Battle of Long Island
•After success in Boston, Washington believed New
York City would be the next British target.
Had about 19,000 men
No navy
•After taking a hiatus to Canada, Howe arrives in
the summer of 1776
 Waits for his brother , British soldiers, and German
mercenaries
o 300 ships
o Almost 30,000 men
Battle for New York
• On August 22, 1776 , British General William
Howe defeated General Charles Lee at the Battle
of Long Island
 British - 63 killed and 337 wounded and missing
 Washington -970 men killed, wounded or missing, and
1,079 taken captive ( almost a quarter of his entire
command)
• On August 26, General Charles Lee retreated to
Brooklyn Heights.
 Howe makes mistake
 Didn’t storm the American because trying to avoid another Bunker
(Breed's) Hill
 Ordered his men to dig in and bring the guns into range.
•
George Washington arrived on August 27 and
soon realized that he had put himself in a trap
 Split his troops between Manhattan and Long Island,
with the Hudson River, the East River, and Long Island
Sound open to British warships and transport.
 Weather had helped the Patriots
 Rain continued to be intermittent the next day, August 29
 The seagoing soldiers of John Glover's Marblehead
[Massachusetts] Regiment noiselessly ferried Washington's
troops across the East River to Manhattan on the night of
August 29
 Darkness, fog, and bad weather immobilized Admiral Howe's
fleet.
“I only regret that
I have but one life
to lose for my
country!”
• Nathan Hale
– Volunteers to go behind
enemy lines to report on
British troop movements
– During the fight for New York
Nathan Hale was captured
by the British
– According to the standards
of the time, spies were
hanged as illegal combatants
– Hale was 21 years old
• Washington continued to
retreat and crossed the
Delaware River into
Pennsylvania
– Spirits were low, soldiers
deserted, low supplies
– Terms of service were ending
– Things are not looking good for
the patriots
• Howe orders his men to winter
quarters in December
– Established a chain of outposts
from New York to Burlington, New
Jersey.
"I think
the jig is
pretty
near up."
• Paine retreated with Washington
through New Jersey, and wrote The
Crisis to raise morale
• Washington reads this to the men…
– These are the times that try men’s
souls. The summer solider and the
sunshine patriot will, in this crisis,
shrink from the service of his country;
but he that stands it now deserves the
love and thanks of men and women.
The Battle of Trenton
• Washington’s army in New Jersey faced German
mercenaries fighting for Britain.
– Mercenaries are foreign soldiers who fight not out of loyalty, but for
pay.
• Washington decided to take the offensive.
– Crossed the Delaware River on Christmas night
– Attacked the Hessians while they were still sleeping
• Washington carries out a surprise attack on the
Hessians around 8 o’clock in the morning on
December 26, 1776
• 1,400 Hessians
• Lasted less than 1 hour
– Patriots captured more than 900 Hessians
– Only 2 American Casualties
• The victory boosted American Spirits
Merry Christmas!
Battle of Princeton
• Washington leaves Trenton knowing he
can’t hold the place
• Crosses the Delaware again and holds off
Cornwallis at Trenton
• The Night of January 2, 1777
– Patriots keep campfires burning
– Left camp and few hundred men under the cover of
night
– Encircled the British Troops near Princeton, New
Jersey
Battle of Princeton
Who is
the
smartest
man
alive?
To Albany, New York
• British’s plan was to cut the colonies in two.
– Howe would move north from New York City up the Hudson to Albany
– General John Burgoyne would move south from Canada
– British troops from the west (Barry St. Leger) were defeated by
Benedict Arnold
• Howe abandons this and instead heads for Philadelphia
• The British successfully recapture Fort Ticonderoga
– Burgoyne was slow in heading towards Albany
– Colonists had chopped down large trees across his path to slow his
progress
– Burgoyne was also greedy
• He was travelling with 30 wagons of luxury goods
Barry St. Leger
Battle of Saratoga( Freeman’s Farm)
•
On Sept. 19, 1777 four miles from Saratoga
• Burgoyne with the best of British forces vs.
