Essential Question(s)

• What problems & successes did the Continental Army experience during the early battles of the Revolution’s second phase?

War in the Middle States

Chapter 7 Section 1 (Pt II)

Anticipating the Next Attack• After GW had forced the British

to flee Boston, he hurried his army to camp in NYC– He fully expected the British to

regroup, return, and attack NY next

• One British goal was to occupy the major colonial port cities (Boston, NYC, Philly, & Charleston)– This would allow the British Navy

to land troops and supplies easily• From these bases, they could also

launch large scale campaigns

Patriot Defeat

• In July 1776, the British returned with a vengeance to the colonies– Gen. William Howe and

his huge army arrived in NY harbor• More soldiers arrived in

Aug., including 9,000 Hessians – Hessians were German

mercenaries loaned to the British Army by the German govt.

Summary/Quiz Question

• Who were the Hessian mercenaries?a. Enslaved Africans who were forced to fight b. Women who were hired to work in the American

campsc. People who actively sacrificed their lives for the

Revolutiond. Professional soldiers form Germany who fought

for the British

The Battle of Long Island

– The Patriots were quickly defeated at the Battle of Long Island, outside NYC• GW’s army, consisting

of mostly untrained troops, was quickly scattered by the superior British force• This defeat set off a

long, slow retreat that covered 3 states

Patriot Retreat• For several months, the raw Patriots

continually lost pitched battles and were forced to give up ground

• B/f the retreat was over, GW’s Army lost all of NY & eventually retreated through NJ and into PA

– By the end of Oct. 1776, GW’s army was tired and morale was very low• Further complicating matters,

most of GW’s soldiers’ enlistments were to end on Dec. 31– GW knew he needed to attack and

gain a victory in order to convince these men to re-enlist

Victory at Trenton• On the morning after the Christmas

ceasefire, 1776, GW’s troops decided to attack – They rowed across the Delaware R.

and marched on the town of Trenton, NJ• Upon arriving, they planned to

surprise a large group of Hessians stationed there– GW’s spies had reported that

the Hessians had been up all night drinking & gambling and were vulnerable to attack

– The Battle of Trenton was a Patriot rout• GW’s army captured or killed 900

Hessians and gained needed supplies in less than an hour

Another Victory @ Princeton• GW also gained another victory 8

days later at Princeton, NJ – GW used a clever deception

to fool the British lead force, then escaped and attacked a weaker force at the rear of the British column

• These victories had some major effects:1. Soldiers began to believe

deeply in GW as their leader

2. The Continental Army began to attract new recruits