The American Revolution
Let the Fighting Begin
Pre-Test
 What was the Boston Tea Party?
 What were the Intolerable Acts,(the 4
provisions)?
Pre-Test
 Why did the British go to Concord?
 After fighting with Minutemen in Lexington,
marching to Concord and finding no arms
and then starting the return trip to Boston,
what happened to General Gages
Redcoats?
Pre-Test
 What will the Green Mountain Boys do at
Fort Ticonderoga?
 What was the Olive Branch Petition?
Pre-Test
 Who were the Redcoats?
 Who were the Loyalists?
 Who were the Patriots?
 Who were the Nons?
Fuse to the Powderkeg
 Colonists disguised as Mohawk Indians boarded
ships, split open tea chests and dumped them
into Boston Harbor.
 An angry King George answers with the
Intolerable Acts which closed Boston Harbor,
forbade colonists from having more than one
town meeting a year, permitted officials charged
in Massachusetts to be tried in England and
brought back the ever popular Quartering Act.
Fuse to the Powderkeg
 The First Continental Congress would
meet in September of 1774 and resolve to
back Massachusetts in its struggle, agree
to boycott British goods and stop exporting
goods to Britain until the Intolerable Acts
were repealed and urged each colony to
set up its own militia.
 They agreed to meet again in May of
1775.
Fuse to the Powderkeg
 General Gage planned to surprise Minutemen
and their large store of arms in Concord.
 On April 18, 700 British troops left Boston under
the cover of darkness for Concord.
 The Sons of Liberty were watching and placed
two lamps in Old North Church signaling
mounted messengers including Paul Revere to
alert the Colonists that “The British were
coming!”
Fuse to the Powderkeg
 On April 19, The Red Coats reach
Lexington just outside Concord and meet
up with 70 Minutemen.
 Outnumbered, the Minutemen begin to
leave when suddenly a shot rings out.
Nobody knows who fired but when the
dust cleared, 8 Colonists were dead and 1
British soldier was wounded.
 The British would push on to Concord.
Fuse to the Powderkeg
 After finding no arms, the British head
back to Boston but are stopped outside of
Concord by Minutemen.
 Sharpshooters hiding in the woods and
fields killed 73 British soldiers and another
200 were either missing or wounded after
the altercation.
 After these battles, there was no turning
back, war was the only answer.
Minute Men, Red Coats, Lexington
and Concord
 Who were Minute
Men?
 What were the events
that led to the fighting
at Lexington?
The Green Mountain Boys
 Ethan Allen was a
Blacksmith known to
have a horrific temper
and noted as a man of
action, led a band of men
from Vermont (The Green
Mountain Boys), led an
attack on Fort
Ticonderoga to
appropriate needed
cannons for the colonies.
Fort Ticonderoga
 Ethan Allen was a popular man, full of
character and a great natural leader.
 The British surrendered Fort Ticonderoga
with little fight.
 Taking the fort gave the colonists much
needed cannons and gunpowder and gave
the colonists control of a key route into
Canada.
The Continental Army
 The Second
Continental Congress
took the step to set up
the Continental Army.
 John Adams
proposed that George
Washington be
appointed
commander and was
quickly approved.
Pause in the Action
 Congress tried to patch
things up with the crown
and sent the Olive Branch
Petition. The petition
stated that if the King
would repeal the
Intolerable Acts, they
would pledge their loyalty
to him.
 King George III was
enraged by the petition
and the talk of
independence vowing to
bring rebel colonist to
justice.
Patriot Problems
 The American Colonists
in favor of independence
became know as Patriots.
 Disadvantages of
American Patriots were
that forces were poorly
organized and trained
and little gunpowder, few
cannons and no navy.
Patriot Assets
 Many Patriots owned
guns and were good
shots.
 They had a brilliant
commander in
Washington.
 The benefit of defending
your own home and
property.
 Know the area and
landscape.
British Advantages
 They had highly trained
and experienced troops.
 They had the greatest
navy in the world and
could move troops quickly
up and down the
seaboard.
 Many colonists still
supported the British.
They were known as
Loyalists.
British Disadvantages
 Britain’s army was
300 miles away.
 News and supplies
took months to travel
from Britain to the
Colonies.
 British soldiers risked
attack from colonists
when they marched
from city to
countryside.
Loyalists, Tories and Nons
 Loyalists were also
known as Tories.
 Tories made up about
20% of the colonists
and included
merchants and former
officials of the royal
government.
 Some farmers and
craftworkers were
also Tories.
Loyalists, Tories & Nons
 More Loyalists lived in the
Middle Colonies and the
South as compared to
New England.
