• What does it take to win a war?
• Imagine you are in charge of the new
American army – what are you going to do
to make sure a victory is achieved?
How did the British and Americans
compare?
• 1 - Which side had the advantage? (CLAIM)
• 2 – Choose 3 pieces of evidence from the handout to
argue your point (EVIDENCE YOU WILL CITE)
• 3 – Write your argument (COMBINE 1 and 2 to create
your analysis)
• 4 – Counter – rebuttal for other team’s argument
Advantages
Americans – Advantages
• They were able to fight on their own ground which helped them to know the areas
• They had a widespread acquaintance with firearms
• They had better or superior rifles with more range and accuracy than the British
• They had experience from the French and Indian War which helped to know what
they were coming into and what mistakes they made last time
British - Advantages
• They were well trained, equipped, and had exact orders in which they followed very
closely
• They had the best navy which protected the coastlines and supply lines
• They had Loyalists and Indians to help them fight
• They had enough money to hire foreign troops from Germany also known as
Hessians
Disadvantages
Americans - Disadvantages
•
•
•
•
•
Their army lacked training and discipline (they were taken from their homes handed a gun and
were told to kill without much training in the field.
Many men deserted the army because they were allowed to leave whenever and when times
got hard, men died, or they just didn't want to fight anymore they would flee to their homes.
Shortages of ammo, food, clothing, and medicine also made men flee and people die of
starvation or weather.
Not all colonists supported the Patriot cause
They lacked a real navy which hurt them because they had no way to defend the coastlines
British - Disadvantages
• Fighting a long distance from home which made soldiers less effective due to lack of sleep,
home sickness, exhaustion, etc.
• They never adapted their fighting style which hurt them.
• They believed they could just run Americans over without any problem, this underestimation
caused them to be unprepared and lose many men in some cases.
• They used smoothbore muskets which took longer to load than the American guns so by the
time they could get their gun loaded they would be shot.
Debate Format
• One side begins with their claim and one
piece of evidence
• The other side has a chance to give a
counter-claim
• The other side then gives their claim and
one piece of evidence
• Counter-claim
• Start again!
Second Continental Congress
• Philadelphia, summer 1775 – March 1781
• all 13 colonies represented
• Take control of war effort, last ditch attempt at
peace (Olive Branch Petition), moved towards
war
• Acted as the national government of what
became the United States of America
Green Mountain Boys
Order of Events
• 4. (A) American victory at Fort
Ticonderoga – the Americans gain a
supply of cannons and gunpowder. The
victory also gave Americans control of an
important route to Canada
Ticonderoga
Order of events
• 2. (B) Appointment of George Washington
as Commander of the Continental Army –
The army was disorganized and needed
good leadership. Washington has led
troops before (F & I war)
Continental Army
• Work in progress, combo of
regular troops and state militia
• 20,000 men at height
(today the US military has
over 1.5 million people in
active service!)
Order of Events
• 3. (C) The Battle of Bunker Hill – First
major battle of the Revolution. The battle
showed that Americans were brave
fighters. The battle showed that the British
would not be easy to defeat.
Breeds/Bunker Hill
Breed’s Hill/Bunker Hill
• June 16, 1775
– Colonel William Prescott and colonial militias
– 1,000 Patriots fortified Breed’s Hill, digging
trenches and using cotton and hay bales for
protection.
– They planned to take Bunker Hill, but British
attacked before these plans were completed
The Battle
• British troops charged
up the hill multiple
times
• American commander
orders “Don’t shoot
until you see the
whites of their eyes”
• Why?
• Running low on gun
powder/ammunition
the patriots retreat
towards Bunker Hill
• British took over both,
Americans retreat
• Casualties
1346 British (over
40%) !!
441 American
Battle animation!
• http://www.revolutionarywaranimated.com/
BunkerHillAnimation.html
• http://app.discoveryeducation.com/search
?Ntt=+bunker+hill
After Bunker Hill
• Proved Americans were brave fighters
• Showed British would not be easy to
defeat
• Washington arrives in Boston and quickly
realizes he has a big job ahead of him
• Cannons finally arrive (from Ticonderoga)
and are put in a position that overlooks the
harbor – British (and many loyalists) flee
Boston to Canada
Order of Events
• 1. (D) Blockade of all colonial ports – King
George ordered blockade to stop people
and supplies from coming into or out of the
colonies