The very idea of the New World shows that the founders of America were seeking independence. Yes, they came from Great Britain but just by geography Great Britain was very far away. When issues in the New World came up they were forced to handle …show more content…
The first of these meetings was the First Continental Congress and one of the delegates was Patrick Henry. Many Americans wanted war but the British army was large and well trained (Social Studies for Kids part2, 2017). The Patriots were the colonists that rebelled against the British and the Loyalists were the colonists that remained loyal to Great Britain. The British fighters were referred to as redcoats or lobsterback because of the way they stood at attention in their redcoats and you could only see their red backs. The fighting began when Paul Revere, a member of the Sons of Liberty as well as a Minuteman, rode his horse through the streets declaring “the British are coming”. The first shots were fired in 1775 in Lexington Green. At this early battle Captain John Parker stated “Stand your ground. Don't fire unless fired upon, but if they mean to have a war let it begin here.” The primary focus in the beginning of the war was in Boston and New York. One of the early battles was the Battle of Bunker Hill and resulted in the American forces losing their view of Boston. After several minor battles the Second Continental Congress convened and on July 4, 1776 the Americans issued the Declaration of Independence. Once independence was declared the Americans had to keep up the fight. George Washington took the American forces over the Delaware River and defeated the Hessian forces in New Jersey. Hessian forces were troops contracted from the Germans to fight on behalf of the British. Although the Americans won this battle in general the mood was down. Thomas Payne wrote during the dark times of the war “these are the times that try men’s souls”. The British were otherwise winning every battle but things started to change with