 Loyalists were tarred and
feathered and forced to
leave their homes and
farms.
 Nons were those
colonists that held no
loyalty to either side.
Post-Test
 Who was Ethan Allen
and what was his role
at Fort Ticonderoga?
 What two things came
out of the 2nd
Continental
Congress?
Post-Test
 What was the Olive
Branch Petition and
what was King
George’s response?
 Who were Patriots?
Post-Test
 What were the
advantages of the
British going into the
war?
 What were the
advantages of the
Colonists going into
the war?
The American Revolution
Early Battles
&
The Declaration of Independence
Pre-Test
 What was the first major battle of the
American Revolution?
 What allowed the Americans to take
Boston?
Pre-Test
 What two cities did the Americans attack in
Canada? What were the results?
 Who wrote Common Sense and what was
its purpose?
Pre-Test
 Who wrote the Declaration of
Independence?
 What are the parts of the Declaration of
Independence?
The Battle of Blue Ridge Mountains
 The Battle of Blue
Ridge Mountains was
a skirmish at newly
formed Old Fort North
Carolina, in 1770.
 Colonists from the
area “took over” the
fort from British
regulars under
suspicious
circumstances.
Battle of Bunker Hill
 June 16, 1775, Col.
William Prescott leads
1200 Minutemen up
Bunker Hill across the
river from Boston.
 He moves to Breeds
Hill which is even
better. From here he
can fire upon British
ships in the harbor.
Battle of Bunker Hill
 The Minutemen dig in
and at sunrise, British
General Howe spots the
Americans and along with
2400 redcoats crosses
the harbor to mount an
attack.
 Carrying heavy packs of
over 100 lbs., the
redcoats slowly climb
towards the rebels.
Battle of Bunker Hill
 Patriots patiently wait
and having little
gunpowder are
warned to “don’t
shoot till you see the
whites of their eyes”.
 When the Patriots
finally fired the British
were forced to retreat.
Battle of Bunker Hill
 The British were
turned back a second
time, but on the third
try pushed over the
top.
 This was the first
major battle of the
war and ended with
over 1,000 redcoats
killed and only 400
Patriots.
The British Leave Boston
 Washington arrives at
Boston a few weeks
after Bunker Hill. He
finds 16,000 raw
recruits with
makeshift weapons
and turns them into
trained soldiers and
wins their trust and
loyalty by his actions.
British Leave Boston
 January of 1776
fortune arrives in the
form of cannons
brought from Fort
Ticonderoga.
 The cannons would
be placed on
Dorchester Heights
overlooking Boston
Harbor.
British Leave Boston
 When General Howe
saw the cannons in
place he knew he
could no longer hold
Boston.
 He leaves with
Loyalist refugees and
heads for Canada.
King George will
order blockades of all
colonial ports.
Montgomery Takes Montreal
 The Colonists would
mount an attack on
Canada hoping for
help from French
Canadiens, unhappy
with British rule.
 In the fall of 1775, two
American armies
would move into
Canada.
Attack on Quebec
 Richard Montgomery
will leave for Montreal
and seize the city in
November.
 Benedict Arnold
would lead an army
from Maine towards
Quebec to meet
Montgomery.
Attack on Quebec
 Arnold’s troops faced
rainstorms, freezing
nights and supplies so
low they ate tree bark and
shoe leather.
 When they finally made it
to Quebec, they found out
that most French
Canadiens did not
support the Americans.
Attack on Quebec
 December 31, 1775 in
a blinding snowstorm
the Americans attack.
 Montgomery is killed,
Arnold is wounded
and weak from
disease and hunger
the defeated
Americans leave.
Common Sense
 January 1776,
Thomas Paine will
write the Pamphlet
“Common Sense”.
 Paine tried to
convince colonists
that they did not owe
the King or Britain
loyalty, and that
separation was
necessary.
Declaration of Independence
 June of 1776, the
Continental Congress
forms a committee to
form a declaration of
independence that would
tell the world why they
should break away from
Britain.
 The committee chooses
Thomas Jefferson to write
the document.
Declaration of Independence
 On July 2, 1776 the
Continental Congress
votes that the 13
colonies are free and
independent.
 July 4, 1776,
delegates vote to
accept Jefferson’s
Declaration, which
John Hancock boldly
signs.
Declaration of Independence
 The parts of the
 British wrongs – list of
Declaration are…
 The preamble or
introduction
 Natural rights – the
rights that belong to
all people from birth.
wrongs committed by
Britain and refusal to
correct after being
petitioned.
 Independence –
announcement that
the colonies had
become the United
States of America.
