Houghton Mifflin Social Studies
Lesson at a Glance Outline

Chapter 2, Lesson 3: Fighting the American Revolution (pp. 62-70)

I. Early Battles of the Revolution

II. The Road to the Declaration of Independence

    A. Thomas Paine wrote an influential pamphlet called Common Sense which called for the colonists to establish an independent republic.

    B. Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence which was approved and signed by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776.

III. War in the North

    A. The Continental Army, led by George Washington had an important victory at Trenton, New Jersey.

    B. After the American victory at Saratoga, Benjamin Franklin convinced France to side with the new country against Britain.

    C. The winter of 1777-1778, which the Continental Army spent at Valley Forge, was extremely difficult.

IV. War in the West and South

    A. After the spring 1778, the major fighting of the Revolution occurred in the South and West.

    B. With French aid of soldiers and supplies, the Continental Army won the war at Yorktown, Virginia.

IV. The Treaty of Paris

    A. With the Treaty of Paris, the British withdrew all their troops and the United States of America became the world's newest nation.

    B. The Treaty of Paris set the northern border of United States and Canada where it is now, and the western border at the Mississippi River.

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