Independence Day: 7 important victories in the American Revolution

By Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor Thursday, July 04, 2024

A 19th century painting by John Trumbull depicting the surrender of British General Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown, Virginia, in 1781, which led to the United States gaining its independence. | Wikimedia Commons

People across the United States are celebrating the nation's Independence Day, which marks the anniversary of when the 13 colonies declared their independence from the British Empire.

The demand for independence, however, was not enough, as American colonists had to fight the United Kingdom to gain autonomy from the powerful European nation.

While not an exhaustive list of victories on the part of the American rebels, the battles and sieges listed nevertheless showcase key moments in the struggle for independence.

Here are seven important victories in the American Revolution. They include one of the opening skirmishes, a battle that guaranteed foreign intervention on behalf of the rebellion, and the siege that ended it all.