The American The American Revolutionary WarRevolutionary War

CAUSES OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION

Proclamation of 1763 stops colonists from moving west

Parliament taxes the colonies to pay British war debts

Intolerable Acts set up harsh rule in Massachusetts

EFFECTS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION

Colonies declare independence

Britain recognizes United States independence

United States borders extend to Florida and the Mississippi River

George Washington emerges as a leader

Strengths and Weaknesses

One of the Patriots’ greatest advantages was which of the following?

A.A larger population

B.Mercenaries fighting on their side

C.A stronger navy

D.George Washington as their military leader

E.Tom Brady

The Opposing Sides

British Strengths…Population

Monetary Wealth

Royal Navy

Professional Army

8 million vs. 2.5 million colonists

Trained and experienced50,000 British

30,000 Hessian mercenaries30,000 American Loyalists

(Tories)

British Weaknesses…Unrest in Ireland

Government inept and confused, led by King George III

and Lord North

Lack of desire to crush American cousins

Whigs cheered American victories in Parliament

British Weaknesses…Military Difficulties

Second-rate generals

Inadequate and poor provisions

Need for clear victory, a draw would be a colonial victory

Armies 3,000 miles from home, took months to reach the front

Vast colonial territory to conquer (1,000 x 600 miles)

American Strengths…Outstanding Leadership

Military – George WashingtonDiplomatic – Benjamin Franklin

European Imports

Marquis de Lafayette

Comte de Rochambeau

Francois De Grasse

Thaddeus Kosciusko

Casimir Pulaski

Friedrich von Steuben

American Strengths…

Colonists fighting defensively

Self-sustaining agricultural base

Colonists better marksmen?

Moral advantage

Good cause with a positive goal

American Weaknesses…Colonies were poorly organized and not united for war

Continental Congress debated, took little action, and exercised little leadership

No written constitution until 1781

Colonies were jealous of Congress and each other

ECONOMIC DIFFICULTIES:

Little metallic currency available

Fearful of taxation

Congress issued virtually worthless currency

TROUBLES WITH GOVERNMENT:

American Weaknesses…

MILITARY DIFFICULTIES:

Inadequate firearms, cannons, and gunpowder (the colonists had enough for each soldier to fire nine shots)

Clothing and shoes scarce (2,800 men barefoot at Valley Forge)

No Navy

American soldiers numerous but unreliable

The Opposing Sides

Capture of Fort Ticonderoga

May 10, 1775

Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold with the Vermont militia, the Green Mountain Boys, captured the mostly abandoned

British fort without a fight

Captured valuable cannons and gunpowder

Took control of a key route to Canada

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c3/Ticonderoga1.jpg

Battle of Bunker HillJune 17, 1775

Colonel William Prescott led 1,200 militia to take the high ground over

Boston Harbor

Colonial troops dug in and prepared defenses

on Breed’s Hill

British General William Howe attacks:

2,400 redcoats under his command

British are repelled after two frontal

assaultsOn the third attack,

the militia ran out of gunpowder, and the British

took the position

Losses…BRITISH

226 killed

(19 officers)828 wounded

(62 officers)

1,054 total casualties

COLONISTS

115 killed

305 wounded

30 captured

(20 died as POW)450 total casualties

Although the British won the Battle of Bunker Hill, they learned

that defeating the Americans on the battlefield would not be quick or easy

http://www.britishbattles.com/images/bunker-hill/bunker-hill-l.jpg

The Death of the American General Warren by John Trumbull

British Grenadiers attack on Breed's Hill

A. A

B. B

C. C

D. D

Which of the following shows the correct chronology?

A. Bunker Hill, Lexington, Ft. Ticonderoga

B. Concord, Yorktown, Lexington

C. Yorktown, Lexington, Concord

D.Lexington, Ft. Ticonderoga, Bunker Hill

E.Concord, Lexington, Bunker Hill

More Military Action

Early Battles

Redcoats Leave Boston

March 5, 1776

General Henry Knox and the Continental Army took the cannons captured from

Fort Ticonderoga 300 miles to Dorchester Heights,

overlooking Boston Harbor

General Howe and the British are forced

to retreat from Boston to Halifax, Canada

King George III of Great Britain declared, "The colonies are in

open and avowed rebellion. The die is now

cast. The colonies must either submit or

triumph."

