Don Hagist, co-editor at “Journal of the American Revolution,” has put together a list of his top 10 Revolutionary War battles. Here is a taste of his rationale for selecting the “top ten”:
The outcome of a war depends on far more than individual battles, but the battles are compelling to study; everyone has a favorite. The impacts of each one are numerous, and we can pontificate endless “what if” scenarios regarding the outcomes. There were, nonetheless, several battles that changed the momentum of the American Revolution – battles that stopped campaigns and caused changes in strategy. Although the outcome of every battle influenced subsequent events, only a few completely changed the momentum of a campaign or of the war itself.
1. Lexington and Concord
2. Bunker Hill
3. Quebec
4. Charleston
5. Trenton
6. Saratoga
7. Rhode Island
8. Kings Mountain
9. Cowpens
10. Yorktown
J.L. Bell at “Boston 1775” (who is also a contributor to The Journal of the American Revolution) is not completely satisfied with Hagist’s list.  Click here to see why.
(Most of this post was crafted by The Way of Improvement Leads Home intern, Megan Piette).
Um… I think, based on his criteria of “turning points in campaigns,” King's Mountain and Cowpens, while changing the tenor of Cornwallis' southern campaign, should be replaced with Guilford Courthouse. That one effectively compelled Cornwallis to abandon the south even though it was a tactical victory for the British. (I'm a little sketchy on the strategic situation so my analysis may be off, but maybe not.)