Battle of Long Island
 Washington will head
from Boston to New
York, but is no match
fro Howe’s 44,000
well trained soldiers
and sailors.
 1400 Americans are
killed or wounded and
the rest retreat to
Manhattan.
Battle of Long Island
 Howe chases
Washington’s troops
throughout the area
and finally chases the
Americans into
Pennsylvania.
 Nathan Hale is used
as a scout to get
information on British,
which he does.
Nathan Hale
 Shortly after, Nathan
Hale is captured by
the British.
 As he goes to the
gallows he makes the
famous statement “I
only regret that I have
but one life to lose for
my country”.
Battle of Trenton
 On Christmas night,
Washington will lead
his troops across the
Delaware River to
surprise the Hessian
troops guarding
Trenton.
 The surprise worked
and the Americans
took most of the
Hessians prisoner.
Battle of Trenton
 Cornwallis immediately
goes to retake Trenton.
 Washington fools the
British by leaving the
campfires burning and
slipping behind the lines
to attack Princeton, which
they won. Does anybody
remember the french and
Indian War?
Post-test
 Describe what happened at the Battle of
Bunker Hill?
 What happened at the Battle of Quebec?
Post-Test
 Describe the 4 parts of the Declaration of
Independence?
 Who was Nathan Hale and what was his
fate?
Post-Test
 Who won the Battle of Long Island?
 What happened at the Battle of Trenton?
How did Washington fool the British when
they tried to retaliate?
The American Revolution
Turning the Tide
&
Winning the War
Pre-Test
 What would be the turning point of the
war?
 Describe the conditions at Valley Forge.
What helped the men make it through the
winter?
Pre-Test
 What tactic did George Rogers Clark use
to gain victory at Vincennes?
 What happened in the battle between the
Bonhomme Richard & the Serapis?
Pre-Test
 What was the role of women in the war?
African Americans?
 What happened at the Battle of Cowpens,
South Carolina?
Pre-test
 What event marked the turn of Benedict
Arnold into a traitor?
 What happened at the Battle of Yorktown?
Burgoyne’s Plan
 Burgoyne believed that if
the British cut off New
England from the rest of
the colonies, the war
would soon end.
 The plan called for taking
control of the Hudson
River, stopping the flow of
soldiers and supplies to
Washington.
Burgoyne’s Plan – (Fails)
 King George decided to
change the plans and
have General Howe
capture Philadelphia first,
he did.
 Burgoyne marching from
Canada was pushed
back by Benedict Arnolds
troops and the plan stalls.
Battle of Saratoga
 Through terrible
hardships, carrying
heavy baggage,
Burgoyne takes Fort
Ticonderoga.
 Needing supplies, he
sends men into
Vermont where he
loses 1,000 men in
the Battle of
Bennington.
Battle of Saratoga
 The Green Mountain
Boys rush into New
York to help and the
Americans surround
the British.
 Burgoyne now was
trapped and had to
surrender his whole
army to the
Americans.
Battle of Saratoga
 The victory at
Saratoga would end
British threat to New
England and boost
patriot spirits at a time
much needed.
 Most importantly, it
would convince the
French to join the
fight.
Help from Europe
 France would send
the Marquis de
Lafayette to train
soldiers and would
become one of
Washington’s closest
friends.
 The Prussians sent
Friedrich von Steuben
to drill and train
troops.
Help from Europe
 Polish officers Casimir
Pulaski (sound familiar)
trained the cavalry and
Thaddeus Kosciusko
helped build forts.
 Spanish governor of
Louisiana supplied
patriots with medicine,
cloth muskets,
gunpowder and sent
cattle to feed soldiers.
Valley Forge
 After Saratoga,
Washington’s men
winter at Valley Forge
Pennsylvania.
 Terrible conditions –
men freezing sleeping
on frozen ground with
little or no warm
clothes and shoes
with holes in them.
Valley Forge
 As frostbite and disease
set in, women collect
food, clothing and
medicine to send.
 Some, such as Martha
Washington go to comfort
the troops.
 Warm weather comes
ending their bleakest
hour.
War in the West
 The British were more successful in gaining
Native American aid.
 The British told Natives that Patriots would likely
settle in their lands west of the Appalachian
Mountains.
 The Northeast is just as bad and Iroquois and
Loyalists raid settlements. Soon, Patriots will
raid and destroy dozens of Iroquois villages.
Victory at Vincennes
 George Rogers Clark
plans a surprise
winter attack on
British fort at
Vincennes.
 When he reached the
fort, he spread his
forces out in the
woods to make their
numbers look greater.
