THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
HISTORY JOURNAL
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37 The American Revolution (In the beginning…)
38- 41 Battles of the Revolution
43 Strengths and Weaknesses of the Continental
Army and the British Army
Page 38-41, we will make into a flipbook
MAJOR BATTLES OF THE REVOLUTION
Lexington and Concord
Battle of Bunker Hill
Battle of Saratoga
Yorktown
WHEN



WE LAST LEFT OUR HEROES…
They had just declared independence in the
Second Continental Congress.
Colonists felt that if there was
a fight with England,
it would be quick. Few
expected a war.
They were wrong!
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Spies were busy on both sides!
British general heard that there was a large
supply on guns and ammo in Concord.
American’s heard that the British were likely
to begin fighting.
MIDNIGHT RIDE
Paul Revere
 “One if by land, two if by sea.”

LEXINGTON

AND
CONCORD
British hear rumor that…
Sam Adams and John Hancock are in Lexington
 There is a large store of weapons and ammo in
Concord


They decide to arrest Adams and Hancock and
take control of the weapons.
Page 157
LEXINGTON
AND
CONCORD
April 19, 1775
 700 British troops reach Lexington
 Met with 70 militia who refuse to give up.
 No one knows who fired the first shot (“The
Shot Heard Round the World” – Ralph Waldo
Emerson)
 Within a few minutes, 8 militia men are dead.
 The British march on to Concord, but by then,
the 4000 Minutemen and militia had arrived
and line the road from Concord to Lexington.
 The British were in trouble…

LEXINGTON
AND
CONCORD
The British are forced back to Boston.
 Although technically the first shots of the
Revolution, war had NOT yet been officially
declared.

LEXINGTON AND CONCORD
CHOOSING SIDES

Forced colonists to choose sides
Loyalist
 Patriot

WE NEED AN ARMY!
Militia
 Minutemen
 Green Mountain Boys

Led by Ethan Allen
 Militia in the New York/New Hampshire Area
(Vermont)
 Captured Fort Ticonderoga which had large supply
of weapons.

Second Continental Congress officially forms an
army with Washington as it’s general.
 Authorize the printing of paper money to pay
troops.
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Page 160
Good Afternoon, Scholars!
Make sure you have your supplies!
Get started on this journal prompt…
In your journal, on the back of the BUNKER HILL page…
Look at this picture. Based on the artist’s view, who
do you think won the Battle of Bunker Hill?
NOW BACK
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TO
OUR STORY…
As the founding fathers continue to debate the
exact path to independence, our brave soldiers
continue to battle…
THE REDCOATS!
And speaking of Redcoats…
FUN FACT!

The British uses cochineal bugs to create the
red dye for their coats. The insects produce
an acid that protects them from predators.
The acid was used as a dye. (Scary fact – it’s
still used today in some types of food coloring
and dyes!)
BATTLE
OF
BUNKER HILL
June 16, 1775
 Militiamen seize Bunker Hill and Breed’s Hill
(they overlook the city of Boston!)
 Build a fort on the hill
 British worry about the fort and decide to
attack
 British marched up Breed’s Hill to attack
 Tug of war battle
 The colonists begin to run out of gunpowder.

WHAT WILL THEY DO????
BATTLE

OF
BUNKER HILL
“Don’t fire until you see the whites of their
eyes.”
Colonel William Prescott OR General Israel Putnam
 Needed to save ammunition

On the third attempt, the redcoats finally
take the hill.
 Redcoats win but 1000 were killed or wounded
compared to only 400 militia.
 Considered a moral victory for Continental
Army because they held off the world’s most
powerful army.
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BOSTON
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When George Washington takes command of the
army (just after Bunker Hill) he finds an
unorganized, undisciplined army. He also finds that
there are only 36 barrels of gunpowder left…

FOR THE WHOLE ARMY (Each soldier could fire nine shots!)
He starts a rumor that they have 1800 barrels.
 He sends word to friends in Fort Ticonderoga that
he needs some big guns. (Everyone say
Ticonderoga!)
 Remember the Green Mountain Boys? Told you
they were important!

BOSTON
They load all of the heavy artillery from the fort
onto sleds and drag them to Boston.
 When the British soldiers in Boston wake up on
March, 1776, they see all of that artillery aimed
at the city.
 The British decide to abandon Boston and leave
with 100 ships and 9000 troops!
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THE OLIVE BRANCH PETITION
A year has passed since our brave young men refused
to lay down their weapons in Lexington and colonists
have STILL not officially declared independence.
 The Second Continental Congress makes one more
attempt to resolve their issues with England.
 They send a petition to King George asking him for a
resolution.
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But it’s too late!
THE OLIVE BRANCH PETITION
King George has already heard about Bunker Hill and
refuses to even look at the petition.
 He declares the colonists in “full rebellion” and vows
to “bring the traitors to justice”.
 And as we all remember, being found a traitor
meant…
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DEATH!
GOOD AFTERNOON, SCHOLARS!
Please update your table of contents. I know the
number seems wrong, but I will explain after the
bell.
Please make sure everything is GLUED in.
THE CONTINENTAL ARMY
STRENGTHS
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Patriotism
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George Washington
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Our lives for our country
Experienced leader
Inspiring leader
Help from abroad
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France
Marquis de Lafayette, a French nobleman believed
in the American cause and persuaded the French
King to send troops to help Americans.
THE CONTINENTAL ARMY
WEAKNESSES

Not everyone supported the war so raising an army
was difficult.
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Limited Training
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Limited Numbers
Only had one year terms of service
 Limited number of troops at any given time
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Limited Supplies
Blankets
 Food
 Uniforms/Shoes
 Guns and Ammo
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THE BRITISH ARMY
STRENGTHS
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Strength in numbers
50,000 soldiers
 30,000 Hessians
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Powerful navy
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Help from abroad
Hessians
 Mercenaries from Hesse, Germany

THE BRITISH ARMY
WEAKNESSES
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Location, location, location…


Who Cares??

