The Beginning
Vocabulary:
refugee – person who flees his or her
homeland to seek safety elsewhere
– shutting off a port by positioning
ships to keep people or supplies from moving
in or out
mercenary – soldier who fights merely for pay,
often for a foreign country
May 10, 1775 – Second Continental
Congress meets in Philadelphia.
Most delegates hoped to avoid a final
split with Britain.
Meanwhile…
Battle of Ticonderoga
o In May of 1775, Ethan Allen leads a
group of Vermonters called the Green
Mountain Boys in a surprise attack on
Fort Ticonderoga (see map on page 162).
o British surrender to Allen
 Boys win supply of cannons and give
Americans control of a key route into
Canada.
Traitor? In 1775, when Ethan
Allen tried to take Quebec, Canada,
he was captured by the British and
held until 1778. Back in Vermont,
he tried to get the Continental
Congress to grant Vermont
statehood. When Congress refused,
he talked to the British about
making Vermont a British Province.
Although accused of treason, his
guilt was never proven.
Discussion Question #1
Why was the capture of Fort
Ticonderoga so important?
It was full of desperately needed
artillery, gunpower, and cannons.
Back in Philadelphia…
By June, the Second Continental Congress was
busy figuring out what to do. Should they try to
make peace with Britain or should they revolt?
Despite some delegates objections, including that
of John Adams, the Congress decided to try and
make peace with Britain with a document called
the Olive Branch Petition.
The Olive Branch Petition
Written by Pennsylvania
Quaker John Dickinson,
the Olive Branch Petition
asked King George III to
repeal the Intolerable
Acts. In it, the colonies
also declared their loyalty
to him.
King George Rejects the Olive
Branch Petition.
England’s King George III
refused to even look at the
Olive Branch Petition. He was
furious that it was even sent at
all. He saw the Continental
Congress as a group of,
“wicked and desperate
persons.” He knew the
colonies were beginning to
strive for independence.
June 10, 1775 – John Adams
refers to the men in Boston
who fought at Lexington and
Concord as a Continental
Army, even though most of
them were New England men.
To show the British that the colonies were united, Adams thought
that the Congress should select a southern general to lead this
Continental Army. It also helped solidify the support Adams was
trying to gain from the most powerful and influential of all the
colonies – Virginia, Washington’s home.
On June 15, Adams formally nominated
George Washington as the Commander of the
Continental Army
Washington accepts
the nomination on
June 16th.
The Battle of Bunker
Hill begins on June 17,
1775.
Discussion Question #2
How did the Second Continental
Congress pursue a peaceful
settlement with Britain?
They sent the Olive Branch Petition,
which was rejected by King George
III.
Discussion Question #3
What steps did the Congress take to
prepare for war with Britain?
They set up the Continental Army
and made Virginian George
Washington its commander.
The American Patriots
o Patriots opposed British rule, that they
considered harsh and unjust.
o DISADVANTAGES:
 Poorly organized and untrained
 Few cannons, little gunpowder, no
navy
o ADVANTAGES:
 Many owned their own rifles and
were good shots
 Brilliant commander – Washington
 Would fight very hard to protect
their homes
The British
o DISADVANTAGES
 Army was 3,000 miles from home
 Supplies took months to arrive from England
 Risk of attacks by colonists once out of the
cities
o ADVANTAGES
 Highly trained, experienced troops
 Powerful navy
 Easy movement of troops up and down coast
(navy)
 Many colonists supported the British
 Loyalists or Tories
 Made up about 20% of colonists
 Many in the middle colonies
 Many fled to England or Canada
June 16, 1775 – Colonel William Prescott
commands the Continental Army up Bunker
Hill and then to nearby Breed’s Hill.
British General William Howe orders his
men up Breed’s Hill, but they are exhausted
from carrying heavy backpacks (125 lbs.).
Patriots ordered to hold their fire, “until
you see the whites of their eyes!” This was
because they were low on gunpowder.
British retreat but try again two more times.
The British succeed the third time and take
both Bunker Hill and Breed’s Hill.
o1,000 British dead or wounded
o400 American dead or wounded
oBritish win, but suffer great losses
oAmericans prove they can fight
bravely
“The British were unprepared for the ferocity of the
colonial defense at Bunker Hill. Wrote one [British]
Royal Commander, ‘A dear-bought victory; another
such would have ruined us.’” *
*Source: “Facts Are Stubborn Things”, John
Adams, HBO Productions. 2008
Discussion Question #3
What was the first major battle of
the American Revolution?
The Battle of Bunker Hill/Breed’s
Hill
After Bunker Hill…
After the Battle of Bunker Hill, British
Major General Henry Clinton told his
Commander-In-Chief Thomas Gage that
they should move to secure Dorchester
Heights, an important area of high ground
near Boston. Said Clinton, “[Dorchester
Heights was] absolutely necessary for the
security of Boston, as they lay directly on our
water communications…” Gage would
decide to do nothing about Dorchester
Heights, but for the time being neither
would the Continental Army.
