Sporadic fighting and negotiation continued until the Treaty of Paris was signed, on September 3, 1783, officially ending the war.
Below is a list of all the major (and some minor) battles of the American Revolution. These are just a fraction of the hundreds of skirmishes and engagements that were part of America's fight for independence. Choose a link to watch a short video about any battle. You can also start at the beginning of the playlist on youTube here. Subscribe for updates!
Major Battles of the American Revolutionary War:
1775
Battles of Lexington and Concord – April 19, 1775 (Massachusetts)
Siege of Boston – April 19, 1775–March 17, 1776 (Massachusetts)
Capture of Fort Ticonderoga - May 10, 1775 (New York)
Battle of Chelsea Creek – May 27–28, 1775 (Massachusetts)
Battle of Machias, Maine - June 11-12, 1775 (Maine - then part of Massachusetts)
Battle of Bunker Hill (Breed’s Hill) – June 17, 1775 (Massachusetts)
Battle of Great Bridge, Virginia - December 9, 1775 (Virginia)
1776
Battle of Moore’s Creek Bridge – February 27, 1776 (North Carolina)
Battle of Sullivan’s Island (Charleston) – June 28, 1776 (South Carolina)
Declaration of Independence - July 4, 1776
Battle of Long Island (Brooklyn Heights) – August 27, 1776 (New York)
Battle of Harlem Heights – September 16, 1776 (New York)
Battle of Valcour Island - October 11, 1776 (New York)
Battle of White Plains – October 28, 1776 (New York)
Battles of Fort Washington & Fort Lee – November 16, 1776 (New York & New Jersey)
Battle of Trenton – December 26, 1776 (New Jersey)
1777
Battle of Princeton – January 3, 1777 (New Jersey)
Battle of Ridgefield – April 27, 1777 (Connecticut)
Battle of Short Hills - June 26, 1777 (New Jersey)
Siege of Fort Ticonderoga - July 2-6, 1777 (New York)
Siege of Fort Stanwix - August 2-22, 1777 (New York)
Battle of Bennington - August 16, 1777 (New York, near Bennington, Vermont)
Battle of Cooch's Bridge - September 3, 1777 (Delaware)
Battle of Brandywine – September 11, 1777 (Pennsylvania)
Battles of Saratoga (Freeman’s Farm & Bemis Heights) – September 19 & October 7, 1777 (New York)
The Paoli Massacre - September 21, 1777 (Pennsylvania)
Siege of Fort Mifflin - September 26, 1777 (Pennsylvania)
Battle of Germantown – October 4, 1777 (Pennsylvania)
Battle of Fort Clinton & Fort Montgomery - October 6, 1777 (New York)
Battle of Red Bank (Fort Mercer) - October 22, 1777 (New Jersey)
Battle of White Marsh – December 5–8, 1777 (Pennsylvania)
Winter at Valley Forge - December 1777 (Pennsylvania)
1778
Battle of Monmouth – June 28, 1778 (New Jersey)
Battle of Wyoming - July 3, 1778 (Pennsylvania)
Battle of Rhode Island – August 29, 1778 (Rhode Island)
Battle of St. Lucia (Caribbean) – December 15, 1778
1779
Battle of Kettle Creek – February 14, 1779 (Georgia)
Sullivan Expedition - June to Sept., 1779 (Pennsylvania & New York)
Battle of Stony Point – June 16, 1779 (New York)
Battle of Paulus Hook - August 19, 1779 (New Jersey)
Siege of Savannah – September 16–October 18, 1779 (Georgia)
1780
Battle of Waxhaws Creek - May 29, 1780 (South Carolina)
Siege of Charleston – March 29–May 12, 1780 (South Carolina)
Battle of Springfield, New Jersey - June 23, 1780 (New Jersey)
Battle of Camden, South Carolina – August 16, 1780 (South Carolina)
Battle of King’s Mountain – October 7, 1780 (South Carolina)
1781
Battle of Cowpens, South Carolina – January 17, 1781 (South Carolina)
Battle of Guilford Courthouse, North Carolina – March 15, 1781 (North Carolina)
Battle of Hobkirk’s Hill, South Carolina – March 15-April 25, 1781 (South Carolina)
Battle of Ninety Six (Siege) – May 22–June 19, 1781 (South Carolina)
Battle of Chesapeake, Virginia - September 5, 1781 (Virginia)
Battle of Groton Heights, Connecticut - September 6, 1781 (Connecticut)
Battle of Eutaw Springs – September 8, 1781 (South Carolina)
Siege of Yorktown, Virginia – September 28–October 19, 1781 (Virginia)
Each of these battles reflects the ebb and flow of the Revolution—an unlikely triumph of endurance, leadership, and the growing conviction that liberty was worth the cost. By the grace of God and sheer American grit, we're still here 250 years later!
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