Horatio Gates and Benedict Arnold leading the
militia
• Losses were close to equal for both sides
Morale booster for Americans
• Burgoyne stalled waiting for Clinton, who was
making his way up the Hudson
• American troops get help from Colonel Morgan and
Polish General Kosciusko
Waiting in Saratoga
• Burgoyne was in Saratoga waiting for reinforcements
• Low on supplies
• Howe was still in Philadelphia
General Howe decided to attack Philadelphia first, before heading
towards Albany
He captures Philadelphia after winning at Brandywine and Paoli
The Continental Congress flees
• Clinton was still making his way ( 150 miles away)
• Burgoyne was on his own
The Battle of Saratoga
• Gates attacked
• Burgoyne’s troops were badly outnumbered by the
Patriots – 3/1
– General Horatio Gates – attacked from the South
– Benedict Arnold – attacked from the North
– Morgan had best rifleman take out General Fazer
• The British troops were surrounded
• October 17, 1777
– Patriots capture Burgoyne’s entire army
• 5,700 British Soldiers
• All their Weapons
• Ended the British threat to
New England
• Destroyed hopes of an easy
victory for Brits
• Lifted American spirits
• Convinced Europeans to join in
the fight against Britain
– France
• February 1778: United States and France form
an Alliance
– Formal agreement between sides to work towards
a common goal
– Waiting to see the Americans win a major battle
on their own
– Wanted to see Britain lose
– Netherlands and Spain joined in and fought
against Britain in Europe and the Caribbean
• Diverts British resources from only focusing on North
America
• Marquis de Lafayette (French)
– Passionately dedicated to the principles of the
Declaration of Independence – uncle was French
ambassador to Britain (awkward)
– Became a high ranking officer (major general)
– Trained and brought soldiers to the U.S.
• Thaddeus Kosciusko (Poland)
– Head engineer of the Continental Army (Ft,
Ticonderoga, Bemis Heights/Saratoga, West Point)
• Casimir Pulaski (Poland)
– “Father of the American Cavalry”
• Baron Von Steuben (German)
– Taught soldiers how to take orders, march,
improve their aim, and use bayonets
– Helped transform American troops during
the winter of 1777-1778
• Invasion of Philadelphia to coerce surrender
– British troops move by sea instead of supporting
Burgoyne
– Washington moves to block capture of
Philadelphia
• colonials defeated twice
• September at Brandywine creek
• October at Germantown
• Occupation of
Philadelphia
– Loyalists in
the city
celebrate
– American
army spends
winter at
Valley
Forge.
• 1777-1778: Valley Forge, Pennsylvania
– 22 miles from Philadelphia
– Able to keep an eye on the British in
Philadelphia
– 11,000 soldiers
• Lacked: food, proper clothing (shoes, sock, and
pants), proper housing
• Conditions
– Beginning – harsh, sickly, undisciplined
– End – better clothing, medicines, huts, well-trained
• Why did Washington ultimately choose Valley Forge as the
winter encampment for the Continental Army?
• What kind of Army did Washington have when he entered
Valley Forge in 1777? How do you think the problems
plaguing the army would have affected the Americans’
chances for success against the British as the war continued?
• What role did Baron von Steuben play in the eventual victory
over Great Britain?
• Many historians have stated that the name “Valley Forge is
synonymous with the American Revolution”. What do you
think this means?
Hot tubs
that’a way
general!
