The Revolutionary War

Characters

Narrator 1 Narrator 2

General Thomas Gage British Spy

Paul Revere William Dawes

George Washington General William Howe

British Soldier 1 British Soldier 2

American Soldier 1 American Soldier 2

Patriot 1 Patriot 2

Thomas Jefferson Thomas Paine

Lord Charles Cornwallis

Scene 1

Narrator 1: After the French and Indian War, taxes such as the Sugar Act, the Stamp Act, the Tea Act, and
more were imposed on the American colonists in hopes of making up for lost money.

Narrator 2: Unfortunately for the British, these new taxes angered many of the American colonists. The
colonists thought it was unfair to be taxed without any say in where the money was going. They called this
“taxation without representation,” and they found ways to protest.

Narrator 1: After many violent and non-violent protests, tensions in the colonies were at an all-time high.
Americans were beginning to hope for independence from Britain, and British parliament continued treating
the colonists poorly. Our story starts in 1775 in Concord, Massachusetts.

Narrator 2: Colonists were hiding gunpowder and weapons in Concord in hopes of defeating British troops
who were stationed in Massachusetts. British General Thomas Gage learned this from British spies and
planned to seize the weapons from the colonists.

British Spy: General Gage! General Gage! I heard that the colonists are hiding weapons and gunpowder in
Concord!

General Gage: Is that so? We must take it so that they cannot do any harm to us!

British Spy: We can’t let them know we’re coming. We have to head there during the nighttime!

General Gage: Let’s assemble our troops and sneak up on them at night. We can take the weapons and
gunpowder so that they do not have power over us.

British Spy: Good plan, sir! Let’s round up the troops!

General Gage: We’ll show those rowdy colonists who’s boss!

British troops assemble

Narrator 1: Luckily, the British weren’t the only ones with spies. Paul Revere and William Dawes were
Americans who were acting as spies for the colonists.

Paul Revere: William, what is that? Do you see that group of men in red getting closer?

William Dawes: Is it the British soldiers? Those lobsterbacks better stay away from our troops! Why are they
heading this way?

Paul Revere: Maybe they’re after our gunpowder. We should warn the troops! They need to know the
lobsterbacks are coming!

William Dawes: Let’s warn the minutemen so that they can get ready to fight!

Paul and William: (running toward the minutemen) The British are coming, the British are coming!

American soldiers get ready to battle

Narrator 2: Even though the minutemen found out the British troops were on their way, when they met and
battled in Lexington, the British were victorious. By morning, however, the British made it to Concord. Here,
the colonists’ troops were ready and this was a victory for the Americans.

American Soldier 1: That was a tough battle last night. We lost so many men in Lexington.

American Soldier 2: I thought we would be able to defeat them, but they were stronger than us.

American Soldier 1: We can’t let that happen again, next time we meet up with those redcoats, we have to be
ready to push them away!

American Soldier 2: Now that it’s morning, I think all of our remaining men are ready for battle. Let’s march
toward them and drive them away!

American soldiers head toward the British soldiers

British Soldier 1: The colonists are coming down the hill!

British Soldier 2: It’s okay, they’ll just run away scared like they did in Lexington last night!

British Soldier 1: They’re not stopping, they’re not giving up! They look so angry, maybe we should leave!

American soldiers defeat British soldiers

British Soldier 2: Our troops need to get out of here, so many of us are already wounded!

British Soldier 1 and 2: Let’s go!

Scene 2

Narrator 1: In May of 1775, the Second Continental Congress met and decided to create a Continental army
made up of soldiers from all of the colonies. Their leader would be George Washington.

Narrator 2: Later in Boston, continental troops were building forts on Breed’s Hill and Bunker Hill. These forts
worried British General William Howe. He ordered an attack.

General Howe: The Continental army is creating forts. This must mean that they are getting stronger and
ready to fight!

British Soldier 1: What should we do? How do we stop them?

British Soldier 2: Their forts on these hills give them an advantage!

General Howe: We need to stop them. Men, it’s time to go up Breed’s hill and attack the Americans.

