Revolution Avenue

The Battle of Guilford Courthouse: In 1780-1781, British forces under the command of General Charles Cornwallis had attacked and seized the two colonies of Georgia and South Carolina, confident they could conquer Virginia., too. Upon marching from Charleston, SC, towards North Carolina, his army was ambushed by continental soldiers and local mitilia under the commmand of Nathanael Greene, who were secretly drawing the British troops away from their supply base in Charleston. Determined to destroy Greene's army, Cornwallis and his troops made chase to the US troops, whom retreated and fled across the Dan River into Virginia. This particular campaign was known asThe Race to the Dan. General Cornwallis and his army quickly set up a camp in Hillsborough, desperate to forage supplies for their tired army. Finally, on March 15, 1781, the two forces collided in present day Greensboro after General Cornwallis acquired the knowledge that Greene's army was stationed by the Guilford Courthouse. Despite Commander Greene's advantage over the British (for Greene's army contained 4,400 troops while Cornwallis's army contained 1,900 troops), the British managed to overcome the massive force under Greene's command by the end of that day after fighting a fearsome battle. Casualties for the continental army totaled at 79, along with the 260 wounded and 971 missing or captured. As for the British, their casualties were far worse, for their lost troops totaled at 93, with 415 wounded and 29 missing or captured. These losses turned out to be a major advantage for the patriots, for after fleeing to Yorktown in Virginia to seek aid from the British navy and acquire reinforcements, a large battle took place in which the British were defeated.

The Halifax Resolves: Approximately 6 weeks after the US victory at the battle of Moores Creek Bridge, the fourth provincial congress of North Carolina decided to hold a signifigant meeting in the province of Halifax. Upon discussing matters related to the revolution that more or less angered them and other colonist, they created the Halifax resolves, or, formal statements that claimed independence from Great Britain on April 12, 1776. Not only did these resolves officially declare North Carolina independent from Britain, but they also urged for all of the other 12 colonies to unite together and separate from the country of Britain. In addition, these statements allowed North Carolina's delegates to the second continental congress to join with those from other colonies to declare independence from Britain, for they were not authorized by the British government to take part in a movement of independence. Word of this was spread through popular newspapers at the time, which had copies of the Halifax Resolves printed in them. Before long, these statements were recognized by the continental congress and were the subject of an important meeting in Philadelphia, aiding in the creation of the Declaration of Indepenance. *Fact: The flag of North Carolina holds the date of the creation of the Halifax resolves on its bottom banner.*

http://military.discovery.com/history/revolutionary-war/trivia/trivia.html *Link for 10 things your teacher never told you* http://military.discovery.com/holidays/memorial-day/quizzes/revolutionary-war-quiz.html *Link for revolutionary war quiz* http://www.history.com/video.do?name=americanhistory *Link for Thomas Jefferson Video* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0ZhsDKoix8&feature=related *Link to youtube video*

Nathanael Greene Early Life: Born on August 7th, 1742 in Warwick, Rhode Island, Greene grew up with a limited education that primarily focused on math and history in past militaries. In 1770, he moved to Coventry to take ownership of his families foundry, quickly becoming a member of Rhode Island's General Assembly and gaining a strong sense in certain political affairs. After working in his foundry for several years, he married Catherine Greene in 1774, also forming a local militia called the Kentish Guards the same year because of increasing conflict between Great Britian and the colonies. Role in Revolution: After tensions between the colonies and Britain inclined greatly and Britain sent regiments of soldiers to the colonies, Greene was assigned the role of major-general to a force of 1,600 men, eventually traveling to Boston to defend the city. Following the numerous campaigns and missions Nathanael Greene completed in various colonies, whether he was commanding them or not, he put himself in North Carolina history books in the year of 1781 when a massive force of 4400 men under his command fought in the Battle of Guilford Courthouse against the British. Although his army fought long and hard, he was not able to overwhelm the British army due to their battle hardened soldiers. However, had it not been for his cunning and clever decisions, many more lives would have been lost, which would have been devastating for the patriots. In addition, this battle led to the eventual defeat of the British army in Yorktown because of their crippled numbers. *A Quote: We fight, get beat, rise, and fight again..*

Possibly one of the most important political and influentail figures during the years of the American Revolution was John Adams. Early Life: Born on October 30, 1735 in Braintree, Massachusetts to the parents of John and Susanna Adams, he grew up in a modest family with strong expectations based off of his Puritan heritage. By the time he turned 16 years old, he attended Harvard University, unsure of his career choice. After graduating from Harvard in 1755, he taught at a school in Worcester for several years before deciding to become a lawyer. In the year of 1764, John Adam's married Abigail Smith. Political Career and role in the American Revolution: While John Adams may have not initially been as important as his second cousin, Samuel Adams, he quickly rose to prominence with his view and role in the Stamp Act of 1765, along with his views and ideas in general of actions and laws passed by the British parliament on the colonies. However, in the year of 1770, his role as a leader among the colonists was endangered when he defended the nine British soldiers involved in the Boston Massacre in court, believing that all people should have a right to defend themselves in court. Following this, he quickly became a major leader again with his views on laws passed by parliament and also his actions, such as aiding in the creation of the Declaration of Independence. Later in the revolution, he also served as the ambassador to France, eventually gaining support from the French in their cause. In the year of 1796, John Adams became the second president of the United States. *Fact: Did you know that John Adams and Thomas Jefferson died on the same day, July 4th, 1826?*

By Jonathan Dolan