IV. The Revolutionary War
A. Strengths and Weaknesses
1. Continental Army
+ Strong Military Leadership
+ Fighting on home territory
+ Alliance with France
- Small, untrained military
- Shortages of resources
- Weak Central Government
2. British Army
+ Well-trained military
+ Lots of resources
+ Alliances with Loyalists
- Fighting in unfamiliar territory
- Fighting far from home
Lexington & Concord
1. Where: Connecticut
2. When: April 1775
3. Summary of the battle (s)?
• British troops told 70 colonists in
Lexington to put down their
weapons but the colonists
refused.
• The British killed 8 militiamen
then marched on to Concord
where they destroyed military
supplies.
• 4,000 minutemen/militiamen
arrived in Concord and forced
the British to retreat.
Lexington and Concord
4. Outcome:
• The British will win the battle in Lexington but the Colonists
will win the battle in Concord
• Ralph Emerson will make his famous quote about the
colonists firing their muskets for the first time – “shot heard
‘round the world.”
5. Explain its importance?
• American colonists will need to choose sides – fight with the
loyalists or the patriots.
• Back up their political beliefs using force against King George –
fight him on their own soil!
6. If the outcome had been different in the Battle of Lexington,
what prediction might you make?
B. Beginning of War
1. Fighting in the North
– Battles were focused in NY, NJ and PA
– British take Long Island, NY
– Christmas, 1776: Washington Crosses the
Delaware and attacks the Hessians (German
Mercenaries)
Battle of Trenton
1. Where: New Jersey
2. When: December 1776:
3. Summary of the Battle?
• Washington’s troops crossed an
icy river to New Jersey.
• The troops marched into
Trenton, NJ to make a surprise
attack on the Hessians
(professional German soldiers
who were ruthless and only
fought for money – they did not
have a loyalty to anyone).
• The American troops killed over
900 Hessians and gained
needed supplies.
Battle of Trenton
4. Outcome:
• This battle proved that General Washington was a
better strategist than anyone had thought.
• His men found confidence in the war and finally
believed that they could defeat the British
5. Explain its importance:
• More men were willing to volunteer for the war
• American colonists wanted to show that they could
become a nation without the support of the King
2. Winter of 1777-1778
– 1777: British Capture American Capital,
Philadelphia
– Continental army spends hard winter at Valley
Forge
Battle of Saratoga
1. Where: New York:
2. When: 1777
3. Summary of the Battle?
• British troops are
surrounded by the
Continental Army.
• The Continental Army will
fire on the British day and
night for days.
Battle of Saratoga
4. Outcome:
• The British soldiers are weakened by the constant bombing and attacks
by the Continental Army.
• The British finally surrender in complete defeat.
5. Explain its importance:
• This was a major turning point for the Americans because it prevented
the British from dividing the States
• A division of the states would have isolated the Northern colonies from
the southern colonies
• It also showed Europeans that the Americans might win their war for
independence from Great Britain.
• NOW other nations are willing to help the Americans in their cause to
separate from English rule under King George III – especially France.
6. Make a Prediction: What if the Americans had lost the Battle of
Saratoga?
3. Battle of Saratoga
–
–
–
–
–
October 1777
5,000 British surrounded by 17,000 Americans
British Surrender on October 17th
Turning point in Revolutionary War
Convinced the French to support the American
cause
C. American Victory
1. Fighting in the South
– 1778: British shift strategy
– Hoped to get the loyalists in the
south to rise up and help them
2. Help from France
– Sent gunpowder, artillery and
muskets
– Ben Franklin sent to France to
get them to help more
– Recognizes American Independence
– Sent 6,000 troops to help the Americans
Surrender at Yorktown and the
Treaty of Paris
1. Where: Virginia
2. When: October 1781:
3. Summary of the Battle:
• American and French forces
surrounded British troops who were
under General Cornwallis’s command.
• Lafayette’s troops (American’s French
ally) came by land from the west.
• Washington and Rochambeau (French
naval commander) came by land and
ship from the north.
• The French fleet blocked the
Chesapeake Bay on the east coast.
Surrender at Yorktown and the
Treaty of Paris
4. Outcome:
• This will be the last battle between the Americans and the
British.
• The Treaty of Paris will officially end the war.
• Formal peace negotiations will end British control in
America.
5. Explain its importance:
• The U.S. will become independent.
• Each side will pay back debts it owes to one another.
• The British will lose all colonial holdings in America.
6. Evaluate the importance of a Peace Treaty that ends a war:
3. Victory at Yorktown
– 17,000 American troops surround 7,000 British
troops
– Trap them in Yorktown
– Battle of Yorktown lasts 3 weeks
– British surrender on October 19,1781
4. Treaty of Paris (September 3, 1783)
–
–
–
–
–
Peace treaty to end the war
British recognized American independence
Mississippi River the western border of the US
Spain regains Florida
US agrees to pay British Merchants money they
owe and Loyalists property losses