The American Revolution: 1775-1783

1. The American Revolution: 1775-1783 America fights for and gains independence from Britain. The new nation then faces important issues.

2. On the Eve of the Revolution ?

3. The American desire to gain rights and liberties leads them to fight for independence from Britain. 7-1: The Early Years of the War

4. Americans Divided 1. About 20-30 percent of Americans are Loyalists 2. About 40-45 percent are Patriots 3. The rest remain neutral 4. Many Patriots in New England, Virginia 5. Many Loyalists in cities, in New York State, in South

5. Americans Divided 1. Some Native Americans fight for British 2. Afraid that if Americans win, they would take Native American land 3. Other Native Americans fight with Americans 4. British offer freedom to enslaved African Americans that fight for British 5. Because of this, many African Americans enlist with British 6. In response, most states accept African American soldiers

6. Loyalist Strongholds

7. Creating an Army 1. George Washington becomes commander of the Continental Army 2. At first, men enlist for 1 year, then go home 3. Because of this, the army never has more than 17,000 men 4. Soldiers need more supplies, guns, ammunition, training 5. Women help army by cooking, doing laundry, nursing wounded soldiers, some even fight in disguise 6. Washington’s strategy is to: a. keep his army in the field b. win small battles c. avoid major battles until the army is larger

8. Washington’s Headaches 1. Only 1/3 of the colonists were in favor of a war for independence [the other third were Loyalists, and the final third were neutral]. 2. State/colony loyalties. 3. Congress couldn’t tax to raise money for the Continental Army. 4. Poor training [until the arrival of Baron von Steuben].

9. 1. British withdraw from Boston; Washington, army go to New York City 2. In New York, General William Howe takes command of British army 3. 9,000 Hessian mercenaries arrive to fight for British (August 1776) 4. Mercenaries - soldiers hired to fight for another country 5. British force Washington’s army to retreat through New Jersey 6. Thomas Paine publishes The American Crisis, encourages American troops 7. Americans defeat Hessians at Trenton, Princeton (December 1776) Struggle for the Middle States

10. Washington Crossing the Delaware Painted by Emanuel Leutze, 1851

11. Britain’s Strategy 1. Britain’s strategy is to seize Hudson River Valley 2. 3 British armies plan to meet in Albany 3. General John Burgoyne plans to lead British troops south from Canada 4. Lieutenant Colonel Barry St. Leger to lead British troops from the West 5. General Howe plans to lead British troops north from New York City

12. Britain’s Strategy 1. General John Burgoyne captures Fort Ticonderoga from Americans 2. Burgoyne and troops face many obstacles during march to Albany 3. Howe decides not to rendezvous, or meet, with Burgoyne in Albany 4. Instead, Howe fights Washington in Pennsylvania, Washington retreats

13. Military Strategies The Americans The British • Attrition [the Brits had a long supply line]. • Guerilla tactics [fight an insurgent war  you don’t have to win a battle, just wear the British down] • Make an alliance with one of Britain’s enemies. • Break the colonies in half by getting between the No. & the So. • Blockade the ports to prevent the flow of goods and supplies from an ally. • “Divide and Conquer”  use the Loyalists.

14. Battles Along the Mohawk 1. St. Leger fights Americans at Fort Stanwix, summer of 1777 2. St. Leger’s forces include Iroquois led by Mohawk chief Joseph Brant 3. Benedict Arnold spreads rumor that Americans have a large army 4. Afraid of being outnumbered, St. Leger’s troops retreat 5. As a result, St. Leger and his army fail to rendezvous with Burgoyne

15. Phase II: NY & PA[1777-1778]

16. New York City in Flames(1776)

17. Saratoga: “Turning Point” of the War? A modern-day re-enactment

18. Saratoga: A Turning Point 1. During march to Albany, Burgoyne’s army faces Continental Army 2. Led by General Horatio Gates, Continental Army is near Saratoga, NY 3. Series of battles break out between British, American troops 4. Led by Benedict Arnold, American army forces British to retreat 5. Burgoyne’s army is soon surrounded, Burgoyne surrenders 6. Series of battles known as Battles of Saratoga (Sept., Oct. 1777)

19. Saratoga: A Turning Point • The Battles of Saratoga have two main results 1. convinces European nations that Americans might win the war 2. Benedict Arnold angry about lack of recognition, betrays his army

20. Summarize Section 1 on bottom Left Side: Use a cluster diagram like the one shown on page 199 to list the difficulties Americans faced in the early years of the war. Which difficulty do you think was the hardest to overcome? Finish Notes

21. 7-2: The War Expands • Some Europeans decide to help America. As the war continues, it spreads to the sea and the frontier.

22. 1. 1776, France begins to give secret aid to Americans 2. 1778, France forms official alliance with Americans: a. sends funds, supplies, troops to America b. persuades Spain to ally itself with Americans 3. Spain defeats British in lower Mississippi Valley 4. Victories prevent British from attacking Americans from the southwest 5. French, Spanish alliance forces Britain to spread military, many fronts 6. Because of this, Britain cannot concentrate its troops on Americans Help from Abroad

23. Europeans Help Washington 1. French nobleman Marquis de Lafayette serves in Washington’s army 2. Commands army division, wins soldiers’ respect, fights many battles 3. German officer Baron de Kalb becomes general of American troops 4. Earns reputation for bravery, dies (1780) in the Battle of Camden 5. German Baron von Steuben trains troops, disciplines the army 6. Teaches charges with bayonets - long knives attached to the end of guns

