Castillo de San Marcos National Monument, St. Augustine, FL Credit: Mike The G-Forcers

Castillo de San Marcos was an important fortress for the British during the Revolution and is still an impressive site today. Built by the Spanish in St. Augustine, the oldest city in the US, the site illustrates the complex history of colonialism in the New World. The Loyalist used the Castillo as a base for attacks on northern targets, a port for resupply, and a refuge for Loyalist from Georgia and the Carolinas.

Credit: David Ellis

From the NPS: A monument not only of stone and mortar but of human determination and endurance, the Castillo de San Marcos symbolizes the clash between cultures which ultimately resulted in our uniquely unified nation. Still resonant with the struggles of an earlier time, these original walls provide tangible evidence of America’s grim but remarkable history.

Credit: Mike Kovach

Fraunces Tavern Museum, 54 Pearl St, New York, NY Credit: Mike Philippens

The Revolution got its start in taverns like this, and Fraunces in New York was a hotbed of radical politics and talk of independence. George Washington was a patron here and he even gave his farewell speech to the Continental Army in a room at the tavern. Today, it is part tavern and part museum with an impressive collection of Revolutionary era flags.

Credit: Angelina Purpura

Valley Forge National Historical Park, Valley Forge, PA Credit: Erik Anestad

Valley Forge is synonymous with the terrible winter of 1777-1778, which tested the resolve of the Continental Army. It is also the place where the Army trained and drilled for months and developed into a fighting force that could take on the British. By 1783, their work and sacrifice at Valley Forge culminated in the victory that established America’s independence.

Credit: Ron Zanoni

From the NPS: Valley Forge was the site of the 1777-78 winter encampment of the Continental Army. The park commemorates the sacrifices and perseverance of the Revolutionary War generation and honors the ability of citizens to pull together and overcome adversity during extraordinary times.

Credit: Wally Gobetz

Saratoga National Historic Park, Stillwater, NY Credit: Diane Cordell

Saratoga was a major turning point in the war. In October of 1777, the underdog Continentals struck an unexpected and decisive victory against the Redcoats. Their success helped convince the French to join the American side, and their aid was instrumental in the Revolutions success. The site of the battle overlooking the Hudson has been preserved along with monuments and historic houses.

Credit: Richard Welty

From the NPS: A Crucial American Victory Here in the autumn of 1777, American forces met, defeated and forced a major British army to surrender. This crucial American victory in the Battle of Saratoga renewed patriots’ hopes for independence, secured essential foreign recognition and support, and forever changed the face of the world.

Independence National Historical Park, Philadelphia, PA Credit: Philadelphia Tourism

No tour of Revolutionary history is complete without a stop in Philadelphia. The park is comprised of twenty buildings including Benjamin Franklin’s house, the Liberty Bell, and Independence Hall. The Declaration of Independence and US Constitution were written and signed here establishing our country’s foundation.

Credit: Jim Maurer

From the NPS: "We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal..." Independence Hall echoes these words. Nearby the old cracked Bell proclaims liberty. The spirit of Franklin is alive in his adopted city. Become part of America's journey in discovering its past.

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George Rogers Clark National Historical Park, Vincennes, IN Credit: henskechristine

Colonel George Rogers Clark recognized the threat posed by the British troops massing on the frontier. If unchecked, the Redcoats would be able to attack the Continental Army from a second front and would end the war for independence. Clark formed alliances with local tribes and frontiersmen who helped him in a series of attacks across the frontier. The surprise capture of Fort Vincennes secured the west for the Americans and instantly doubled the size of the US.

Credit: J Heffner

From the NPS: Clark was only 25 years old when he conceived of the idea of leading his brave frontiersmen into the Illinois Country. Truly a man of vision, Clark felt that only a strike at the heart of the British-controlled countryside would lead to an end to the horror of Indian raids on frontier settlements.

Colonial National Historical Park, Jamestown and Yorktown, VA Credit: Sharon Flowers

Yorktown is where the war ended with Cornwallis’s surrender to Washington in October of 1781. The park has monuments and battlefields, as well as colonial houses and reenactments of 17th and 18th century life. The park includes Jamestown, established in 1607 as the first English settlement in the New World.

Credit: Roc2062

Fom the NPS: On May 13, 1607, Jamestown was established as the first permanent English settlement in North America. Three cultures came together – European, Virginia Indian and African–to create a new society that would eventually seek independence from Great Britain. On October 19, 1781, American and French troops defeated the British at Yorktown in the last major battle of the American Revolutionary War.