Victory at Vincennes
 The British
commander thought it
useless to fight and
surrenders in
February of 1779.
 George Rogers Clark
will become one of
the biggest heroes of
the area.
Spanish Help
 Governor Bernardo de Galvez of Spanish
Louisiana secretly supplies Patriots with
medicine, cloth, muskets and gunpowder.
 He also sends cattle from Texas to feed
troops.
 When they join the fight, they will seize
British forts along Mississippi River and
run them out of Florida.
Battle of Moore’s Creek
 February 1776, North
Carolina Patriots
defeat Loyalists army.
 The South will be
British target after
failure in New York
and New England.
 With Loyalists in the
Backcountry, this
strategy works for a
while.
Bonhomme Richard
 Britain controls the
sea and blockades
American ports.
 However, John Paul
Jones commander of
the Bonhomme
Richard will disrupt
the British in
September 1779.
Bonhomme Richard
 Jones spots merchant
ships being protected
only by the Serapis.
 A furious battle
ensues with
cannonballs ripping
through the B.
Richard.
 Jones utters famous
words “I have not yet
begun to fight”
Bonhomme Richard
 Jones sails close to
the Serapis so his
men can board the
ship. In hand to hand
combat, the
Americans take the
ship and win the
battle.
Women in the War
 Women took care of things while men
went to war. They tended and harvested
crops and manufactured goods as well as
taking care of regular chores.
 Some women went to war and cared for
wounded, cooked meals and washed
clothes.
 Betsy Ross, Molly Pitcher and others will
gain some fame.
African Americans in the War
 After British offer freedom to Africans,
Washington changes policy to allow free blacks
to enlist.
 About 5,000 African Americans some formed
special units.
 Enslaved Africans had tough choice if help
British could be hung by Patriots.
 Some Black Patriots as well as White Patriots
such as James Otis hoped the war would end
slavery.
Battle of King’s Mountain
 Patriots succeed in
capturing King’s
Mountain on October
7, 1780.
 Jefferson states that
“it breathes new life
into the Patriot
cause”.
 This turned the tide of
cruel British &
Loyalists attacks.
Battle of Cowpens
 Generals Nathaniel
Greene and Daniel
Morgan will run
Cornwallis’s forces
ragged, by choosing
to fight on grounds
they held an
advantage on and
having boats ready
for river crossings.
Battle of Cowpens
 January of 1781 –
General Morgan wins
Battle of Cowpens.
 He orders troops to
divide into a front line
and a rear line. He
orders front line to
retreat after firing two
volleys.
Battle of Cowpens
 The British thinking the
Americans were
retreating, charge directly
into the fire of the full
brigade under Morgan’s
command.
 Francis Marion or “The
Swamp Fox” will lead
bands of militia in guerilla
warfare further frustrating
the British.
Victory at Yorktown
 Benedict Arnold will turn traitor in
September of 1780 due to his lack of
recognition and disagreement on the war
efforts.
 Many are angered by his treason and call
for his death.
 Cornwallis takes his attacks to Virginia and
even runs of Legislature and Governor
Jefferson from Charlottesville.
Victory at Yorktown
 Cornwallis makes the
mistake of not
following orders of Sir
Henry Clinton to send
part of his troops to
New York.
 He retreats to
Yorktown Peninsula
on Chesapeake Bay,
confident British ships
will supply his troops.
Victory at Yorktown
 Washington and his
Colonial troops along
with Rochambeau
and his French troops
combine to join
Lafayette in Virginia.
 French Admiral de
Grasse takes
Chesapeake Bay and
shuts of supplies and
escape routes.
Victory at Yorktown
 By September 16,000
French and American
troops pound
Cornwallis and his
outnumbered army.
 They hold out for
several weeks, but
with supplies running
low, Cornwallis
surrenders on
October 19, 1781.
Treaty of Paris II
 British recognize the United States as an
independent nation.
 The borders of the new nation extend from
Atlantic Ocean to Mississippi River,
 Southern border stops at Florida, which
was returned to Spain.
 Americans agree to ask state legislatures
to pay for property lost by Loyalists – most
states will ignore.
Reasons for American Victory
 Familiarity with the land – Geography.
 Assistance from other countries –
particularly Spain, France and Prussia.
 Patriotic spirit and determination – the will
to be free.
 The leadership of Washington was
exceptional – and other leaders not bad
either – think back.
Washington’s Farewell
 December 1783,
George Washington
will ride off to Mount
Vernon, with crowds
cheering all along the
way.
 Soon the country will
call on Washington to
lead the new nation
onto the world stage.
The End