(AKA – The American War for Independence)
 Revolutionary War – Military
 American Revolution – Social
Britain
Strengths
Weaknesses
Loyalists in Colonies
Distance
Superior Navy
Lack of enlisted soldiers
Formidable Army
Financial Strain
Population in England
Eventual lack of public
support
Many enemies
United States of America
Strengths
Weaknesses
State militias
Loyalists/Slaves
Declaration
Few well trained soldiers
New allies
Lack of supplies
Persistence/courage
 Summer, 1776 – Warships arrive in New York Harbor
 Led by brothers General William Howe and Admiral
Richard, Lord Howe
 End of 1776 – William Howe captures ¼ of
Washington’s men.
 Force Washington to retreat into Pennsylvania
 12/25/1776 – Washington attacks Hessian fort in
Trenton, NJ
 1/3/1777 – Washington attacks British troops at
Princeton, NJ
 Significance of Trenton and Princeton…
 Boosted morale all around
 British would pretty much flee NJ and head for the Big
Apple.
 American forts built in Morristown, NJ by Washington
 NJ Loyalists were disarmed; leaders jailed
 Post-Jersey battles –
Marquis de Lafayette
joins Washington (19
years old)
 Lets Americans know
that France is paying
attention
 King Louis’ proof is in Saratoga…
 Summer 1777 – Colonel Barry St. Leger marches south
along Lake Ontario; General Burgoyne will come from
Quebec.
 Ft. Stanwix – 750 Continentals hold off 1,900 British
 Burgoyne captures Ticonderoga (8,300
troops/Hessians)
 General Horatio Gates fights two battles in Saratoga
 10/17/1777 Burgoyne and 5,800 troops surrender
 FRANCE IS IN!
 February 1778 – France recognizes United States
 June 1778 – France joins the American cause
 Victory at Saratoga shows American possibility
 June, 1779 – Spain joins war as a French ally
 Holland was united against England, allying with
America
 August, 1777 – 16,000 Continental troops occupy
Philadelphia; General Howe lands 18,000 troops near
Philadelphia
 September 11, 1777 – Armies meet at Brandywine
Creek, PA.
 October 4 – Howe defeats Washington again at
Germantown, PA
 Washington retreats to Valley Forge.
 Can’t forage at Valley Forge
 Winter, 1777-78 – Washington and army stay at Valley
Forge
 Baron Friedrich von Steuben arrives from Prussia and
trains the army.
 Daily training and drills increase effectiveness and
confidence in army
 June, 1778 – British leave Philadelphia for NY
 June 28 – Washington catches up to British at
Monmouth Court House, NJ
 General Henry Clinton retreats to NYC
 This victory ends the battle for the North
 Tensions between settlers and Natives are high
 1776 – Cherokee begin attacking settlers in NC; settlers
strike back by burning most towns.
 Settlers force most Cherokee to sign treaties giving up
most land in SC, and some land in NC and TN
 Feb, 1779 - Colonel George Rogers Clark leads KY
militia north of OH river and take Vincennes.
 May, 1779 – John Bowman leads militia and destroys
Shawnee villages
 August, 1779- Daniel Brodhead destroys Delaware and
Seneca
 Pro-British Iroquois – led by Mohawk Joseph Brant
 1778 – Brant campaigns through PA and NY frontiers
 1779 – General John Sullivan attacks Iroquois villages,
fights one battle (near Elmira, NY)
 Defeat Brant, burn several dozen villages, destroy corn
 1780 – Brant’s warriors attack Tuscarora and Oneida
and spend 2 years attacking in PA and NY
 England shifts focus to South
 Needs to secure ports to transport troops to West Indies
easier
 Spring 1778 – British troops from E. FL take over GA
 May 1780 – Clinton takes over Charles Town, SC
 August 13, 1780 – Lord Charles Cornwallis effortlessly
defeats American forces at Camden, SC.
 Gates is relieved of command; Nathaniel Greene is
new Southern Commander
 March-September, 1781 – fights and loses 3 battles
 Still causes Cornwallis to leave for VA
 Cornwallis forms base at Yorktown, VA.
 August 30, 1781 – French fleet lands off VA coast
 Lafayette’s troops join French.
 Washington arrives with army from NY
 Sept 26 – October 17, 1781 – Siege and battle (yes, 21
days!)
 October 19, 1781 – Cornwallis and his troops surrender
to allied forces.