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6-3The American Revolution 1776-1783

The War Moves West and South

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War in the West

The war also spread west of the Appalachian Mountains. Along the western frontier the Indians got involved.

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Some Indians helped the Patriots, but most sided with the British because the British seemed less of a threat than the Americans.

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Mohawk chief Joseph Brant led attacks west of the Appalachian Mountains. After the war, he was a representative of the Mohawk people to the Continental Congress.

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British commander Henry Hamilton was called the “hair buyer” because people said he paid Indians for American scalps.

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Militia Colonel George Rogers Clark set out to stop the Indian attacks on western settlers. His victory at Vincennes, Indiana strengthened the American positionin the West.

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Glory at Sea

Other battles raged at sea.Great Britain’s navy kept American ships from entering or leaving their harbors. This British blockade prevented supplies and reinforcements from reaching the Continental Army.

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Privateers

To defeat the British naval blockade, the Congress ordered the creation of a navy consisting of 13 warships. Only two made it to sea.

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Several states maintained small fleets, but the American navy was too weak to operate effectively. Privateers, privately owned merchant ships equipped with weapons, captured more British

vessels than the American navy.

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2,000 ships were authorized to sail as privateers. Finding crews for these ships was not difficult. Sailors from the whaling and fishing ports of New England signed on eagerly because they got to keep whatever they took from the British.

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John Paul Jones

John Paul Jones began raiding British ports. Heattacked a fleet of British merchant ships led by the warship Serapis. Jones’ ship, the Bonhomme Richard, and the Serapis fought for more than three hours.

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Jones's ship was so badly damaged the British captain asked if Jones wanted to surrender. Jones replied, "I have not yet begun to fight." The Serapis finally surrendered just before the Bonhomme Richard sank. Jones became a naval heroto the Patriots.

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John Paul Jones

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Struggles in the South

The British concentrated their efforts in the South, where there were many Loyalists. They hoped to use British sea power and the support of the Loyalists to win decisive victories in the Southern states.

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British Victories

In late 1778 General Henry Clinton sent 3,500 British troops from New York to take Savannah, on the coast of Georgia.

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Charles Town surrendered and the British took thousands of prisoners. It was the worst American defeat of the war. Clinton returned to NewYork, leaving General Charles Cornwallis in command of British forces in the South.

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The Continental Congress sent General Gates to face Cornwallis. Although the British won at Camden SC, Cornwallis soon found that he could not control the area he had conquered. He and his troops faced a new kind of warfare.

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Guerrilla Warfare

The southern Loyalists did not help the British as much as they had expected. Instead, small bands of Patriot soldiers appeared suddenly, struck their blows, and then disappeared.

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This hit-and-run technique of guerrilla warfare caught the British off guard. One successful guerrilla leader, Francis Marion, operated out of the swamps of eastern South Carolina.

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Known as the Swamp Fox, Marion was quick and smart. One British colonel grumbled that "the devil himself" could not catch Marion.

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Guerilla Warfare

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Patriot Victories

Patriot sharpshootersforced the British to retreat. The victory brought new support for independence from Southerners. They wanted to see an end to the war that was destroying their homes and farms.

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Nathaniel Greene replaced Gates as commander of the Continental forces in the South. Greene's army defeated the British at Cowpens, South Carolina.

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More Patriots joined in Marion’s guerilla warfare. The next time Green met the British he was forced to retreat, but the British suffered many casualties. As a result, General Cornwallis abandoned the Carolina campaign.

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British Retreat

As Cornwallis marched north in April 1781 his troops carried out raids throughout Virginia. Cornwallis set up camp at Yorktown, and awaited further orders from Clinton in New York. The battle for control of the South was entering its final phase.