Part 1:
Ready to explode !
The British army - stationed in Boston closing
the port because of the Boston Tea Party.
April 19, 1775 : The British Army marches
toward Concord Massachusetts to seize a
weapons stash.
Warned by Paul Revere, a militia meets then
at a town called Lexington.
SECTION 1
The Revolution Begins
Question:
How did the fighting at
Lexington and Concord affect
the colonies’ dispute with
Britain?
SECTION 1
The “Shot Heard round
the World” continued…
SECTION 1
http://www.earlyamerica.com/shot_heard.htm
The British defeat the Colonial
militia at Lexington
At Concord the Colonial militia outnumbers
the British.
The British are defeated and retreat back to
Boston.
They are shot at by the “Minutemen” along
the way and suffer high casualties
•Minutemen – men who were to ready to
fight in a minute’s notice.
SECTION
1 Continental Congress
The
Second
•Met in Philadelphia in May
of 1775.
•Things were different now.
Colonists had stood up to
the British Army.
Creates The Olive Branch Petition - a final
attempt to avoid a full-blown war between
the Thirteen Colonies and Great Britain.
Asks the king to prevent further conflict.
King George III ignores it.
The Second Continental Congress also:
•Created the Continental Army,
•Named Washington the army’s
leader
Early Battles
•Fort Ticonderoga – Benedict Arnold attacks
the fort and captures much ammunition &
weaponry for the colonists.
•Bunker / Breeds Hills – Colonists dug in and
fought off a larger better supplied British army
until they run out of ammunition and are forced
top retreat.
•“Don’t shoot til’ you see the whites of their eyes!”
Early Battles
• The British are kept
“bottled up” in
Boston until
Washington
bombards them and
forces their
evacuation by sea
British
Washington
Comparing Strengths & Weaknesses
British Advantages
1. More $$
2. More Resources
3. More Powerful Military
4. Largest Navy in World
Colonial Advantages
1. Hostile Citizens
2. Homefield Advantage
3. Their supplies were close
The British Plan:
From Canada
From Lake
Ontario
Split the Colonies in half.
From New York
Washington’s first task was
to organize his rag-tag troops.
•Early in the War, the
Pendulum swung in
favor of the British.
•The British victory
Quebec in Canada
•General Howe drove
George Washington
out of New York
SECTION 3
Dark Hours for the Revolution
Women
served as nurses, spies, or
messengers; ran farms or
businesses; some fought
in battles
Men
many volunteered
for army
War Effort
American Indians
African Americans
fought on both sides but
many remained neutral
many fought for British to
gain freedom; free African
Americans were allowed to
join patriots
The Patriots Gain New Hope
Battles not usually fought in Winter
•After the British victories in Quebec and New
York, Gen. Howe thought the war would be over
soon, so he kept his troops in NY for the winter
to rest.
•This gave Washington time to regroup and
get some reinforcements.
The Patriots Gain New Hope
•The British had hired a group of
Germans (Hessians) to fight for
them. The Hessians had taken over
New Jersey. Howe left Jersey in the
Hessians hands for the winter.
The Patriots Gain New Hope
•Washington crosses the Delaware River and
mounts a surprise attack on Christmas day.
Defeats the Hessians at Trenton, NJ
• The battle took less than
an hour. Washington and
his 2400 troops captured
more than 900 Hessians
w/just 5 American
casualties. This boosted
the American Spirit.
•Washington then took off for the town of
Princeton. General Cornwallis rushed to
stop him. Washington won the Battle of
Princeton.
•After defeats at
Princeton and Trenton,
the British were
embarrassed. They
wanted revenge and they
got it.
•The British went on a
winning streak and soon
took the important city of
Philadelphia
Winter at Valley Forge
In December 1777, Washington and his troops
settled in at Valley Forge Pennsylvania for the
winter.
•Because of the shortages of supplies, they
suffered and more than 20% of their troops
died of disease & malnutrition.
•By the end of the winter, Washington’s troops
were growing frustrated. Friedrich von Steuben
an experienced German officer came to help
Washington. He ruled w/respect and fear.
•With von Steuben’s help, the Continental Army
was quickly becoming well trained.
Turning Point
at Saratoga
•Battle of Saratoga stopped the winning
streak and turned the tide of the war.
•In this battle, the Americans captured General
Burgoyne’s entire army.
•The greatest victory of the war for the
Americans.
•Gave the world confidence that the
Americans might be able beat the
British.
•Gave the French the opportunity to
join the Americans in the war.
•The entry of France & Spain into the
war came at a critical time: the
Americans were running very low on
supplies and France & Spain provided
just that..
SECTION 4
Foreign Allies
•Spain and France were enemies of the
British, therefore, they secretly helped the
Americans during the war.
•Spain helped the Americans on the
western front. France helped on the Eastern
front.
•Many individuals also aided the French:
Marquis de Lafayette – even though he
lacked experience, his belief in the Patriot
cause made Washington like him. He even
gave up to $200,000 of his own money to
the Americans.
•Tadeusa Kosciuszko and Kazimierz Pulaski
from Poland helped train the Americans.
SECTION 5
Independence!
The War in the West
•George Rogers Clark – major factor
in the war on the western frontier.
•Made a difficult journey across
rivers and forests to attack a British
fort by surprise.
•Kept the British busy with his small
force. This didn’t allow them to
destroy all hopes on the Western
Front and then start closing in on
Washington in the East.
The War at Sea
The Americans also faced difficult odds in the
war at Sea.
•American Navy only had 8 ships. British had hundreds.
American navy tried to fight hit & run battles.
•John Paul Jones: one of the most successful American
Captains. Captain of ship Bonhomme Richard.
•In one famous battle, the Bonhomme Richard had been
struck & was sinking, when the British captain called out and
asked Jones if he was ready to give up, Jones pulled up beside
the British ship (Serapis) and jumped aboard. He did so
yelling, “I have not yet begun to fight !”
•The Bonhmme Richard sunk, but he took over the Serapis
War in the South
•After the American victory at Saratoga, the British
focused their efforts on the Southern frontier of the
War.
•As they marched through the South, defeating the
Patriots, they destroyed all of the patriot property.
•Horatio Gates led a patriot army of about 4,000 to
try and take back the South: only about 700 made it
out of the battles alive.
•The Patriots didn’t give up – they fought guerilla
warfare.
•Francis Marion – “Swamp Fox” was the best
guerilla fighter for the Patriots.
•Failing in the Carolinas,
Cornwallis believed that
Virginia would be easier to
conquer and leads his army
to Yorktown.
• Washington along with
French troops snuck up behind
Cornwallis and trap him at
Yorktown.
•With escape for the British
cut off, and being
outnumbered and outgunned
by the American and French
Armies and the French Navy
Cornwallis surrendered.
Victory at Yorktown
SECTION 5
Victory at Yorktown
cont…
Treaty of Paris 1783
•The delegates took more
than 2 years to come to an
agreement.
•The treaty of Paris 1783
ended the war with Great
Britain recognizing the
independence of the US.
•The treaty also set new
borders for the US.
•With the war over, the
Patriots could now return
New Borders of
The US.