KEY TERMS FOR CHAPTER 6 SEC. 1
Olive Branch Petition
Green Mountain Boys
Continental Army
Patriots
Loyalist
The Battle of Bunker Hill
Blockade
Mercenaries
FIRST CONTINENTAL CONGRESS
Carpenter's Hall: In 1774, 56 deputies representing almost every
American colony convened at Carpenter's Hall in Philadelphia to
address their many grievances against the British. This First
Continental Congress included George Washington and John
Adams. (Photo Credit: Dave G. Houser/Corbis
SECOND CONTINENTAL
CONGRESS
Here at Independence Hall In Philadelphia, the
Second Continental Congress still had hopes of a
peaceful resolution. The delegates passed the Olive
Branch Petition, in hopes of repealing the Intolerable
Act
.
KING GEORGE III
Olive Branch Petition: When King George learned
of the petition he was enraged. He blamed the
colonist for trying to begin a war “for the purpose of
establishing an independent empire.” He vowed to
bring the rebels to justice, and ordered 20,000 troops
to be deployed.
ADVANTAGES OF THE OPPOSING
SIDES
C o l o n i a l Fo r c e s
B r i t i s h Fo r c e s
Many Patriots not only owned rifles,
but were also good shots.
George Washington, a brilliant and
experienced Commander, was named
the leader of the forces.
Patriots were determined to defend
THEIR homes and property.
Highly trained and experience troops.
The world’s strongest Navy.
Heavily supplied with weapons and
ammunition.
The British Army had the advantage
in numbers by leaps and bounds.
DISADVANTAGES OF OPPOSING
SIDES
C o l o n i a l Fo r c e s
B r i t i s h Fo r c e s
They were poorly organized and
untrained.
They had very little gun powder, few
cannons, and no NAVY.
Many colonist were unwilling to
enlist in the federal army, choosing
to defend their home
British armies were now 3000 miles
away from home.
It could take months for supplies to
reach.
The British Troops were unfamiliar
with the terrain.
REBELS TAKE FORT
TICONDEROGA
In may of 1775, Ethan Allen and the Green
Mountain Boys at Fort Ticonderoga demanding that
the British commander surrender.
.
GREEN MOUNTAIN BOYS
Who in fact are the Green Mountain Boys? Just a group of
back country Vermont boys raising havoc. In fact the
Green Mountain Boys were a group of a few hundred
American patriots in the early American Revolutionary
years that would later be considered the founding fathers
of the state of Vermont.
BATTLE OF BUNKER HILL
The first major battle of the Revolution, which proved the
American’s could fight bravely. Although the British
eventually took Bunker Hill there losses were costly. Over
1000 casualties to the US forces 400.
GENERAL GEORGE WASHINGTON
Prior to the attack on Bunker Hill, Gen. Washington
reached Boston to discover 16,000 Troops camped
out along the City’s edge.
WASHINGTON’S GOOD FORTUNE
In January of 1776, Washington had a stroke of good luck. After the Green
Mountain Boys had taken Fort Ticonderoga they had dragged the cannons
they captured over the Mountains. Washington then placed them on
Dorchester Heights overlooking the Harbor.
Once General Howe saw the cannons he knew that they could not hold
Boston.
THE KINGS RESPONSE
Although the British left New England, they did not give up. King George III
ordered a blockade (the shutting of a port to keep people or supplies from
moving in or out).
The King also used mercenaries (hired troops) from Germany to help fight
the colonist.
KEY TERMS FOR CHAPTER 6 SEC.
2
The Colonies Independence: In this section we will describe the impact
of Thomas Paine’s Common Sense, list steps that congress took to
declare independence, and summarize the main ideas of the
Declaration.
Common Sense, by Thomas Paine
Traitor
Declaration of Independence
Preamble
Natural Rights
THOMAS PAINE
“In England a King Hath little more to do than to
make war and give away; which in plain terms, is to
impoverish the nation.” Common Sense 1776.
A CALL FOR INDEPENDENCE
Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense” was a one of the most influential
pamphlets of the era. Although most printers were reluctant to put such an
unflattering portrait of the King, it non the less sold over 500,000 copies and
became the rallying cry many supporters of Independence. “Common Sense”
also sold many colonist who were unsure on the idea of Independence.
RICHARD HENRY LEE, VA
“Resolved, That these United Colonies are, and of right
ought to be, free and independent States, that they are
absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that
all political connection between them and the State of
Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved.” Lee’s
Resolution at the Second Continental Congress
MAKING THE BREAK
The Delegates were faced with a momentous decision. Once a declaration
was signed there was no turning back. The members of the Continental
Congress knew that if they were ever to fall into British hands they would be
hanged as a “traitor”.
Traitor- is a person who betrays his or her country.
THOMAS JEFFERSON
Thomas Jefferson was tapped as the main
author of the Declaration of Independence
along with Benjamin Franklin. Jefferson
would also serve as the third President of
the United States
.
