The British army met Massachusetts militiamen, who had been warned of the attack, in Lexington and Concord. Though the militiamen won both sides suffered casualties. Word of the victory spread quickly among the colonies and gave the Patriots hope that they had a chance of winning a war against a formidable foe. The militiamen’s next target was Fort Ticonderoga in New York and again the British surrendered to them. George Washington, commander of the Colonial army, also had significant victories in Trenton and Princeton, New Jersey. These victories fueled the Patriot’s passion for liberation and gave them hope that they would gain independence from the British (Henkin and …show more content…
Despite the Colonial army’s early victories the British army generally won most of the battles because of their superior army. Initially, the British army focused on gaining control of New York by controlling Hudson River. This was a significant move as the British army hoped to use the Hudson River to divide New England and New York. Washington and his men fought valiantly, however, in July 1776 the British the British army led by General William Howe seized New York and its two forts, Fort Washington and Fort Lee. At the point Loyalist were optimistic that Britain would win the war (Henkin and