Slide 1 Slide 2 Revolutionary War Lexington & Concord April 18, 1775 General Thomas Gage- British commander sent scouts near Boston to seize colonial arms found in Concord Paul Revere The redcoats are coming! Colonists Badly outnumbered Good sharpshooters Women helped with fighting. Result: War was inevitable. Slide 3 Second Continental Congress May 1775 colonial delegates met in Philadelphia After the Battle of Lexington and Concord Most delegates hoped to avoid a war with Britain Wrote up the Olive Branch Petition Slide 4 Peace or War Olive Branch Petition: Delegates sent a petition to King George III declaring their loyalty to the king if he would repeal (do away with) the Intolerable Acts. King George III was furious and ordered 20,000 more soldiers to the colonies. Congress did not learn of this until months later when war could not be avoided.
Slide 5 Patriots Patriots are individuals that wanted independence Disadvantages Poorly organized and trained Few cannons, gunpowder Advantages Fighting at home Good shooters Brilliant leader George Washington Slide 6 Slide 7 Loyalist is someone loyal to the king Also called a Tory Politics in England supporting a king & his power Disadvantages Many fled to Canada or England Those that stayed risked attacks 3,000 miles away from home Advantages Highly trained, experienced Best Navy in the world Loyalists & British Three goals of England to win the War 1-Blockade the seaports 2-Capture the capital 3-Control the Mississippi River Ticonderoga- May 1775 Ethan Allen: Vermont blacksmith who led a band of Green Mountain Boys to attack this fort held by the British. Green Mountain Boys entered the fort and Britain surrendered. Result: Colonists receive cannons and gunpowder, and valuable route to Canada. Slide 8
Slide 9 Bunker Hill/Breed s Hill- June 1775 Colonel William Prescott: Led 1,200 minutemen up Bunker Hill. Fired on British ships in Boston harbor General William Howe: Let 2,400 redcoats Took 3 tries before redcoats were able to take over the hill Don t fire until you see the white of their eyes! Results: 1,000 redcoats dead 400 Americans dead Washington wins loyalty with troops. Blockade on ports supplies can t go in or out Mercenaries or troops for hire sent to fight the colonists -Hessians Slide 10 Slide 11 Slide 12 America Declares Independence Thomas Paine wrote pamphlet Called Common Sense Sold many colonists the idea of independence Continental Congress votes for independence Asks a young Thomas Jefferson to write the Document He goes on to become our third president Vote on it July 2, 1776 They don t like some of the wording Final vote (ratified) on it July 4, 1776 Declaration of Independence Three main parts to it Preamble or Introduction Lists natural rights of all men Created equal, life, liberty & pursuit of happiness Government is created to protect these rights Wrongs done by the King Colonies have the right to break away Announces the United States of America Signatures of the Continental Congress John Hancock
Slide 13 Long Island-Late July 1776 British- 34,000 troops & 10,000 sailors. Americans- 20,000 poorly trained troops with no navy. Howe vs Washington British soldiers were able to capture Long Island Result: 1,400 Americans killed or wounded. Washington retreated North. Slide 14 Slide 15 Slide 16 Nathan Hale: a young Connecticut officer volunteered to go behind British lines to spy on British troops. Hale was captured and searched. Howe ordered Hale to be hung. I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country. Long Island Trenton -December 1776 George Washington Led troops on a surprise attack on Trenton. Christmas day they went across the icy Delaware River. Americans took the Hessian troops prisoner.
Slide 17 Slide 18 Battle of Princeton General Charles Cornwallis British Officer set out to retake Trenton At last we have run down the old fox and we will bag him in the morning. Result: George Washington fooled Cornwallis by leaving fires lit. American Victory Brought new hope to Americans Slide 19 Saratoga- October 1777 General John Burgoyne: British General who presented a plan British troops should cut off New England colonies from the rest. General Horatio Gates gets credit for the victory, but it really was Benedict Arnold that did it Nicknamed Granny Gates Victory at Saratoga Americans were able to surround Burgoyne s soldiers. Burgoyne surrendered his entire army Results: - Brought new hope to Americans - Convinced France to become an ally to the Americans. Slide 20 European Aide America gains Allies two or more individuals, groups, or countries working together to support each other. France: King Louis XVI provided extra military aid and a navy Netherlands, Spain Loans to the Americans Marquis de Lafayette: French noble brought trained soldiers to help Patriots Became one of Washington s closest friends Friedrich von Steuben: A Prussian drillmaster who trained Washington s troops to march and drill.
Slide 21 Valley Forge Slide 22 Slide 23 Slide 24 Valley Forge 1777-1778 Washington s army suffered through this winter. Soldiers shivered in damp, drafty huts Some soldiers have no shoes, so they wrapped bits of cloth around their feet I am sick-discontented-and out of humor. Poor foodhard lodging-cold weather-fatigue-nasty clothes-nasty cookery a pox on my bad luck! There comes a bowl of beef soup full of burnt leaves and dirt. -Albigence Waldo 1777 However, it was even worse at Morristown, NJ the next winter, but Valley Forge gets all the attention
Slide 25 War in the West Indian allies of the British: Cherokees, Creeks, Choctaws, Chickasaws Vincennes Feb 1779 Americans with Miami Indians able to take over fort Vincennes. Bernardo de Galvez: Governor of Spanish Louisiana Favored the Patriots and secretly supplied guns, medicine and other supplies Spain entered war against Britain in 1779 Slide 26 Betsy Ross Credited for making the first U.S. flag in 1779 This may not be true British Flag is called the Union Jack Slide 27 War at Sea John Paul Jones Serapis vs Bonhomme Richard British asked him to surrender, he says I have only begun to fight! - Sept 1779 A British warship that was captured by the Americans Father of the U.S. Navy Slide 28 Battle of Cowpens- Jan, 1781 General Greene: An American from Rhode Island Took command of Continental Army in the South. General Morgan: An American from Virginia Led a victory at Cowpens, SC Guerrilla warfare Hit and run tactics used to harass the British Appear out of the swamps, attack, disappear back in the swamps.
Slide 29 Slide 30 An American Traitor Benedict Arnold: Formerly one of the American s best generals. 1780 agreed to turn over West Point to the British. Joined the British army Both Thomas Jefferson & George Washington wanted to capture Arnold. He was never caught. Yorktown Cornwallis: British Commander Trapped on the Yorktown peninsula Surrendered his army on October 19 th 1781 Result: American Victory -Treaty of Paris Slide 31 Yorktown Slide 32 Battle of Yorktown
Slide 33 Slide 34 Treaty of Paris Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, John Jay sent to London to work out the treaty. Treaty Britain recognized the United States as an independent nation. Land from the Atlantic to the Mississippi river. Congress ratified (approved) the treaty on April 15, 1783. 8 years after Lexington & Concord Slide 35 Slide 36 How Did the American s Win? Geography Defensive War Foreign Help American s growing patriotism Military leadership