T1+-+6.1A

T1 - 6.1A: Jackie Sloe, Nicole Lembo, Lauren Moniz (Fort Ticonderoga) Revolutionary War: Capture of Fort Ticonderoga

There is lots of conflicts in Boston, Massachusetts. There has been a lot of tension between the Colonists and the British ever since the French and Indian War. The British think the colonies should pay them back for helping and protecting them from the war but the colonists think they don’t have to. The British have tried to get the colonists to pay them back by trying to enforce the stamp act and the sugar act. The colonists don’t want to pay so they are fighting back and protesting. The tensions beginning to get much more violent. They have fought and all this fighting isn’t getting them anywhere.

On the day of April 18th, 1775 General Gage sent seven-hundred of his redcoats to Lexington. Once they arrived in Lexington the battle immediately began. But the Americans were not quite ready. The red coat charged in to homes and stole all there weapon for them selves. They felt they should be more prepared than the Americans. Paul Revere was one of the minute men in battle but was also a victim of stolen weaponry. 70 American militia were stood face to face with many redcoats. On June 11th, 1776 the continental congress declared America’s independence with Britain. Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin, and John Adams were all present for this meeting. These men practically began a petition for men the join them in making there independence official. This is how many conflicts were handled, by finding out what the people think. These men are called “patriots”, who want to do just about anything AGAINST Britain. On January 3rd, 1777 George Washington lead his troops to a battle at Princeton against a small portion of Britain’s troop. This was going to be the third time Britain was beaten by the Americans. Once the battle ended the redcoats were tricked into being trapped in Brunswick, New Jersey. In Brunswick there are more minutemen waiting as “back up”. The year of 1776, the thirteen colonies, France, and Canada all had men who were very good patriots. These men were so willing to join and war that was against Britain. Between1755-1762 these men some what met up joined wars together. These men were minutemen so they were ready to go at anytime. On December 25, 1776, George Washington led his 2400 member troop to a surprise attack on Britain. Hessians, German men who fought for money, were apart of this attack and were on Britain’s side. This attack traveled into Trenton, New Jersey. The Hessians wanted money so the patriots fought against them for what was rightfully there’s.

Winning the Revolutionary War seemed impossible to the colonists at first. They had barely any trained soldiers, much less the weapons to help them. That was until two brave men, Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold, led the Green Mountain Boys to a surprise attack on the British Fort Ticonderoga. Allen had a rough nature about him and had created the Green Mountain Boys, a boisterous group of militia men from the Green Mountains in Vermont. Arnold, having heard of their plan left his army to take control of Allen’s, but was forced to settle for a partnership role of being a leader. Once agreed upon, the two leaders and their army of men departed from Vermont on April 28, 1777. They arrived in New York on May 9, 1777, and on May 10, in the middle of the night, around two o’clock, the army gathered on the shore of Lake Champlain. There, eighty-three men travelled across the lake in two boats to where Fort Ticonderoga is located. Once there, the Green Mountain Boys decided to attack on the south gate since the sun was already starting to rise, and to keep the element of surprise. Not a single shot was fired as these militia men achieved their goal. After storming the fort and the British surrendered, the men were able to gather about sixty cannons, sixteen mortars, seventy-eight artillery pieces, and gun powder. This should help the colonists very much, since the fort links a water-way from New York to Canada, and is important for communication. This will also give the colonists weapons to help them against other British forces in Boston.

The Colonists have fought long and hard already but the war has only just begun. They know that it will take many years of skill and courage if they are to gain their independance from Britain. Many of them fear for their lives against the powerful army of Great Britain who has many capable generals. The Colonists may not have the skilled leaders but they have the knowledgeof the land and many hiding places for the guns and ammo. They are a tough group and it will be difficult to beat them but the two groups are equal to their. skills.