24. Winter at Valley Forge 1. Washington’s army retreats from Philadelphia, encamps at Valley Forge 2. Spends winter of 1777–1778 at Valley Forge 3. Soldiers short on supplies, food, clothing, about one quarter die 4. Private citizens provide some food, clothing for soldiers 5. Some soldiers desert - leave military duty without intending to return 6. Most of the soldiers stay for love of country and Washington

25. War on the Frontier 1. George Rogers Clark raises army to capture British forts 2. In May 1778, Rogers, army capture British post on the Mississippi 3. Rogers then lays siege on Fort Sackville in present-day Indiana 4. Using scare tactics, Americans convince British to surrender the fort

26. 1. Britain’s navy controls Atlantic trade routes 2. American privateers capture hundreds of British merchant ships 3. Privateer - a privately owned ship used to attack enemy merchant ships 4. Privateers’ success cause British merchants to call for end to the war 5. Free African American James Forten volunteers for privateers 6. Captured, refuses to betray country, after war fights to end slavery War at Sea

27. A Naval Hero 1. Continental Navy earns several victories against British navy 2. John Paul Jones commands American ship, Bonhomme Richard 3. Jones battles British ship, the Serapis 4. After fierce fighting, the Serapis surrenders 5. Victory angers British, inspires Americans

28. Summarize Section 2 on the bottom Left Side: Imagine yourself at Valley Forge in the winter of 1777-1778. Create a comic strip or a paragraph describing your response to the harsh conditions. Finish Notes

29. 7-3: The Path to Victory • Seeking Loyalist support, the British invade the South - but ultimately loses the war there.

30. 1. British decide to move the war to the South 2. Unsuccessful in winning the war in the North 3. Believe that most Southerners are Loyalists 4. Believe that promise of freedom will cause enslaved to join British 5. Will be able to transport troops between Southern ports, West Indies 6. British capture Savannah (1778), then conquer most of Georgia 7. Defeat American troops in Charles Town, South Carolina Savannah and Charles Town

31. Britain’s “Southern Strategy” 1. Britain thought that there were more Loyalists in the South. 2. Southern resources were more valuable/worth preserving. 3. The British win a number of small victories, but cannot pacify the countryside [similar to U.S. failures in Vietnam!] 4. Good US General:Nathanial Greene

32. The Swamp Fox and Guerilla Fighting 1. General Horatio Gates put in charge of American army in the South 2. Fights British army, led by general Lord Cornwallis, at Camden, SC 3. Americans defeated twice (August 1780) by British 4. Francis Marion and men use guerilla tactics against British 5. Guerrillas - bands of fighters who weaken enemy with surprise raids

33. 1. Americans defeat British at Battle of Kings Moun- tain (Oct. 1780) 2. Nathanael Greene, ex-Quaker, in charge of Southern American army 3. Most Quakers are pacifists - opposed to war, Greene is not a pacifist 4. By avoiding large battles, Greene gradually weakens the British forces 5. War drags on into 6th year, opposition to the war grows in Britain The Tide Turns

34. The End of the War 1. In 1781, Cornwallis moves British troops to Yorktown on Chesapeake Bay 2. French fleet blocks bay, British troops cannot receive supplies 3. Washington’s troops combined with French troops bombard Yorktown 4. Battle is known as the Battle of Yorktown 5. On October 19, 1781, Cornwallis surrenders his force of about 8,000 6. Yorktown last major battle of war, Britain negotiates peace treaty

35. The Battle of Yorktown (1781) Count de Rochambeau AdmiralDe Grasse

36. Cornwallis’ Surrender at Yorktown: “The World Turned Upside Down!” Painted by John Trumbull, 1797

37. Summarize Section 3 at the bottom Left Side: How do you think America would be different if Britain had won the war? How would your life be different? Describe in 2 paragraphs. Finish Notes

38. The Legacy of the War • After the war, the new nation faces issues such as a high national debt and calls for equality.

39. Why did the British Lose???

40. 1. In November 1783, the last British troops leave New York City 2. Americans win the Revolutionary War for several reasons: a. better leadership b. foreign aid c. knowledge of the land d. more motivation Why the Americans Won

41. The Treaty of Paris 1. War officially ends with Treaty of Paris of 1783 2. United States becomes independent 3. Gains territory east of Mississippi, south of Canada, north of Florida 4. Receives right to fish off Canada’s Atlantic coast 5. Both U.S. and Britain agree to repay debts it owed each other 6. British agree to return all enslaved persons it captured 7. Congress recommends that states return property seized from Loyalists

42. Costs of the War 1. About 25,700 Americans die in the war 2. British suffer about 10,000 military deaths 3. Many U.S. soldiers leave army with no money 4. Receive certificates for land in the West, often sell land for money 5. War left U.S. with debt of about $27 million • Thousands of Loyalists leave the U.S., many go to Canada

43. 1. U.S. uses republicanism - rule by the people, to run the government 2. People must place good of country above own interests 3. Women needed to teach children virtues that help the republic 4. More religious freedom is granted by the states Issues After the War

44. Issues After the War 1. Several states outlaw slavery 2. Enslaved African American Elizabeth Freeman sues for her freedom 3. Preacher Richard Allen starts the Free African Society 4. Americans must decide how to shape their national government

45. Summarize Section 4 at the bottom Left Side: Ben Franklin wrote: “There never was a good war or a bad peace.” Think about the Revolutionary War. Do you support this statement or disagree with it? Finish Notes