British Soldier 1: We can get our troops together and march up the hill.

British Soldier 2: We’ll drive them out of their fort!

British troops prepare for attack and march toward the Continental Army

American Soldier 1: The British troops are coming up our hill. I think they’re planning an attack on our forts!

American Soldier 2: Putnam told us not to shoot until we see the whites of their eyes. Then, when they’re nice
and close, we’ll fight back!

British Soldier 1: We’re getting closer, open fire!

American Soldier 1: Keep them back, men!

British and colonists fight, and the colonists are able to keep the British back.

Narrator 1: The Americans were able to ward off the first attack from the British troops.

British Soldier 2: Let’s try again, up the hill! Attack the colonists!

American Soldier 2: The redcoats are back! We need to keep them away again, men!

British and colonists fight, and the colonists are able to keep the British back again.

Narrator 2: Again, the American soldiers were able to hold their ground. Unfortunately, on the third attack,
the Americans ran out of gunpowder and the bloody victory went to the British.

British Soldier 1: Let’s try this again. They must be tired by now! Their gun powder must be running low.

General Howe: Go men! Back up the hill, fight until it’s over!

British Soldier 2: I hope they’re almost out of gunpowder, this is exhausting!

British soldiers start walking toward the colonists again

American Soldier 1: Oh no! They’re coming up again. I think we’re running out of gun powder!

American Soldier 2: You’re right, we’re all out! Men are dying everywhere, this is hopeless!

British Soldier 1: We’ve finally got them right where we want them!

British Soldier 2: Now it’s our turn for victory. They have no gunpowder left. Fire!

General Howe: Good job men, you did it. It was a bloody struggle, but we came out on top!

Narrator 1: This battle was fought on Breed’s Hill, but it was misnamed the battle of Bunker Hill. This wasn’t
the only time that gunpowder was an issue for the Continental Army.

Scene 3

Narrator 2: A month later, George Washington found out that his army had very little gunpowder left. Instead
of panicking, he started a rumor that they had plenty of powder. The British believed the rumor and it gave
the Americans time to gather enough powder.
George Washington: (to his troops) Men, we have very little gunpowder. This is a bad situation, if the British
attack us, we have nothing to protect ourselves with.

American Soldier 1: What should we do? Do we have time to get more?

American Soldier 2: We can’t get more gunpowder on such short notice!

George Washington: I have an idea! I’ll start a rumor that we have 1,800 barrels of gunpowder! There is no
way the British would mess with us if they believe that we have that much.

American Soldier 1: But how does a lie help us?

George Washington: It will give us extra time! If they don’t attack us now, it will give us time to gather more
weapons. I’ll send letters to the colonies asking them to give more gunpowder to the army. In the meantime,
I’ll send Henry Knox from Boston to the old fort Ticonderoga to gather some bigger weapons.

American Soldier 2: I hope this works, it would be hopeless for us now if the British attacked.

George Washington: Knox can gather guns, cannons, and lead for bullets. The colonies will send us more
gunpowder. Soon, we will be ready for anything. We just have to make sure the British believe our rumor!

Narrator 1: Washington’s rumor worked, and his army was able to build up enough gunpowder and weapons
to be safe once again. General Howe was scared by the amount of weaponry that the American army now
had, and he and his men left Boston.

General Howe: Men, it seems that the Continental army really does have plenty of gunpowder. Look at those
cannons aimed right at the city! They’re ready to fight at any moment.

British Soldier 1: I don’t think we can afford another bloody battle.

British Soldier 2: General Howe, what should we do?

General Howe: I think our best move would be to leave Boston. We can’t fight them right now, and we can’t
stay here. Let’s gather our troops onto the ships and leave through Boston Harbor. We can take any loyalists
with us who no longer wish to stay here.

The British board the ships and leave

George Washington: This isn’t over yet.

Scene 4

Narrator 2: Meanwhile, in the colonies, many Americans were hoping for freedom from Britain. Two
important men, Thomas Paine and Thomas Jefferson, declared this need for independence in their own ways.

