The American RevolutionChapter 6 1776 -1783

Chapter 6 – The American Revolution

8.H.5 -The ideas of the Enlightenment and dissatisfaction with colonial rule led English colonists to write the Declaration of Independence and launch the American Revolution.

Chapter 6 – Vocabulary Proclamation - an order issued by a governmentAlly - a country that helps another country in time of warBlockade - a military action that closes a portMercenary - a soldier hired into foreign service, ex. Hessians/GermansDeserter - leave army without permissionPrivateer - private ship used in warGuerrilla Warfare - irregular soldier, usually politically motivatedAmbush - surprise attackRatify – formally approveNeutral – taking no sides in a conflict

July 4 Declaration of Independence

OctoberAmerican victory at Saratoga

1776 1778

FebruaryFrance signs treaty with US to help

1780 1781 1783

Americans lose many battles in South, but this is a heavy toll on the British Army

MayBritish capture Charlestown South Carolina

African American Elizabeth Freeman sues for her freedom in Massachusetts, creating prohibition of slavery there

SeptemberTreaty of Paris signed

DecemberWashington retires his command and returns to Mt. Vernon

1777

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JanuaryThomas Paine’s Common Sense

JulyBritish forces arrive in New York

AugustContinental ArmyDefeated in NY

December 26Washington crosses Delaware River & captures Trenton

DecemberBen Franklin sent to make allies with France

JulyBritish take Ft. TiconderogaDevastating Americans, but Lafayette arrives from France

SeptemberWashington defeated at Brandywine October – also defeated at Germantown – Philadelphia is lost to the British

OctoberAmerican and French forces are victorious at Yorktown, Virginia

EXTRA! EXTRA! Read all about it!Revolutionary War ReportersIn the 1700’s there were no computers, TV, or radio. People usually communicate either by word of mouth or by reading the newspapers of the day. Below are links to examples of newspapers of the day.Ben Franklin's Pennsylvania Gazette -January 2, 1750http://www.earlyamerica.com/earlyamerica/past/past.html The Boston Gazette -Monday, October 7, 1776http://www.earlyamerica.com/earlyamerica/past/past2.html The Massachusetts Centinel -Saturday, April 24, 1790http://www.earlyamerica.com/earlyamerica/past/past3.html

Read all about it! These newspaper Chronicles let you experience first-hand the excitement and uncertainty of the American Revolution as it happened. Click on a city to read about the riveting historical headlines that shaped the war and America.

BOSTON 1774 Will bitter relations between America and Britain continue to steep?

PHILADELPHIA 1776 America declares independence - will the colonists' military be strong enough to defend such a daring proclamation?

TRENTON 1776 Could the fervor of freedom be waning?

SARATOGA 1777 Will hope be reborn for Americans?

YORKTOWN 1781 The world turned upside down indeed! Will this be the beginning of the end?

www.pbs.org/ktca/liberty/chronicle.html

American Strengths and Weaknesses

• The colonists are fighting for independence / knew the ground

• George Washington can inspire his men to fight

• France will aide the colonies with weapons, supplies and their navy

• Lack of supplies, food, and money.

• Needed more soldiers / Terms of service ran out

British Strengths and Weaknesses

• The British have an experienced professional army

• Outnumber the Continental Army

• The British army is well supplied with equipment and weapons

• Hired soldiers are fighting for money.

• Supplies had to travel 3,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean

The Strategy of War

The Strategy of War

• American Colonies• Keep the Colonial Army

together• Washington seeks to

stretch the British army away from supply lines• Harass the enemy, defeat

the British in a major battle• Get allies to help win!

• Britain• Seeks to destroy the

Colonial Army• Regain control of the

colonies by region• Take the fight to the

Colonial Army using European war tactics• Use loyalists support

against the colonies

Phase I: The Northern Campaign[1775-1776]

Phase II:

NY & PA[1777-1778]

New York City in Flames(1776)

Nathan Hale• Acted as a spy for Patriots (disguised himself as Dutch

schoolteacher) • Caught and hung • Last words: “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my

country.”

“These are the times that try men’s souls”Thomas Paine, “The Crisis”

The Crisis

“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.”

The Battle of Trenton – Washington Crosses the Delaware River

Link - http://mrnussbaum.com/history-2-2/battle_of_trenton/

Battle of Trenton, Christmas 1776

Battle of Trenton• British settle into New York for the winter of 1776-1777

• Left some troops in Princeton and Trenton, New Jersey

• Washington and men stationed across Delaware River

• Christmas night Washington takes 2,400 troops across the river and surprise attacks the Hessians the next day.

• Captured 900 Hessians

• Before British reinforcements arrive, Washington takes troops to Princeton and drives out British there, as well.

Battle of Saratoga

Before reaching Albany, British

General Burgoyne was surrounded by the American army and running out of

supplies.

Saratoga: “Turning Point” of the War?

A modern-day re-enactment

Battle of Saratoga

He surrendered to the Americans.

The Battle of Saratoga – Turning Point in the Revolutionary War

Link -http://mrnussbaum.com/history-2-2/battle_of_saratoga/#video

Marquis de Lafayette - brought aid to the U.S. and fought in many battles.

e war.

