The American Revolution
Unit 2, Lesson 3
Essential Idea
• Though victory was unlikely, America won the
Revolutionary War with key victories at the
Battles of Saratoga, Kings Mountain, and
Yorktown.
British Advantages
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British Advantages:
Much larger population
Stronger government to conduct war
Stronger economy and more money
Strongest and most disciplined military in the world
British Disadvantages
• British Disadvantages:
• Overextended, trying to control too much of the world at
once
• English support for war was weak
British
Disadvantages
• Fighting offensive
war, no “home field”
advantage
• America was a large
area, hard to control
Colonial Advantages
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Colonial Advantages:
Superior military leadership
Fighting defensive war, had “home field”
Patriots’ support was high, felt they were fighting for their rights
Colonial Advantages
• Guerrilla warfaresometimes fought
with hidden
ambushes, not
lining up like the
British
• France eventually
helped America
• Did not have to
win, just outlast
Britain until they
were tired of the
war
Colonial Disadvantages
• Much weaker, less organized military
• Weak government and economy that struggled to support
military
• On paper, Britain should have won
Fighting in the North
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Battle of Long Island:
Washington’s army was defeated and forced to retreat
British General William Howe captured New York City
The Continental Army’s morale was low and Washington needed a way to
boost it
Washington Crosses the Delaware
• On Christmas of 1776, Washington led troops
secretly across the Delaware River into New
Jersey
Boosted Morale
• Washington won
two victories in the
Battles of Trenton
and Princeton
• Washington Crosses
the Delaware
• Washington’s
leadership kept
morale up (for now)
and kept soldiers
from quitting
Britain’s Strategy to Win the War
• Initial British strategy:
• Cut New England off from the rest of the
colonies
• Troops under John Burgoyne in British-owned
Canada would move south
• Troops under Howe in New York City would
move north to meet Burgoyne
• They would meet in Albany and then invade
New England
• Why New England?
• Most colonists and Patriots that wanted
independence lived here and would be
isolated
• The Northern Strategy
• Why it failed:
• Howe decided to capture Philadelphia
instead
• Burgoyne was stopped at the Battle of
Saratoga
Britain Takes Philadelphia
• Howe in Philadelphia:
• Howe’s troops moved to
Philadelphia to capture the
Congress
• Howe thought the revolution
would fall apart without its
government
• Washington failed to stop
Howe, but the Congress
escaped and survived
• Howe occupied Philadelphia
and took the winter off to enjoy
the city
Winter Sets In
• Washington in
Valley Forge:
• Endured the
harsh winter
outside
Philadelphia in
Valley Forge
Valley Forge
• Washington and other officers drilled and disciplined the soldiers to boost
morale
• After the winter, Washington’s men were stronger and able to win the
Battle of Yorktown
• Valley Forge
Battle of Saratoga
• Battle of Saratoga:
• This battle was the turning
point in the North
• American forces stopped
Burgoyne, ending Britain’s
campaign to cut off New
England
• This helped convince France
to join America against
Britain, providing vital help
• Battle of Saratoga
Fighting in the
South
• Britain’s New
Strategy:
• Focus on controlling
the South, where
most loyalists were
• Britain wanted to at
least keep the South
and maybe use it to
invade the North
Charles Town (Charleston)
• Fighting in the Carolinas:
• Britain captured Charleston and brutally invaded South Carolina
• British General George Cornwallis was put in charge of conquering
the Carolinas’ countryside
• British troops freed many slaves, making the South unstable
• Britain Invades the South
Battle of Kings Mountain
• Battle of Kings Mountain
• This battle was the turning point in the South
• Patriots (the “overmountain men”) marched out of the Appalachian
Mountains to stop the British at Kings Mountain
• This stopped the British invasion of North Carolina and boosted southern
Patriots
The “Fighting Quaker”
• Nathanael Greene:
• American General
Nathanael Greene
wanted to turn
southern support
against Britain
• Greene baited
Cornwallis’ troops to
chase his men across
the countryside using
“hit and run” attacks
• Low on supplies,
Cornwallis’ troops
plundered southern
homes
Britain Loses the Southern Population
• Greene lost every battle,
but won because he
turned the South against
Britain and wore out
Cornwallis’ troops
• Britain only controlled a
few major cities in the
South but could not
control the vast
countryside in between
• America’s Southern
Strategy: Lose Battles
but Win the War
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Battle of Yorktown
Cornwallis marched to Yorktown, on the coast of Virginia, to wait for resupply from the
British navy
Cornwallis assumed Britain’s strong navy still controlled the ocean
Washington rushed his army south to capture the land around Yorktown
The French navy captured the coast at Yorktown, preventing Cornwallis’ resupply and escape
Cornwallis Surrenders
• Surrounded, Cornwallis and his 8,000 troops
surrendered
• The Battle of Yorktown caused Britain to declare
the war over
Treaty of Paris (1783)
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The War Ends
Treaty:
Treaty of Paris of 1783
Terms:
Ended the American
Revolution
• Britain recognized the
United States as a new
nation
• Battle of Yorktown and
Independence
• The United States
owned land all the way
west to the Mississippi
River