Bellringer

A. A

B. B

C. C

D. D

Which quality of an army do you think is most important for success? Explain Why.

A. Size of the army

B. Strong leadership

C. Advanced technology

D. Enthusiasm for their cause

Chapter 6 The American Revolution (1776-1783)

Section 1 The Early Years

What challenges did the American revolutionaries face at the start of the war?

The American Revolution• After the Declaration of

Independence, war was unavoidable

• Both sides thought the war would be short

• Patriots thought the British would give up after one or two losing battles

• John Adams thought otherwise “We shall have a long… and bloody war to go through”

• The British had great advantages

British Advantages• Strongest

navy in the world

• Experienced, well trained army

• Wealth• Larger

population• 8 million in

Great Britain to 2.5 million in the United States

Colonists’ Disadvantages• Lacked a regular

army and strong navy

• American soldiers lacked experience

• Short supply of weapons and ammunition

• Most were militia• Fought for a short

period of time before going home

More Patriot Struggles• Not all supported

the struggle for independence

• Some were neutral

• Quakers would not participate in the war

• Many remained loyal to Britain

The Loyalists

• Loyal to Britain- also called Tories

• 1 in 5 (20%) were Loyalists• Some people changed sides

depending on which army was closer

• Loyalist support was biggest in the Carolinas and Georgia

• Weakest in New England

Why were people Loyalists?• Some were members

of the Anglican church (headed by the king)

• Others depended on the British for their jobs

• Others feared disorder of forming a new government

• Others didn’t see why the colonies wanted independence

• One Loyalist complained: No other country “faced a rebellion arising from such trivial causes”

African Americans in the War

• Some sided with the Loyalists

• The Royal Governor of Virginia, Lord Dunmore, announced that enslaved people who fought on the British side would be freed

• Many answered the call

Patriot Advantages• Fighting on own land

and fought with determination to protect it

• Britain was fighting in a faraway land

• Britain relied on mercenariesmercenaries (hired soldiers) called HessiansHessians

• Better leadership (George Washington)

Raising an army• The Americans

transfertransferred the power to the Continental Congress

• The American Revolution was really like 13 separate wars

• Each state pursued their own interests

• Continental Congress had a hard time enlisting soldiers and raising money to fight the war

• Each state was to recruitrecruit (enlist) soldiers

More of Raising an Army• At first men signed up for

one year of service• Washington convinced

some to enlist “for the whole term of the war”

• Officers were also hard to recruit

• The best officers were veterans of previousprevious wars

• Women also fought with the Patriot forces– Molly PitcherMolly Pitcher and others

Battle on Long Island• Summer of 1776, Britain

sent 32,000 troops across the Atlantic under General General William HoweWilliam Howe

• Patriots had fewer than 20,000 troops

• Continental Army suffered serious defeat

• Nathan HaleNathan Hale proved himself a hero at Long Island

• Hale spied on the British disguising himself as a Dutch schoolteacher

• The British figured out his true identity and hanged him

• Right before his hanging Hale said, “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country”

More of the Battle of Long Island• Americans fought with

bravery, but ran short of supplies

• A British soldier wrote that many of the Patriot soldiers killed had not been wearing shoes, socks, or jackets

• “They are also in great want of blankets,” predicting that the rebels would suffer during the winter

• Washington retreated to Manhattan and then to Pennsylvania

A Low Point• Patriots faced near

collapse during the winter of 1776-1777

• Size of the army dwindled as terms of service ended

• Others ran away• Washington pleaded

with the Continental Congress for new troops

• Washington wanted to allow free blacks to fight, but many in the South felt uncomfortable giving them guns

African Americans Join the Fight• As more soldiers were

needed, many states ignored the ban and enlisted African Americans

• Rhode Island had an all-African regiment in 1778

• By the end of the war, all states except South Carolina had enlisted African Americans to fight

• As many as 5,000 joined the Patriots including Lemuel HayesLemuel Hayes and Peter Peter SalemSalem

• African Americans joined because they believed in the Patriot cause or they needed money

Poll: Historians estimate that how many Africa...

The British• Settled in New York for the

winter• Left some troops in

Princeton and Trenton, New Jersey

• Washington saw a way to catch the British off guard

• December 25th, 1776 Washington and 2,400 troops crossed the icy Delaware river to Trenton and surprised the Hessians

• Washington then marched to Princeton and drove out the British

• “Late successes have turned the scale and now they are all liberty-mad again”

A British Plan for Victory• The British planned on taking

Albany, New York• Wanted to control the Hudson

River• This would separate New

England from the Middle Colonies

• Involved a three-pronged attack• 1. General John Burgoyne

would lead 8,000 troops south from Canada

• 2. Lt. Colonel Barry St. Leger would move east from Lake Ontario

• 3. General Howe would move north from New York City

• The three groups would meet at Albany and destroy the Patriot troops

The British Capture Philadelphia• Howe won battles near

and in Philadelphia in September 1777

• The Continental Congress was forced to flee

• Washington then attacked the British at Germantown, but had to withdraw

• Howe decided to spend the winter in Philadelphia instead of going to Albany

• Howe wanted to stay close to Washington’s troops

Patriots slow the British• St. Leger’s forces approached

Fort Stanwix, New York• Benedict Arnold forced the

British to retreat• General Burgoyne’s troops were

not making much progress• Gentleman Johnny Burgoyne

traveled with 30 wagons of luxury goods

• Americans also cut down trees to block their path

• Burgoyne needed supplies so he sent 800 troops to Bennington, Vermont

• The Green Mountain Boys attacked and defeated them

• Burgoyne retreated to Saratoga, New York in October

The Battle of Saratoga• The British forces Burgoyne

expected did not arrive• St. Leger was defeated and

Howe was still in Philadelphia• American troops under

General Horatio Gates blocked Burgoyne’s path to the south

• Burgoyne was surrounded by a large army, but decided to attack

• The American’s held together and forced Burgoyne to surrender

• Howe then resigned as commander of British troops in America and was replaced by General Henry Clinton

• Saratoga was a turning point in the war, Patriot victory now seemed possible

Poll: At which battle was the British plan to ...

What challenges did the American revolutionaries face at the start of the war?

-Americans had fewer people and less wealth

-They lacked a regular army and a strong navy

-They lacked military experience, weapons, and ammunition

-Not all Americans supported the cause

-Some Americans fought for the British

Chapter 6 Section 1 Quiz

• M.socrative.com

• Room Number: 640474

Enslaved African Americans who fought on the British side were given

A. land.

B. freedom.

C. Money.

D. guns.

Who disguised herself as a man so she could fight with the army?

A. Deborah Sampson

B. Margaret Corbin

C. Molly Pitcher

D. Betsy Ross

Few patriots believed ____________ when he stated, “We shall have a long and bloody

war to go through.”A. Alexander

Hamilton

B. George Washington

C. John Adams

D. Thomas Paine

The first state to have an all-African American regiment was

A. South Carolina.

B. New York.

C. Georgia.

D. Rhode Island.

On October 17, 1777, General John Burgoyne surrendered to the Americans at

A. Philadelphia.

B. Trenton.

C. Saratoga.

D. Concord.