A Rough Winter with a
Successful Outcome
The British were hoping to abandon Boston and head south to New
York, where there was a strategic advantage and many more Loyalists.
Approval did not come in time and the British ended up staying in
Boston through a long, harsh winter.
Washington, who arrived only a few weeks after Bunker Hill, began
to take a ragtag army of inexperienced soldiers, and turn them into a
proper fighting machine.
In the meantime, Washington was hoping to secure a large supply of
cannons and gunpowder from Fort Ticonderoga, which had been
won by the Americans back in May 1775.
It’s Up to Knox
It was the job of Colonel Henry Knox to go to Fort Ticonderoga and
bring back the necessary mortars, cannons, and gunpowder to
Boston. It was not easy. Knox and his men had to bring tons of very
heavy equipment through all sorts of terrain, and through thick
forest, in winter. Through tenacity and extremely hard work, Knox
and his men were able to get the cannons to Boston by March 1776.
“Knox’s “noble train” had arrived
intact. Not a gun had been lost.
Hundreds of men had taken part and
their labors and resilience had been
exceptional. But it was the daring and
determination of Knox himself that
had counted above all. The twentyfive-year-old Boston bookseller had
proven himself a leader of remarkable
ability, a man not only of
enterprising ideas, but with the
staying power to carry them out.
Immediately, Washington put him in
command of the artillery.”
Source: 1776 by David McCullough,
2005 [pg. 85]
 Fall 1775 – American Richard Montgomery
and Benedict Arnold move troops towards
Quebec.
 Dec. 31, 1775 – Americans attack Quebec
during a snowstorm but fail to take the city.
Montgomery killed, Arnold wounded.
 Americans leave Canada to the British.
With his artillery from Ticonderoga available, George
Washington has an ingenious plan to finally take Dorchester
Heights. It was March, 1776, and the British still occupied
Boston. Washington’s plan was to take Dorchester in one
night without the British realizing it.
Clearly this would be tough, especially since in order to get
to Dorchester, the Continental Army would have to cross a
low section of land in clear view of the British forces.
Washington screens his men’s movements with a long line of hay
wagons. In near perfect nighttime conditions (mild and with a full
moon), Washington distracts the British with a volley of cannon fire
away from Dorchester Heights. Although warned by a spy that the
Continental Army was taking Dorchester Heights, the British
commanders think the idea is ridiculous and ignore the spy. Surely,
they think, Washington could not take that hill with enough force in
one night!
Amazingly, Washington
completes an unheard of amount
of work in just one night. He
places his heavy guns and artillery
on top of Dorchester Heights.
Now his guns are able to hit just
about any British target in
Boston, including the British
ships in the harbor. Washington
gave an added appearance of
strength by filling barrels with
dirt and placing them atop the
hills as well. These barrels could
also be rolled down the hill in the
event that the British try to take
the hill from them.
At first, British General Howe wanted to attack the Continental
Army. But, after realizing that there is no way to his troops can hold
Boston, Howe decides to moves his troops out of town. In only a
matter of days the British are boarded up and ready to sail out. This
left Boston Loyalists with little protection. Many became refugees
and fled with the British or to other towns, leaving their homes in
Boston.
Where would the British go?
Washington was certain the Howe would be heading for New York.
He was so sure in fact, that he sent five regiments in that direction.
But Howe was not headed for New York – he was headed for
Halifax, Nova Scotia (Canada).
The British might have left New England, but King George III
was not about to give up.
•He ordered a blockade of all colonial ports.
•He hired German mercenaries to help fight the colonists.
Discussion Question #4
How did Washington force the
British to leave Boston?
Washington ordered guns placed on
Dorchester Heights, overlooking
Boston Harbor. General Howe
realized that he could not hold
Boston.
REVIEW QUESTIONS
What were the weaknesses of the
colonial forces at the start of the
Revolution?
 They were poorly organized and untrained
 Few cannons, little gunpowder,
 no navy
What were the weaknesses of the
British?
 Army was 3,000 miles from home
 Supplies took months to arrive from England
 Risk of attacks by colonists once out of the
cities
The Loyalist Argument:
Be a Loyalist because…
*Common Heritage and Culture with England
*Benefit from the trans-Atlantic trade
*Many were first generation or had close relatives in England
*Strong sense of duty to British Crown
*Farms and Farm products could be greatly reduced in value
*Separate government could degenerate into anarchy
*Actions taken by revolutionary committees were “illegal”
The Patriot Argument:
Be a Patriot because…
*Individual liberty threatened by greater government
*A series of acts and laws passed by the British
*Government is oppressive and indicative of a decline in
colonial rights
*No representation in British Parliament
*The Quartering of British troops
*Closing of the Port of Boston & British control of trade