The Revolutionary
War
American History
Chapter 4
1
You’ve Declared Independence,
Now What?







Declaration of Independence: 56 Signers
committing suicide?
Thomas Jefferson: “All men are created equal.”
“Life, Liberty & the Pursuit of Happiness.”
Continental Congress had no power to tax and
had to “ask” the States for troops and the
money to pay for them.
Constant shortages of everything.
George Washington: General or Letter writing
begger?
The odds of victory?
2
The Continental Army






Broken into two segments: Continental
Regulars and Militia.
Regulars were fairly well trained and
disciplined.
Militia were volunteers with little or no
training.
Throughout the war, the regulars gained a
reputation for bravery under fire.
The militia gained a reputation for horrible
discipline and running at the first sign of
trouble.
Guerilla Warfare & the Rules of Engagement.
3
The Combatants
Continentals
Red Coats
4
General George Washington








43 year old Virginia
plantation owner.
Mount Vernon.
Trained as a surveyor.
Was a natural leader whom
troops wanted to follow.
Though he was rich, he
earned the respect of his
men by braving the same
hardships they did.
Was nominated to the post
of General by John Adams.
Competition: John Hancock.
Naturally intimidating: 2nd
tallest President at 6’ 3” ½ .
5
How did the Colonials Win?





British advantages:
Training, equipment
and experience.
Ample resources and
reinforcements.
Alliances with local
loyalists.
Disease / Inoculation






Colonial advantages:
Strong leadership.
Fighting on home
territory.
GB had to win the war.
An alliance with France.
“One farmer defending
his home is more
powerful than 5 soldiers
trying to take it.”
6
7
The Battles












The Battles of Lexington & Concord: Mass Minutemen vs.
British Regulars.
April 19th, 1775, the British Regulars set out to arrest Samuel
Adams and John Hancock.
Paul Revere’s midnight ride.
“One if by land, two if by sea”
The Battle of Fort Ticonderoga: If you need weapons, steal
them.
General Benedict Arnold & Ethan Allen’s Green Mountain
Boys capture muskets and cannons and march them to
General Washington.
The Battle of Boston: Washington’s 1st victory.
Washington places his new guns on Dorchester Heights.
British withdrew without firing a shot.
The Battle of Bunker Hill: (Breed’s Hill) north of Boston.
Continental Army fought bravely but was forced to withdraw
when they ran out of ammo.
Battle gave Colonials confidence that they could stand up to
the British and that defeating them was possible.
8
9
Battles Cont.









The Battle of Long Island: New York City.
1st time Washington goes toe to toe with the
British Army in combat.
He loses badly on Long Island, at Kipp’s Bay, at
Brooklyn Heights and finally loses Manhattan.
Washington’s best ability as a General: retreat
and diversion.
Battle of Saratoga: Upstate New York.
General Arnold and General Horatio Gates.
1st major victory for the Colonials. Showed
France that victory was possible so they agreed
to ally with us.
Battle of Philadelphia: Washington chooses to
lose the Colonial Capital city.
Battle of Monmouth: 1st major battle after the
winter at Valley Forge. A Draw. Last major battle
in the North.
10
Battle of Trenton: 1776
Washington’s Legend is Born







Trenton, capital city of New Jersey
Washington’s 2,400 Continentals vs. 1,400
sleeping Hessians.
Washington breaks the rules of war: He
attacked during the winter and he attacked at
night.
Colonials crossed the Delaware river into New
Jersey Christmas Night with the plan to attack
the Hessians before day break.
Washington’s men were ragged, moral was low,
and his leadership was being questioned.
He needed a victory or the cause might have
been lost.
Enlistments.
11
Battle of Trenton: The Plan
12
A Smashing Victory





Crossing the river took longer than
expected so the attack was delayed until
after day break.
The Hessians were under the command of
Colonel Rall, a ruthless leader who had
executed a number of Colonial troops who
had surrendered in New York.
A total rout: only two Colonials were
wounded, one being future President James
Monroe with 2 more dying of hypothermia
during the march.
The Hessians suffered 114 casualties, with
23 dead, including the hated Rall. 918 were
captured.
“I can not spare you”. Battle of Princeton.
13
The Battle of Trenton
14
15
The American Leadership
General Nathanael
Greene
“The Fighting
Quaker”
Friedrich Wilhelm
Ludolf Gerhard
Augustin “Baron”
von Steuben
Horatio Gates
16
The British Leadership
General
William Howe
General Banastre
Tarleton
“Bloody Ban”
General Charles
Cornwallis
17
Women at War


Mary McCauley aka
Molly Pitcher
Battle of Monmouth


Deborah Sampson
Aka Robert Shurtliff
18
Benedict Arnold
From Hero to Traitor









Arnold was one of
Washington’s best field
Generals.
He won the Battle of Fort
Ticonderoga.
Ethan Allen took the credit.
He won the Battle of Saratoga.
Horatio Gates took the credit.
He was wounded at Saratoga.
If he had died, he would have
gone down as one of our
greatest Patriots.
Military commander of
Philadelphia
Married Local Tory socialite. 19
A Name Synonymous With Treason








The Arnolds enjoyed the living beyond their means.
Fort Arnold on the Hudson River, New York, Later
West Point.
He arranged to be given command of Fort Arnold
and set out to betray the fort to the British.
He sold the plans to the Fort to the British in return
for money and a command in the British Army.
Arnold meets John Andre then has breakfast with
Washington.
Arnold fought several battles for the British,
including the capture of Richmond, Virginia.
Arnold asked a captured soldier what would happen
to him if he were captured?
Your left leg would be cut off and given a full
military burial, the rest we would hang on the
gallows.
20
21
22
Boot Monument
Saratoga
Battlefield
23
Spies in War

British Spy
John Andre

American Spy
Nathan Hale
24
In Come the French





The Marquis de La
Fayette
“The enemy of my
enemy is my friend.”
The French would help
anyone that would hurt
the British.
Their aide allowed the
US to go on the
offensive against the
British.
The French sent troops,
supplies and most
importantly, their Navy
to support the
Continentals.
25
The Battle of Yorktown
26
Siege of Yorktown
27
Yorktown








Washington and his French allies trapped
Cornwallis inside Yorktown, Virginia.
Cornwallis waited in the city to be relieved by
General Howe’s troops from New York.
The French Navy cut off any chance of escape by
sea while the Colonials cut off any land routes.
With no relief in sight, Cornwallis surrendered.
He was so humiliated, he sent one of his
lieutenants to surrender his sword and banner
instead of doing it himself.
The British were granted their freedom in return
for leaving the Colonies and returning to England.
The War was effectively over.
Negotiations began and were concluded upon the
28
signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1783.
Siege of Yorktown
29