Thomas Paine: (writing a pamphlet) There we go… just a few more finishing touches…

Patriot 1: Hey Mr. Paine, what are you writing?

Thomas Paine: I’m writing a pamphlet about all of the hurt that Britain has been causing us.

Patriot 2: What kind of things are you writing about?

Thomas Paine: The King, for one, ha! We owe him nothing! Americans owe no loyalty to King George.

Patriot 1: I agree with that, are you saying anything else important in this pamphlet?

Thomas Paine: Well some people think that our ties to Britain have actually been a benefit! How wrong they
are! I’m writing about how America has suffered under British control and how we have been hurt after being
dragged into their wars.

Patriot 2: I think the rest of the patriots would agree with you. I don’t know how many loyalists would read
your pamphlet, but I know a few patriot friends who would.

Patriot 1: We patriots have to stick together! Mr. Paine, once you get that pamphlet done, you should print
copies to show to other colonists in the area.

Thomas Paine: We have to oppose the tyranny of Britain, and the tyrant- King George! Let’s distribute these
pamphlets for colonists to read. I’ll call it Common Sense, because common sense says that we’re better off
without the British!

Patriot 2: I have about 120,000 friends that might like a copy…

Narrator 1: Thomas Paine’s Common Sense pamphlet was a success; over 120,000 copies were printed and
many colonists were persuaded to believe that independence was the key to a better future.

Narrator 2: Our other important Thomas is Thomas Jefferson. At only 33 years old, he was given the task of
writing the Declaration of Independence.

Thomas Jefferson: (while writing) We hold these thruths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal…

Patriot 1: Mr. Jefferson, what’s that you’re writing?

Thomas Jefferson: After the British left Boston, the Continental Congress chose me to write a Declaration of
Independence.

Patriot 2: What’s a Declaration of Independence?

Thomas Jefferson: Well, it’s a document to declare that America wants to be independent from Britain. I’m
filling it with reasons why we believe that we should be our own nation and Britain should leave us alone.

Patriot 1: I definitely think independence is important, but what kind of reasons are in your fancy declaration?

Thomas Jefferson: First of all, loyalists think we still have to obey the king. However, we owe him nothing. He
thinks his powers come from God! That’s not quite true.

Patriot 2: I don’t think God gave him any powers, but what does that have to do with us obeying him or not?
Thomas Jefferson: Well, in my declaration, I am writing about how all of us are created equal in God’s sight.
This means that King George does not have anything that we don’t have. We all have basic rights that should
not be taken away.

Patriot 1: What kinds of rights do we have?

Thomas Jefferson: I have written about our rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. These rights
can’t be taken away by anyone, and if we are an independent nation, our government will have to work to
protect these rights rather than squash them like Britain does.

Patriot 2: Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, huh? I could get used to that!

Scene 5

Narrator 1: The Declaration of Independence was drafted and then eventually approved on July 4th, 1776.
Unfortunately, declaring independence from Britain did not automatically mean that America was free. There
was still plenty of fighting ahead for the colonists before they could become a free nation.

Narrator 2: The British army left after the Continental army got new weapons, but they soon came back.
British General Howe had new plans about how to be victorious over the colonists. He planned to start in New
York then move toward Massachusetts.

General Howe: Okay men, we’re back and this time we mean business. No more fooling around and no more
running away, it’s time to defeat the colonists once and for all.

British Soldier 1: What is your plan, General Howe? How can we stop them and get control back?

General Howe: We need to take over as much as we can. We’ll start in New York and move toward
Massachusetts, that’s where we’ll get really serious.

British Soldier 2: We’re more experienced than the Continental Army anyway; they won’t stand a chance once
we get to them.

Narrator 1: In an attempt to stop the invasion, George Washington brought his troops to New York. He
planned to stop the British before they headed toward New England.

George Washington: Okay men, we don’t have much time, General Howe and his troops are planning to
attack.

American Soldier 1: We’re ready, sir!

