the revolutionary war did not go well for the patriots in the beginning

Unit 4Chapter 7Lesson 2

Pages 188-191

The Revolutionary War did not go well for the patriots in the

beginning.

The patriots faced many challenges: They were not trained soldiers. They did not have a lot

of weapons and supplies. They did not have much money to pay for

the war.

Washington takes a chance and crosses the Delaware River at night on December 25, 1776,

and tries to surprise the enemy.

The Continental Army surprises Hessian soldiers (German

soldiers hired by the British) and defeats them at Trenton, NJ.

Unfortunately, all the problems the Continental Army faced

continued to hurt them.

On September 11, 1777, the patriots lose the Battle of

Brandywine.

Then on September 20, 1777, British

soldiers captured Philadelphia forcing the Continental

Congress to move to Lancaster and

then York.British General Howe

The British beat Washington and the Continental Army again at the Battle of Germantown on

October 4, 1777.

Washington chose Valley Forge as a good place to spend the winter with his army because from there

they could prevent the British from capturing manufacturing

plants and supplies.

The terribly harsh winter of 1777-1778 was very hard on the

Continental Army. They were undersupplied and many died from sickness while the British soldiers stayed in comfort in

Philadelphia.

The Continental Army almost fell apart, but George Washington’s leadership held them together.

While these things were taking place in America, Ben Franklin

was in France trying to convince the French to help the patriots

beat the British.

In 1778 French troops began to arrive and helped turn the tide

of the war.

On July 3, 1778, loyalist (Tory) soldiers and Native American

allies attacked patriot militia in Pennsylvania’s Wyoming Valley. Over 300 patriots were killed.

This became known as the Wyoming Massacre because

many patriots trying to surrender were killed, and 227 scalps were

reported to be taken by the Native

Americans.

The Continental Army, along with its French Allies, started to

win more battles as the war went on.

Finally on October 17, 1781, the main British army surrendered

at Yorktown, Virginia.

On September 3, 1783, Ben Franklin, John Adams, and John Jay signed the Treaty of Paris

which officially ended the war, ensured American

independence, and created new borders for the United States of

America.

American Independence was costly in money and lives:50,000 Americans were

killed or wounded;6,000 French were killed;

48,000 British and Germans were killed or wounded.