The American Revolution 1775-1781

Patriots • Strengths: fighting on own territory, familiar w/ fighting tactics that worked, exceptional commander • Weaknesses: poorly trained and poorly equipped army, constant new recruits • African Americans: all black units and a few integrated units

British strengths • Well equipped, disciplined, trained army • World’s finest Navy • 50,000 loyalists • Promised African Americans freedom • Native Americans joined British • Hessians: hired foreign mercenaries

British Weaknesses • War not popular in Europe • British resented paying taxes to fight the war • Fighting in hostile territory • Adapt to new military tactics

George Washington Soldier in the French and Indian War Commander-in-chief of the Continental Army Challenges to build an army Inspired and won loyalty from his soldiers

Shot Heard Round the World Lexington and Concord: 1 st Battles of the War Patriots (colonists) returned to Boston, Battle of Bunker Hill British eventually forced to leave Boston

Daring Move • Christmas 1776, Washington and his troops cross the Delaware River • Surprise attack Hessians, German mercenaries, at Trenton, NJ • Continued to Princeton, NJ • Victories boosted morale of Patriots

Turning Point in the War • Benjamin Franklin sent to Paris to convince the French to form an open alliance with the U.S.

• French agreed to open alliance with U.S. after US victory at Battle of Saratoga, NY (1777)

Valley Forge, Pa.

• Harsh winter, 1777 • Lowest point for the Patriots • Poorly supplied, lacking food and clothing • Continued to train soldiers

Southern War • British focused on South, led by commander Lord Charles Cornwallis • Tories/Loyalists • Seized Savannah and Charleston • Unsuccessful in SC

Marquis de Lafayette • Frenchman • Came to America to fight in the revolution • Trained Patriots and led own command

Victory at Yorktown • Cornwallis chased southern forces north into Va.

• Exhausted supplies but won • Hoped to get supplies from British ships off coast of Yorktown

Surrender • Washington’s troops and the help of a French Navy blockade trapped Cornwallis • Forced to surrendered to Washington on October 19, 1781

Treaty of Paris 1783 • Great Britain officially recognized the independence of the United States