Opposing Sides
Britain
Americans
Advantages
?
?
Disadvantages
?
?
Opposing Sides
By mid August of 1776, 32,000 British
troops had arrived
Controlled by William Howe
Continental Army=230,000
Rarely had more than 20,000 at a time
Opposing Sides
Paying for the war became a
problem for colonies
Continental Congress couldn’t tax
Robert Morris helped fund the
Cont. Army
Setup loans and helped establish
the Bank of North America to help
finance the military
Military Strategies
The Americans
Attrition [the
Brits had a long
supply line].
Guerilla tactics
[fight an
insurgent war 
you don’t have
to win a battle,
just wear the
British down]
Make an
alliance with
one of Britain’s
enemies.
The British
Break the
colonies in half
by getting
between the
No. & the So.
Blockade the
ports to prevent
the flow of
goods and
supplies from an
ally.
“Divide and
Conquer”  use
the Loyalists.
Phase I: The Northern Campaign
[1775-1776]
Crown Point
Capturing of Fort Ticonderoga
Fort Ticonderoga 1775
Fort Ticonderoga
Battle of Quebec 1775
Battle of Quebec 1775
Phase II:
NY & PA
[1777-1778]
The Northern Campaign
[1777-1778]
Britain wanted to take New York City to
crush the will of the colonial rebels
Continental Congress asked George
Washington to defend NYC
Troops were inexperienced so the British easily
took NYC
Washington and his troops retreated
Nathan Hale=U.S. spy was captured and
hanged “ I only regret that I have but one
life to lose for my country”
British established NYC as their
headquarters for the rest of the war
New York City in Flames
(1776)
Crossing the Delaware
Battle of White Plains
Washington is forced to retreat again
British heads toward Philadelphia/ instead of
following retreating colonial forces
Washington reaches Penn.=British had
stopped their advance and est. winter
quarters in N.J.
On Dec. 25, 1776, Washington led 2,400
troops across the icy Delaware River
Won two small victories at Trenton and
Princeton
SETTLED IN HILLS OF N.J. FOR WINTER
Battle of White Plains
Washington Crossing the Delaware
Painted by Emanuel Leutze, 1851
Battle of Trenton
Battle of Trenton
Battle of Trenton
Battle of Princeton
Battle of Princeton
Battle of Princeton
Philadelphia Falls
Gen. John Burgoyne devised a threepronged attack of New York (March 1777)
Attack NY from the North, South, and West
Wasn’t carried out
In Spring of 1777, Gen. Howe took
13,000 troops and attacked Philadelphia
from the South (Maryland)
Defeated Washington at the Battle of
Brandywine Creek
Captured Philadelphia
Continental Congress escaped and Howe
failed to destroy C.A.
Retreated to VALLEY FORGE
Battle of Brandywine Creek
Valley Forge
Valley Forge
Valley Forge
Valley Forge
Valley Forge
Bitter cold and food shortages
killed nearly 2,500 men
Two European military officers joined
Washington and helped improve discipline and
boost morale
1. Marquis de Lafayette (France)
2. Baron Friedrich von Steuben (Prussia)
France Enters the War
Gen. Burgoyne in June of 1777,
attacks New York from the North
(Quebec) with 8,000 troops
800 British troops and 1,000 Iroquois
attacked Albany from the east=defeated by
Benedict Arnold
He won a few early victories but were
unable to defeat Americans in upper NY
With his supplies dwindling and him
being unable to defeat the militia
Surrendered at Saratoga
Turning point of the WAR!!!!!!
Saratoga:
“Turning Point”
of the War?
A modern-day re-enactment
Saratoga
Saratoga
Saratoga
War in the West
In 1778, George Rogers Clark took 175
troops down the Ohio River and captured
several towns
Gave Americans control of the region
Various Indian Groups joined w/ British
and fought against the Americans
Most suffered defeats and had villages and
towns destroyed
France Enters the War
France and Spain had been sending
weapons to the Americans
U.S. now wanted troops from France
French didn’t want to get involved until they
new the Americans could win
Battle of Saratoga Victory=French alliance w/
U.S.
Feb.6, 1778, U.S. signed two treaties
1st France recognizes U.S. as an independent
nation
2nd Alliance b/w France and U.S.
War at Sea
American ships attacked British merchant
ships=disrupt trade
Congress issued letters of marque=licenses to
private ships authorizing them to attack
merchant ships (Brit.)
Seized millions of dollars of cargo
Most famous naval battle= John Paul
Jones Bonhomme Richard vs. Serapis and
Countess of Scarbrough, Sept. 1779
Jones “I have not yet begun to fight.”
3hrs of fighting=British surrendered
Bonhomme Richard vs. Serapis and Countess
of Scarbrough, Sept. 1779
Bonhomme Richard vs. Serapis and
Countess of Scarbrough, Sept. 1779
John Paul Jones
“I have not yet begun to fight.”
Phase III: The Southern
Strategy [1780-1781]
Britain’s “Southern Strategy”
Britain thought that there were more
Loyalists in the South.
Southern resources were more
valuable/worth preserving.
The British win a number of small
victories, but cannot pacify the
countryside [similar to U. S. failures
in Vietnam!]
Good US General:
Nathanial Greene
The Southern Campaign
British defeat at Saratoga=Gen. Howe
resigned
Replaced by Sir Henry Clinton
In Dec. 1778, British captured Savannah,
GA
Gen. Clinton the attacks Charles Town, SC
About 14,000 troops surround the city
On May 12, 1780, Americans surrendered
5,500 Americans captured=biggest defeat
The Southern Campaign
Upset the “over-the-mountain” men, put
together a militia
Battle of Kings Mountain
Defeated Ferguson and destroyed his army
Turning point of Southern Campaign
Gen. Nathaniel Greene
Hoped to wear down British while militia
destroyed supply lines
Carried out hit-in-run raids against British
camps and supply wagons
Francis Marion “Swamp Fox”=leader of most
famous militia
Nathaniel Greene
Battle of King’s Mountain
Battle of King’s Mountain
The Southern Campaign
In Spring of 1781, Gen. Cornwallis
decided to invade VA
Linked up w/ Benedict Arnold’s (traitor) forces
Began to conquer VA
In June 1781, Americans led by Gen.
Anthony Wayne forced Cornwallis to
retreat to Yorktown
Cornwallis wanted to protect supplies and
maintain communications by sea
The Southern Campaign
Washington and Rochambeau rushed to VA
French fleet was arriving from the Caribbean
On Sept. 28, 1781, American and French
forces surrounded Yorktown
On Oct. 14 Alexander Hamilton captured key
British defenses
On Oct. 19, 1781, Gen. Cornwallis and
8,000 British troops surrendered
END OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
The Battle of Yorktown (1781)
Count de
Rochambeau
Admiral
De Grasse
The Battle of Yorktown
(1781)
The Battle of Yorktown
(1781)
Cornwallis’ Surrender at Yorktown:
“The World Turned Upside Down!”
Painted by John Trumbull, 1797
Reasons for American Success
Americans were more motivated
British were overconfident
Time was on the side of the Americans
Americans fought along side the
British's most hated rival the French
North America After the
Treaty of Paris, 1783