DECLARATION OF
INDEPENDENCE
Declaration of Independence, by John Trumbull
: On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress approved
the Declaration of Independence. (Photo Credit:
Mayer/CORBIS)
“SHOW ME YOU JOHN HANCOCK”
“
There”, he said, “I guess the King will be able
to read that.”
“WE HOLD THESE
TRUTHS……PREAMBLE”
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal; that they are
endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty,
and the pursuit of happiness.”
The first part of the Declaration was to establish natural right, or rights that belong to
all people from birth.
Preamble- Introduction
ADDRESSING BRITISH WRONGS
The second part of the Declaration list the wrongs that led the Americans to
break away from Britain.
Jefferson condemned King George III for disbanding colonial legislature and
for sending troops to the colonies during peacetime. See page 178.
Classwork: On the index cards, write, in your words, what the particular wrong
written by Jefferson means. Each Paragraph is a particular wrong. Your #
indicates which one to do. Example 1 is first paragraph, 2 is second, etc…
STRUGGLES IN THE MIDDLE
STATES
In this section we will list and discuss the battles fought in New York and New Jersey,
Discuss the turning points of the War, and describe the conditions at Valley Forge.
Key Terms
Battle of Long Island
Nathan Hale
Battle of Trenton
General John Burgoyne
Battle of Saratoga
Marquis de Lafayette
Thaddeus Kosciusko
Valley Forge
Ally
Cavalry
Deserter
BATTLE OF LONG ISLAND
This illustration show the vast majority of
British troops. They outnumbered the
Continental Army by 2 to 1.
AMERICAN HERO
Nathan Hale was captured and hanged for
his role in helping Washington learn more
about his enemies army.
JERSEY STRONG
BATTLE OF TRENTON
After Washington was forced out of New York and crossed the frozen
Delaware, the Continental Army of New Jersey saw great strides in the
advancement of the Colonial cause
Times were bleak, and the morale was low after multiple defeats at the hands
of the Redcoats.
BUT NEW JERSEY WOULD
PREVAIL!
WASHINGTON’S DOUBTS
The campaign of December 1776 tested the will of the great leader. Gen.
Washington unsure if his men were up to the challenges ahead of them.
Washington stated that his soldiers were “so thinly clad, they were unfit for
service.”
Washington also had a major issue dealing with deserters(soldiers who leave
their ranks without permission). He even wrote in a letter to his brother,
“I am wearied to death. I think the game is pretty near up.”
TRENTON
In a bold, and possible desperate move, Washington lead
troops on an early morning raid the day after Christmas in
1776.
The Battle of Trenton was won with little resistance by
the Hessians, German mercenaries (hired soldiers) and
took most of them prisoner.
The iconic picture of Washington crossing the Delaware
GENERAL CHARLES CORNWALLIS
“At last we have run down the old fox and we
will bag him in the morning” Speaking of
George Washington
BRITISH GENERAL JOHN
BURGOYNE
BURGOYNE’S PLAN
General Burgoyne’s plan- cut off New England from the other colonies by
controlling the Hudson river and end the war for the Americans
Burgoyne wanted three armies to march on Albany, but the King wanted to
retake Philadelphia first.
Although Howe was successful in Philadelphia at the battles of Brandywine
and Germantown, he had decided to stay there for the winter which would
prove costly to not only Burgoyne’s plan but the British effort overall
SURRENDER AT SARATOGA
Burgoyne Surrenders to Gates: At the Battle of
Saratoga (1777), British general John Burgoyne
(1722-1792, on the left) surrendered to American
general Horatio Gates (1728-1806). The battle is
often considered a turning point in the war. (Photo
TURNING POINT
The victory at Saratoga
KEYS TO VICTORY
1. Colonial Forces cut down trees and damned up streams to
slow the already slowly moving British Forces.
2. The Redcoats and Burgoyne were able to re-capture Fort
Ticonderoga, but at a cost. With no reinforcements,
Burgoyne was forced to send troops to Vermont for horses
and supplies. There, his soldiers were defeated in the Battle of
Bennington.
3. With the British already low on troops, the Green Mountain
Boys came to the aid of the Colonial forces in New York and
trapped Burgoyne who was forced to surrender his army to
the Americans.
EUROPEAN AID
The Victory at Saratoga proved to the
world that the Americans could win.
KING LOUIS XVI
The King did not want to send troops to the
US until he was sure they could win.
MARQUIS DE LAFAYETTE
Lafayette had brought trained soldiers from
France to fight and also help train. He
became one of Washington’s most trusted
advisors and friend.
FRIEDRICH VON STEUBEN
Von Steuben was a Prussian army officer,
considered to be the best army in the world,
he train soldiers how to drill and march.
THADDEUS KOSCIUSKO
Along with Casimir Pulaski, these Polish
soldiers and engineers help train
CAVALRY(troops on horseback)