Battle of SaratogaSIGNIFICANCE: France decided to help Americans because they might have a chance of winning the war.

Notes

Saratoga• “Turning point” of the American Revolution• Benjamin Franklin persuaded France and Spain to join the fight

against Great Britain• Motivation….revenge!

Valley Forge, Pennsylvania Winter 1777-1778

To inspire the troops to keep fighting, Washington reads Thomas Paine’s The American Crisis.

The French & Spanish

I). French assisted in 1778 A). Curb British power

B). TradeII). Spanish assist in 1779

A). NavyIII). Multi-National alliance

against Britain

War at Sea• Britain patrolled the Atlantic

coast and used a blockade to keep ally ships from entering American ports

• Continental Congress ordered construction of thirteen ships• Most captured• Four destroyed to keep from

falling into British hands• Congress allowed over 1,000

merchants to sail as privateers • Attacked and profited from

British ships

Patriot Victories• King’s Mountain• British tried to invade North Carolina• 1,000 loyalists attack group of Patriot sharpshooters and are turned

back

• In 1780, Nathaniel Green takes over for Horatio Gates• In January 1781, he splits army in two

• Cowpens• First division, led by Daniel Morgan, defeats British at Cowpens• Second division joins Francis Marion’s guerrilla raids

• Two divisions rejoin to face Cornwallis at Guilford Courthouse• British victorious but suffer heavy casualties• Cornwallis retreats to Yorktown, Virginia in April 1781

Britain’s “Southern Strategy”• British now realize defeating the Continental Army will not be easy.

• Plan a final, massive attack in the South to end the war.

• Rely on sea power and loyalist support.

• 1778 British send General Henry Clinton with 3,500 men from New York to Savannah, GA.

• May 1780, attack Charlestown, SC and take thousands of prisoners• Americans worst defeat of the war

• General Charles Cornwallis takes over for Clinton and defeats American General Horatio Gates at Camden, SC

• As British travel through SC, they lack loyalists support and are harassed by American strategy of guerrilla warfare• American leader, Francis Marion aka Swamp Fox, perfects this strategy

Phase III: The Southern Strategy [1780-1781]

Battle of Yorktown • After the Battle of Cowpens,

Cornwallis marches British into Virginia in April of 1781

• Washington sends Marquis de Lafayette and Baron von Steuben to fight Cornwallis

• Cornwallis sets up camp at Yorktown, Virginia

Battle of Yorktown (Cont.)• July 1780, General Jean Baptiste de Rochambeau arrives from

France with 5,000 soldiers

• Autumn of 1780, Washington is just north of New York City waiting for second French fleet of ships

• In August 1781, Washington learns the second French fleet is close but headed to Chesapeake Bay instead of New York City. • Decides to attack British at Yorktown instead of New York City.• Sent fake dispatches saying Washington was going to attack

British at New York. • British capture these messages, meanwhile Washington sneaks

his army away from New York and heads south to Yorktown

Battle of Yorktown (Cont.)• At the end of September, Washington reaches Yorktown with 17,000

American and French troops compared to 8,000 British

• Second French fleet blocks a naval escape

• British trapped against the York River

• October 11th, Washington begins bombarding Yorktown with artillery

• October 14th, American-French forces storm British defenses

• Cornwallis surrenders on October 19, 1781

The Battle of Yorktown, October 1781

Cornwallis’ Surrender at Yorktown:

“The World Turned Upside Down!”

TREATY OF PARIS 1783

Fighting continues after Yorktown but soon British realize it is too expensive to

keep fighting

The Treaty of Paris

• Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and John Jay begin negotiations with British in April 1782.

• April 1783, Congress ratified an agreement to peace.• Treaty of Paris signed on September 3, 1783• Recognized United States as independent nation• Gave territory from east coast to Mississippi River and Canada to

Spanish Florida to America• British would withdraw troops from new American territory• Allowed Americans to fish off coast of Canada• British merchants could collect debts owed by Americans• Loyalists stolen property was returned

North America After theTreaty of Paris, 1783

• George Washington - organized the Continental Army. Steuben helped train inexperienced soldiers to fight

• Foreign Aid - France sent troops to help US fight Britain. Spain joined the US side also

• Knowledge of the land - Americans knew the land well where the war took place. British could control coastal cities but couldn't control the interior part of the colonies

• Motivation - Americans were motivated because their way of life and freedoms were on the line. They wanted to own their land and their dream of liberty

Why the Americans Won:

Legacy for Indians• Generally thought it was not their war• War for liberty and independence took liberty

and independence away from Indians• War against colonial oppression led to

colonization and oppression of Indians by the U.S. government• Soldiers paid with Indian land, not free land• Indians erased from history due to Paris Peace

Treaty and the idea that the war was fought ONLY between colonists and British

Women & African Americans

• Worked in camps on the lines• Molly Pitcher• Spies, messengers• Promises of freedom• 5,000 for U.S., workers, few soldiers• Rarely armed• South feared of rebellions

Revolutionary WarNewspaper Project• Write and report the complete paper from Loyalist view

OR Patriot view

• Collaborate with Newspaper Staff on helping one another while working on your assignment: War Correspondent, Personalities Reporter, Lifestyles Reporter, Business/Ads Editor, Opinion/Editorial