The King ordered the blockade of all colonial

ports by the Royal Navy

Attack onCanadaRichard Montgomery captured

Montreal in November, 1775Benedict Arnold and

Montgomery marched on Quebec:

Poor planning and bad weather weakened the attack

British reinforcements forced Colonists to withdraw, leaving Canada to the

British and Montgomery dead

British and Canadians lost 20 men The American losses were around 500

“The Death of Montgomery” by John Trumbull

Battle of Long IslandAugust 27, 1776

General Howe’s British forces completely outnumbered and outmaneuvered the Americans

500 Ships20,000 Troops

Washington and his 10,000 defeated troops retreated across the Hudson River to New Jersey under the cover of darkness

Had General Howe pursued and continued the attack, he would have captured Washington, crushed the

Continental Army, and ended the war

British: 400

American : 2,000 men and several cannons

Casualties:

Battle of White PlainsOctober 28, 1776

Washington halted the American retreat at White Plains

to prepare a defense

British forces led by General Howe attacked

Hessians mercenaries led by Colonel Johann

Gottlieb Rall outmaneuvered American militia on Chatterton’s Hill, and forced Washington’s

forces to break and continue to retreat

Battle of Fort

Washington

November 16, 1776

British and Hessian forces outflanked and defeated the Americans last

position in New York

2,900 Americans were captured and lost valuable guns,

gunpowder, and cannons

The Continental Army retreated across New Jersey

into Pennsylvania

British troops crossing the Hudson River 

Molly PitcherThe only American hero to

emerge from the loss at Fort Washington was

Margaret “Molly” Corbin.

“Molly Pitcher” was the wife of a Pennsylvania soldier, John Corbin, who had gone into

battle at her husband’s side bringing water to swab cannons

After her husband was killed, she stepped into his place to

load and fire a cannon, until she fell wounded.

“The American Crisis”

December, 1776

Thomas Paine published a series of pamphlets to boost American morale

The first volume began with the famous words:

“These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis,

shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now,

deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.

Americans Turn the

Tide

Battle of TrentonDecember 26, 1776

Washington’s famous crossing of the Delaware River

2,400 Troops18 Cannons

The town was defended by 1,200 Hessians with 6 light guns

commanded by the feared Colonel Rall

On the night before the attack, Rall was at dinner when he was brought information about the American attack

Rall ignored the message, which was found in his pocket after his death

The American forces attacked from three directions

The surprised Hessians attempted to form ranks in the town, but were attacked from the front and rear

Surrounded and mortally wounded, Rall surrendered

Casualties:

Hessians: 21 killed, 90 wounded, 900 captured

Americans: 4 wounded, 2 possibly froze to death

General George Washington “Crossing the Delaware” at the Battle of Trenton on Christmas night, 1776 by Emmanuel Leutze

The surrender to General George Washington of the dying Hessian commander, Colonel Rall, at the Battle of Trenton

Battle in the Streets of Trenton

General Washington leading the attack at the Battle of Trenton

Battle of PrincetonJanuary 3, 1777

British Major General Lord Charles Cornwallis attempted to retake Trenton from the Americans

Washington decided to leave Trenton before his army was attacked and outnumbered

In the middle of the night, the Americans left fires burning, and outmaneuvered the British at Princeton

Washington was not able to hold Princeton for long, and was forced to retreat as his army was outnumbered

General Washington leads the attack at the Battle of Princeton

Battle of Brandywin

eSeptember 11, 1777

General Howe brought his army by sea to the Chesapeake

intending to capture Philadelphia

Washington took up defensive positions at Brandywine Creek,

Pennsylvania to block them

British and Hessian forces outmaneuvered the Americans

and forced them to retreat, opening the route to Philadelphia

Battle of Germantow

nOctober 4, 1777

Washington planned a surprise attack on British and Hessian

forces encamped at Germantown, Pennsylvania

The plan was much like the attack on Trenton, as the

Americans were to attack from four directions at night

Confusion and heavy fog led to American forces

breaking and retreating

Battle of Saratoga

October 17, 1777

British planned to cut off the New England

colonies at the Hudson River

Three-Part strategy to attack Albany:

