Chapter 6 Section 2
A Critical Time
Retreat from New York:
-By the mid-1776, the war shifted
from Boston and New England to the
Middle States.
-In New York, the Continental army
did not fight well against the British.
Battle of Long Island
June 1776
- British General
William Howe led
34,000 British troops
and 10,000 sailors.
- Over 1,400 Americans
were killed, wounded or
captured.
What was the result of the Battle of Long Island?
The colonists retreated and eventually abandoned
New York City.
Battle of Trenton
-On Christmas night, 1776,
Gen. Washington led his
troops across the Delaware
River in New Jersey and
hiked in the snow to the town
of Trenton. His soldiers were
so poorly equipped some of
the had no shoes and tied
rags to their feet.
--Washington’s plan was to
attack the British on two
sides in a surprise attack.
Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze, American, 1816-1868
George Washington Crossing the Delaware, 1851
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
How did Washington attack Trenton?
They crossed the Delaware, hiked through snow,
and attacked the city on two sided by surprise.
- The next day, on December 26, the Americans captured over
1,400 Hessians in Trenton. (Hessians - German soldiers hired
by the British)
Battle of Princeton
- As the Americans retreated from Trenton, they defeated the
British in Princeton.
The British Plan
Burgoyne’s plan called for
British forces to drive
toward Albany New York
from three directions.
Burgoyne did not realize
that his planned route to
Saratoga would force him to
cross lakes, swamps,
mountains, and forests.
British Gen. John Burgoyne
Battle of Saratoga
Results of the Battle
• The Battle of Saratoga marked a major turning point in
the war.
• The victory ended the British threat to New England and
destroyed British hopes of an easy victory.
• The battle help convince Europeans that the Americans
had a sound chance of winning.
List two results of the Battle of Saratoga.
-Marked the turning point of the war.
-Saved New England
-Demoralized Britain
-Encouraged European Support
Help From Overseas
France was eager to
weaken Britain.
-Before Saratoga, the
French secretly supplied
money and arms.
-As Europeans
volunteered to serve with
the American forces, a
French Noble, the
Marques de Lafayette
became a high ranking
officer in Washington’s
Army.
Marquis de Lafayette
Benjamin
Franklin
at the
Court of
France.
How did France aid the Patriot cause?
-At first France secretly supplied money and arms
to the colonists. After officially forming an
alliance with the United States, France and its
allies fought Britain in Europe and the Caribbean,
which forced Britain to wage war on many fronts.