Fighting at Sea
• American Privateers
attacked British
merchant ships and
took supplies
– Armed civilian ships
that had permission
to attack enemy ships
and seize goods
– Britain had to protect
its merchant ships
now with convoys,
which becomes a
distraction
Arrrr…Pirates are
better than Ninjas
Total ships
Total guns on
ships
Enemy ships
captured
Ships captured by
enemy
Continental Navy
Privateers
64
1,242
1,697
14,872
196
2,283
unknown
1,323
Fighting at Sea
• Colonies: very few naval ships or
successful naval battles
– Lack of ships and there was British blockade
• Battle of Flamborough Head
– John Paul Jones, Scottish captain
• 1779: Bonhomme Richard (“Poor Richard”) given by the French
• Sets out toward Britain hoping to engage a fleet as a diversion
(Spanish & French heading toward England)
• Encounters merchant convoy headed by the frigate Serapis and a
smaller warship
• JPJ lashes the Bonhomme to the Serapis
– Seprapis set on fire in 12 different areas, hull of the Bonhomme Richard was
filling with water and pierced
• “I have not yet begun to fight.”
• British surrender!
– Woooooooot!
British’s New Strategy
• After
the loss at Saratoga, the British’s strategy is
to move south.
 Strong number of loyalists in the South Carolina and Georgia.
 Use the loyalists in the war
 Capture major cities in the southern part of America and
continue to move north
In Dec. 1778, British is once again successful with
the capture of Savannah, Georgia.
•
 Remains in Britain’s control the remainder of the war.
•On March 29, 1780, the Siege of Charleston,
South Carolina begins.
 Americans badly defeated- 4,658 Americans captured
The Swamp Fox
• Francis Marion
earned the nickname “
Swamp Fox”.
•Fought the British and
Loyalists by
performing guerilla
warfare .
•Promoted to brigadier
general under Greene.
American Leaders
• Daniel Morgan
Nathanael Greene
Benedict Arnold
• Most infamous traitor in American history
• Unhappy with military recognition and
promotions
• Plots to turn over West Point and General
Washington to the British
• Spy intercepted the message
– Arnold escapes and fights for the British
Does the character Mel Gibson plays seem
familiar to you?
The Southern Campaign in 1781
Major General Nathanael Greene
• Began his career in the Continental Army as a
militia private…the LOWEST rank possible at
the time
• Rises to become one of G. Wash’s closest
confidants and his go to guy
– G. Wash appoints him commander of the Southern Campaign
(takes position from Horatio Gates)
– Major victory over the British at the Battle of Kings Mountain
(SC)
– Splits his troops between the east (him) and west (Daniel
Morgan)
Battle of Cowpens
•
Began on January 17, 1781
– American Revolutionary forces under Brigadier General Daniel
Morgan
– British forces led by Lt. Col. Banastre Tarleton
• Morgan’s strategy: shoot & retreat
• Line One: sharpshooters were to wait until British came within lethal
firing range…fire two volleys at officers and sergeants and fall back
• Line Two: militia was to fire three rounds and then fall back while
reloading
• Line Three combines fire power of the Continental Army with lines
one and two while cavalry flanks the British
• Tarleton pushed his men hard and all night long to get
to Cowpens
Battle of Yorktown
• After several failures in the South, Cornwallis and British
troops head north
•Washington is convinced to move south and fight
Cornwallis and his smaller army
- Lieutenant General de Rochambeau commanded the
French
•At the same time, French fleet arrives in the
area.
- Blocks Cornwallis from receiving any aid or escape by sea
American 9,500
French
18,000
British
8,000
Battle of Yorktown
• British are surrounded by the Continental
army and the French
• Approximately 8,700 British troops
surrendered
• General Benjamin Lincoln accepted
the surrender sword
• British bands played “The World has Turned
Upside Down”
Making Peace With Britain
• Britain was eager to end the war
– American got most of what they wanted
• The Treaty of Paris
• April 15, 1783 (almost 8 years)
– The United States was recognized as an independent
nation
– Boundaries were Atlantic on east, Mississippi on the
west, Canada to the north, Florida to the south
– Florida was returned to Spain
– U.S. promised to pay loyalists for all damages
Impacts
• Cemented ideas like liberty and equality
• Eventual incites rebellions in France and
Latin America
– French Revolution in 1789
– Issued the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the
Citizen ( modeled after …)
• Left the United States a weak & disrespected
new nation
• Deeply in debt
• A poorly working form of government