British soldiers and American soldiers meet in New York and begin fighting

General Howe: Keep it up men! They are inexperienced and they can’t keep up with us!

British Soldier 1: We’ve killed so many of them, that Washington guy will be surrendering any time now and
victory will be ours!

George Washington: I can’t surrender, my troops can’t give up!

American Soldier 1: We can’t keep fighting. They’ve already killed over a thousand of us!

George Washington: We’re not giving up, but I think we do need to stop for a while.

Narrator 2: For the next few battles, the British were victorious. They were able to overpower the Continental
army and they pushed them out of New York, through New Jersey, across the Delaware River, and into
Pennsylvania.

British troops force American troops out

Scene 6

Narrator 1: Times were tough for the American soldiers. They had to deal with bitterly cold weather, poor
conditions, and very few resources. Many soldiers left the troops to go home and give up on the war.

Narrator 2: Luckily, there was a twist of fate and America started to be victorious once again. In Trenton, New
Jersey, American troops attacked and captured Hessians who were resting on Christmas day.

Narrator 1: After this, a British General named John Burgoyne had a plan to stop the Americans once and for
all. He wanted to meet General Howe’s troops in New York, take over the Hudson River Valley, and cut off
New England from the rest of the colonies.

General Howe: Men, General John Burgoyne wants us to meet up with him in New York to take over the
Hudson River Valley.

British Soldier 2: That’s smart! If we take that over, then there’s no way they can get supplies and goods to
and from New England! That will make the Continental Army crumble!

General Howe: Yeah, it does make sense, but I’d rather bring you men to Philadelphia. I’m hoping to meet up
with Washington’s troops there.

British Soldier 1: So we’re not going to follow Burgoyne’s plan? Is this going to have negative consequences
for British troops?

General Howe: I’m sure Burgoyne and his men will have it all under control.

Narrator 2: British General Howe was wrong. Finally, the American troops had a victory when they
encountered Burgoyne’s troops at Saratoga Springs on the Hudson River.

American Soldier 1: Victory is ours! Take that Britain! Saratoga must be our good luck charm!

American Soldier 2: I heard that France is proud of our victory at Saratoga.

American Soldier 1: France? Didn’t Britain fight against them in the French and Indian War?

American Soldier 2: Yes, and now France wants to help us. They’re sending us weapons, money, and more
troops! This will give us more of an advantage over those no-good redcoats.
Scene 7

Narrator 1: After the help of the French, the Continental army had more victorious battles. In Monmouth,
New Jersey, British and American troops met and fought. Washington cheered on his troops and they were
able to run the redcoats out. The British slipped away across the Hudson River.

Narrator 2: Because they were not having luck conquering land in the North, the British moved South in
attempts to take over southern states. After they had taken over Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina,
the British went back North and left Lord Charles Cornwallis to run the South.

Charles Cornwallis: I heard that Washington is sending troops here to the South to stop us from taking over.

British Soldier 1: What should we do Lord Cornwallis? Can we keep control down here?

Charles Cornwallis: I hope so… Oh no, there they are! I see American soldiers coming from over there!

British Soldier 2: Sir, they’re over there too!

Charles Cornwallis: They’re coming from every direction. Yorktown is surrounded!

British Soldier 1: We should try to escape!

Charles Cornwallis: They have the French with them. There’s no way we can compete with this!

British Soldier 2: What should we do, Lord Cornwallis?

Charles Cornwallis: We have no choice, we have to surrender. Come on men, let’s lay down our weapons and
get out of here.

Cornwallis and his troops surrender and leave

Narrator 1: After Cornwallis’ surrender, the battles of the Revolutionary War were over. In early 1783, Britain
and America signed a peace treaty in Paris, known as the “Treaty of Paris.”

Narrator 2: This treaty set out rules for Britain and America. It said that Britain would recognize America as an
independent nation, it would give up claims to American land, and America would give back rights and
property that were taken from loyalists.

Narrator 1: The war was finally over and America was finally free. Unfortunately the freedom came at a very
high price. Thousands of lives were lost, but a new nation was gained.