Transcript The American Revolution

The American Revolution
Chapter 6
Sections 1-4
Choosing Sides
• Loyalists- colonists who remained loyal to
King George III and England.
• Anglican Church, Personal Wealth
• Patriots- Colonists who supported
independence.
• What do we have to lose?
Tale of the Tape
Strengths
Strengths
Britain
The Continentals
Every Possible Military Advantage
Possible alliances with France and
Spain
Superior Navy, Army, and Resources
Fighting for a cause
Seemingly endless supply of men and
$
Home field advantage
The confidence of being the best
Weakness
Guerilla War tactics
Weakness
Supplying from thousands of miles
away
Every Possible Military Disadvantage
No knowledge of the area
Little to no funding locally
No reason to fight. They do not care
Raising and Using an Army
• Britain was using hired mercenaries called
Hessians. Named after the area of Germany they
came from.
• The colonies refused to trust their continental
congress so in a way they were fighting thirteen
individual wars.
• The states were responsible for recruiting soldiers.
• They originally signed up for one year of service.
• Most of the trained soldiers were veterans of
previous wars and were beyond their best fighting
days.
The Hard Times
• New York
• British Have 44,000 troops and sailors.
Washington commands 20,000 poorly trained
colonists.
• Nathan Hale gave his life to provide
intelligence to he continental army.
• Battle of Long Island - Howe invades New
York killing or wounding 1400 Continentals.
• Washington escapes. First to Manhattan then
to NJ and PA.
Washington asks for HELP!!
• Washington is so undermanned that he
asks the congress for help.
• He suggests that they enlist free African
Americans to fight for the Continental
Army
• Over 5000 African American troops fought
in the revolutionary war.
• Including Lemuel Hayes and Peter Salem
at the battle of Concord.
Desperation
 Trenton
 The day after Christmas Washington attacks Trenton,
NJ he surprises 1400 Hessians (hired soldiers) when
Washington leaves there are no Hessians.
 Princeton
 Washington leaves his campfires burning. The British
attack an empty camp. Meanwhile the Continentals
slip behind Cornwallis and attack Princeton, NJ
 Americans latch on to these victories for hope and
strength.
New British Strategy
• Cut off New England from the rest of the colonies by
taking the Hudson River.
• Gen. John Burgoyne was to attack New York, but
George III wants Philadelphia. Mistake.
• Burgoyne is successful at Brandywine and Germantown
outside of Philadelphia, he takes Phil. And settles in for
the winter. He is a fancy individual travelling with over
20 wagons worth of personal goods.
• Burgoyne sends 800 soldiers to capture supplies at a
base in Vermont
• They are captured by Ethan Allen and the GMB
Battle of Saratoga
• Burgoyne is forced to leave Philidelphia and
retreat to Saratoga.
• Howevver there are no reinforcements
coming from General Howe.
• The road is blocked by Gen Horatio Gates of
the Continental Army.
• Burgoyne is surrounded and On Oct. 17th,
1777 Burgoyne surrenders and Howe resigns
in embarassment.
New Allies
• France
• After our victory at Saratoga France
recognizes our independence and declares
war on England. They also agree to supply
us with money, food, soldiers, and munitions.
• Spain
• They do not recognize us but they do supply
us with soldiers from the Louisiana territory
under the leadership of Bernardo de Galvez
• His efforts allow us to capture British forts at
Mobile, and Pensacola
Other Allies
• Thaddeus Kosciusko and Casmir Pulaski
both served in the Continental Army. Both
are Polish.
• Juan de Miralles he urges Spain, Cuba,
and Mexico to send financial aid.
• To help pay for the war congress began
printing American money.
• Leads to inflation decreased value of
money.
Valley Forge
• Worst possible winter. Washington loses
men to frostbite, starvation, and
abandonment.
• HELP
• Friedrich Von Steuban- Prussian army drill
instructor trains Washington's men.
War in the West
• Regardless of the conditions people continued to move west.
• Forcing Natives to side with the British in order to keep their
land. Take the post at Kaskakia
• Battle of Vincennes
• George Rogers Clark leads his men to retake Vincennes.
• He spreads his men out around the fort and has each man
hold two torches.
• Tells the British that they are surrounded, and to surrender
immediately.
• British take the for back , but Clark takes it
again.
John Paul Jones
 Privateers privately owned merchant ships
fitted with weapons
 Serapis versus Bonhomme Richard
 Jones is attacking English ships by himself
 He and the Richard engage the Serapis and
he boards the ship and takes it for the
Continentals.
 Jones has defeated a part of the allpowerful British Navy.
War in the South
• Battle of Moore’s Creek – Loyalist cities
were crushed throughout the south.
Wilmington NC and Charles Town SC
• 1780 Benedict Arnold switches his
allegiance from the continentals to the
British.
• Washington is distraught. Arnold is his
best General
• The War might be over…
Patriots Rally…
• 1780 Generals Daniel Morgan and
Nathaniel Greene lead the Continentals to
big victories At Cowpens, S.C.
• Cornwallis suffers great losses
• The two Generals use guerilla warfare to
force General Corwallis north towards
Virginia.
• He raids town and nearrly captures the
governor Thomas Jefferson
Yorktown
 Yorktown- General Charles Cornwallis sets up camp
along the Chesapeake Bay. He believes this will be an
easy place to re-supply.
 He will wait for orders from General Clinton.
 Need to act fast the French has sent troops to aid the
continentals.
 He believes he is safe…
Victory
 Washington has a plan…
• French Admiral Francois de Grasse has
the English trapped in the Chesapeake.
• Washington wants to make Gen. Clinton
think he is staying in NY.
• He marches 200 miles in 15 days
• Lays seige to Yorktown with 14,000 men.
The end…
 He will send Comte de Rochambeau and the promised
French Soldiers to the south of Yorktown.
 Washington will advance on Yorktown, the French
Navy will blockade Yorktown and the British will be
trapped.
 Cornwallis held out for three weeks but finally
surrenders.
 The war is unpopular in England and now they are
losing face to the colonists. George III is ready to make
a deal.
Treaty of Paris
• Britain recognizes the United States as an
independent nation.
• Eastern border is the Atlantic, Western border
is the Mississippi River, and the Southern
border is Florida.
• States will pay Loyalists for damaged
property.
• All British troops will leave.
• Negotiated by Franklin, Adams, and Jay
• Ratified or approved in 1783
Newburgh Conspiracy
• Congress was unable to pay the remaining
soldiers so they threatened to attack
congress.
• Washington talks them out of this, but the
danger is evident.
• War lasted 1775 - 1783
Goodbye George
• December 1783 Washington leaves his
command in New York City to return to
Mount Vernon, VA
• He is retired, for now...
Did we just win?
• Did America win the war for
independence?
• Did England quit our war for
independence?
• Was it a draw?