After the Battle of Bunker Hill in June 1775, both the Patriots and the British prepared for a lengthy conflict. The Second Continental Congress, meeting in Philadelphia, chose George Washington to be commander of the newly formed Continental Army. In early July, Washington arrived in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to take command of the Patriot forces surrounding Boston. Britain’s forces included a well-trained army and a powerful navy, which could transport soldiers and supplies along the coast and provide support during attacks.
Washington suggested attacking the city immediately, but his officers advised against it. The British were receiving supplies by sea, and an attack could fail. They urged Washington to wait until the waters around Boston froze. Washington shifted his focus. He sent an army north to try to capture Quebec, but that effort failed. At the same time, he ordered Henry Knox to travel to Fort Ticonderoga in New York and bring back the post’s artillery. In January 1776, Knox returned with fifty-nine cannons hauled over frozen winter roads.Throughout the winter, Washington’s forces kept the British contained inside Boston. In March 1776, the Patriots placed the newly arrived artillery on the high ground of Dorchester Heights, overlooking Boston Harbor. From this position, they could fire into the city and at the British ships. Rather than risk destruction, the British evacuated Boston and sailed to Halifax, Nova Scotia.
That summer, the war moved to New York City. The city was an important port and a doorway to the Hudson River Valley. In July, right after the Declaration of Independence was signed, a huge British fleet arrived under General William Howe. Britain’s wealth allowed it to send such a massive fleet. It carried thousands of soldiers, heavy cannons, and German fighters hired to help the British. The navy helped land troops in key
locations and control important waterways. In late August, the British attacked at the Battle of Long Island. Washington’s smaller and less experienced army had to retreat to Manhattan, then cross the Hudson River into New Jersey. The Patriots knew the land well and tried to use traps and surprise attacks. But they couldn’t stop the British from capturing Fort Washington and Fort Lee, along with supplies and prisoners.By December 1776, Washington’s army had shrunk to only a few thousand men. Many soldiers were sick, tired, and near the end of their service. On the night of December 25–26, Washington led a daring crossing of the ice-filled Delaware River. At dawn, they surprised the German troops working for the British at the town of Trenton, New Jersey. A week later, the Patriots won another fight at Princeton, lifting spirits before moving into winter quarters in Morristown.
In 1777, British leaders planned to capture Philadelphia. General Howe sailed south, landed in Maryland, and defeated Washington at the Battle of Brandywine in September. The British then took control of Philadelphia while the Continental Congress moved to York, Pennsylvania. Washington tried to win the city back at Germantown in October, but thick fog and confusion on the battlefield led to another British victory.
By the end of 1777, many British soldiers settled in Philadelphia for the winter, staying in colonial homes after taking control of the city. Meanwhile, Washington’s army marched to Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, where they faced bitter cold, disease, and shortages of food and clothing. Even under these harsh conditions, the army stayed together and prepared for the next phase of the war.