Paul Revere's famous ride marked the beginning of the Revolutionary war. Paul Revere was a silversmith who rode around Boston warning the militia that the British were coming. Revere was captured by the British en route, although he gets all of the credit, but his fellow rider, Dr. Samuel Prescott was able to warn the American soldiers of the impending arrival of the British troops. As a result, the colonists were ready for the British and the revolution began.
After the British occupied Boston, they began to march to Concord, Massachusetts, an American weapons stockpile. On the way to Concord, the British passed through Lexington, Massachusetts, and a shot was fired. Although no one is sure who fired the first shot, it was enough to jump-start the combat. The Americans lost the battle and were forced to retreat, but it delayed the British enough that the American soldiers were waiting for them in Concord.
Fort Ticonderoga, a fort located on Lake Champlain, was seized by the British from the French during the French and Indian War. On May 10, 1775, American soldiers gained their first victory of the revolution when they captured the fort. Led by Ethan Allen, the Green Mountain Boys took control of Fort Ticonderoga, which had a small stockpile of British weapons, and kept British forces in Canada from entering the United States. The American soldiers were then able to enter Canada themselves.
The Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia in 1775 after the start of the war. The American army had suffered its share of setbacks and was not faring well against the British and was not well organized. The Second Continental Congress defined the organizational structure of the army and appointed George Washington as its commander in chief. Other notable achievements of the Second Continental Congress were the creation of the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of the Confederation and the Marine Corps.