1. General John Burgoyne from the north

2. Colonel Barry St. Leger from the west

3. General William Howe from the south

General Howe changed his plans and attacked Philadelphia first:

Captures Philadelphia – Continental Congress flees to Baltimore

Washington retreats to Valley Forge, Pennsylvania

Betsy Ross sews first “stars and stripes” flag?

Howe retires to Philadelphia for comfortable winter quarters

Colonel St. Leger was driven back by Benedict Arnold at

the Battle of Oriskany

Burgoyne moved south and retook Crown Point and Fort

TiconderogaBurgoyne was surrounded by

American General Horatio Gates at Saratoga, New York

On October 17, 1777 Burgoyne surrendered 5,800 men

British General William Howe was replaced by Henry Clinton

Surrender of General Burgoyne at Saratoga by Fauvel

General John Burgoyne surrenders to General Horatio Gates

French Alliance

French AllianceBenjamin Franklin was in Paris to

convince King Louis XVI to help with weapons, supplies, troops,

and strong naval forces

February 6, 1778

The French, still angry about their defeat in the French and Indian War,

wanted proof that the Americans could win before they would help

Saratoga convinced the French to declare war on Britain

King Louis offered troops, the French navy, money,

supplies, and a treaty of alliance

The War Comes to an

End

Victory at SeaJohn Paul Jones on the

USS Bon Homme Richard, attacked a larger British

warship, the HMS Serapis

September 23, 1779

His ship hit and in flames, Jones stated, “I have not yet begun to fight!”

when asked to surrender

American boarding parties defeated the British and captured the Serapis

in bloody hand-to-hand combat

Battle of Flamborough Head, 23rd September 1779

An American Traitor

Deep in debt, passed over for promotion, and bitter about not getting enough credit, Benedict Arnold made a secret deal to offer to the British the

American fort at West Point

Arnold's scheme was detected when American forces captured British Major John André carrying

papers that revealed Arnold's plan

Benedict Arnold escaped to a British ship and left for England

PLEASE GET OUT PLEASE GET OUT YOUR SPIRAL AND YOUR SPIRAL AND GET READY FOR GET READY FOR TAKING NOTESTAKING NOTES

Battle of the Chesapeake

September 5, 1781

French Admiral Comte de Grasse defeated

British Admiral Sir Thomas Graves at the mouth of the Chesapeake River, Virginia

The victory of the French fleet prevented the Royal Navy from

resupplying, reinforcing, or allowing British troops to evacuate

Battle of YorktownBritish General Charles Cornwallis

marched his army to Yorktown, Virginia

September 28 – October 19, 1781

American and French forces surrounded Cornwallis

British forces were low on ammunition and food, could not be reinforced, resupplied, or evacuated by sea

due to the French naval blockade

Cornwallis was forced to march out of Yorktown and surrender

CASUALTIES:

British: 500 killed, 6,000 captured

American and French: 80 American and 200 French

The British Surrender at Yorktown 19th October 1781

The British Surrender at Yorktown 19th October 1781

Treaty of Paris of

1783

American negotiators Benjamin Franklin, John Jay, John Adams, and Henry Laurens

PROVISIONS:

Britain formally recognized the independence of the United States

Tories (Loyalists) were allowed to file legal suits to reclaim lost property

NEW BOUNDARIES:

Great Lakes to the North

Mississippi River to the West

Florida to the South (returned to Spain)

Treaty ratified by Congress on April 15, 1783

Signing of the preliminary Treaty of Paris, November 30, 1782.

Benjamin West's painting of the delegations at the Treaty of Paris: John Jay, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Henry Laurens, and William Temple Franklin.

The British delegation refused to pose, and the painting was never completed

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The End