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Sending troops and supplies from Great Britain to
North America was costly
Not passionate about the cause
Poor leadership
Hessians
FUN FACT!
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Because of the horrible conditions, many wives
followed their husbands into the battlefields.
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They cooked, did laundry, and nursed sick and
wounded soldiers.
A few women actually fought.

Deborah Sampson dressed as a man and enlisted.
She fought in several battles.
THE DECLARATION
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OF INDEPENDENCE
Even after all the battles and mistreatment by
the British, many colonists were still afraid of
actually declaring independence.
Thomas Paine writes Common Sense to
persuade colonists to push for independence.
A week after the British leave Boston, Thomas
Jefferson writes the first draft of the
Declaration of Independence.
Our founding fathers finally agree to the
wording and sign it on July 4, 1776.
THE DECLARATION
OF INDEPENDENCE
It seems like such a small act to sign your
name to a piece of paper.
 But this was no ordinary document.
 So, what were these men sacrificing by signing
their names to this piece of paper?

Their lives -Their fortunes -Their sacred honor
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXAPfe3i8Q
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WAR…IT’S ON!
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Now that the colonists have declared their
independence, they have to FIGHT for their
independence.
The war kicks into full gear!
AS
WE CLOSE TODAY,
LOOK AT THIS PAINTING TITLED “THE SIGNING OF
THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE”. TURN YOUR JOURNAL TO THE
DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE PAGE. WRITE A RESPONSE TO THE
FOLLOWING QUESTION: HOW DOES THIS PAINTING REFLECT THE INFORMATION
WE HEARD IN “OUR LIVES, OUR FORTUNES, OUR SACRED HONOR”?
GOOD AFTERNOON, SCHOLARS!
TROUBLE
•
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FOR THE
CONTINENTAL ARMY
Britain wants to take control of New York
since it’s the center of Colonial economy.
British attack Washington’s army on Long
Island and inflict heavy casualties.
The loss is so bad that the British general
believes they’ve pretty much won the war
and he expects Washington to surrender.
But Washington is not giving in!
MORE TROUBLE…
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He retreats and escapes to Philadelphia.
The British occupy New York City for the
rest of the war.
Washington is humiliated by the loss.
This is the first of many losses for the
Continental Army.
Many soldiers begin to leave and many others
avoided joining the army.
Soldiers are starving and freezing.
The Continental Army was at it’s lowest
point.
MORE TROUBLE…

Washington gathers the troops and inspires
them to follow his plan for a surprise
attack.
CROSSING THE DELAWARE
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On Dec 25th 1776 Washington
launched a surprise attack
crossing the frozen Delaware
River.
He captured over 800
Hessian prisoners without
losing one man.
BATTLE
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
OF
SARATOGA
British General Burgoyne plans to cut off New
England from the rest of the colonies.
But, Daniel Morgan and the colonists have
another idea.
American General Horatio Gates surrounds
Burgoyne’s remaining forces at Saratoga, New
York.

Uh oh!!!
BATTLE
OF
SARATOGA
Burgoyne surrenders his
entire army to the
Americans!
 Saratoga is a turning
point in the war.
 Benjamin Franklin helps
negotiate the Treaty of
Alliance with France and
Spain.

WINTER AT VALLEY FORGE
VALLEY
FORGE
•
Washington and his men spend the long cold
winter of 1777-1778 in Valley Forge
Pennsylvania.
•
The American troops are in desperate need of
food and warm clothing.
•
Marquis de Lafayette uses his own money to
buy men clothes.
•
Spent the winter training.
•
When Spring came, the men were ready to
test their training.
YORKTOWN
•British General Lord Cornwallis moves his troops to
Virginia to set up camp and wait for reinforcements.
•Washington sets the ultimate trap. James Armistead
(a slave) was a double spy and gave Washington
information.
•Washington has over 16,000 American and French
soldiers ready to fight
•Cornwallis was not impressed, he opted to board
British ships and sail to New York.
•But before he can leave, a fleet of French
battleships sailed into the Bay.
•Cornwallis is trapped!
Trapped, Lord Cornwallis surrenders on Oct 17, 1781.
The Americans win their INDEPENDENCE!
TREATY
•
OF
PARIS 1783
Signed in Paris by representatives of the
United States and Great Britain. It has three
main parts.
1. Great Britain recognized the United States as
an independent nation
2. United States gains all land east of the
Mississippi River from Canada to Florida
3. U.S. agrees to return all property taken from
Loyalists.
COSTS OF THE WAR

Eight years of fighting
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Fatalities and Injuries
An estimated 25,700 Americans die(10,000 British
soldiers dead)
 1400 are missing
 8200 are wounded
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Soldiers left with no money
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Sold land in west for food and basic needs
American war debt - $27 million
IMPACT OF THE WAR
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Between 60,000 and 100,000
Loyalists leave American…mostly to
Canada.
Americans wanted more religious freedom and
ended practice of using taxes to support
churches.

Conflict between slavery and freedom

What will the new nation look like??
WARM UP: YOUR LAST FLAP IS LABELED
VOCABULARY. COPY THIS!
Patriots – Those who sided with the rebels and
wanted independence from Britain.
 Loyalists – Colonists loyal to King George III.
 Guerrillas – Small bands of fighters who use
surprise raids and hit and run attacks.
 Militia – Volunteer army of regular citizens.
 Minutemen – American soldiers who were
ready to fight with in 60 seconds.
 National/Continental Army – The American
army during the American Revolution.
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