Famous People of the American Revolution

Patriots of the American Revolution

The following are people that had various positions in the American Revolution.

Ethan Allen

• Led the Green Mountain Boys to capture Fort Ticonderoga.

• He marched his army to New York where he tried to protect the land from the British

• Was born on Jan. 10, 1738 and died on Feb. 12, 1789

George Washington

• He was the chief general in the Revolutionary War and later became the first president of the U.S.

• He was born on Feb. 22, 1732 and died on Dec. 14, 1799.

precedent

means an example from the past that provides evidence for an argument. It is most commonly used in legal circles and, more specifically, can be described as a previously decided case that guides the decision of a future case.

Baron Frederick Von Steuben

• He was a German officer who used his drills to discipline the Continental army in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.

• Was born in 1730 and died in 1794.

Abby Sallee

Marquis de Lafayette• He was a French

soldier and statesman.• He was born 1757 and

died 1834.• He fought for the

American colonies.• He also helped train

the troops.

Nathan Hale• He was a spy for the

American Rebels during the American Revolution.

• He was born 1755 and he died 1776.

• He was hanged by the British when he was 21 as a spy.

• He was an American Patriot of the Revolutionary War.

• He also served in the army.

Benedict Arnold(1741-1807)

• Benedict Arnold was born on January 14th, 1741.

• Benedict became a captain of the Connecticut militia.

• Helped win the battle of Fort Ticonderoga for America.

• Later Benedict became a traitor to America and sided with Britain.

Nathanael Greene(1742-1786)

• Nathanael Greene was born on November 27th, 1742.

• Greene was a general in the continental army during the revolution.

• He led campaigns against the British in North and South Carolina.

Nathanael Greene

General Henry Knox• Henry Knox was born on June

25th, 1750. He died on October 25th, 1806.

• Knox was a war general and the Nation’s first secretary for the war.

• He was one of George Washington’s most trusted officers.

• Henry Knox directed Washington’s troops to cross the Delaware.

• Also referred to as “Swamp Fox”Henry Knox

Francis Marion• (1732-1795)• captain of a militia

company during the Continental Army.

• known for using the protection of rivers, hills, and swamps

• helped defend South Carolina during the war

• worked to heal the wounds from the war

Statesmen of the American Revolution

The American Revolution had many people that were the ‘brains’ behind the cause! The following are some that you should know about.

James Madison

• Was born on March 16, 1751

• Died June 28, 1836.• Before the war and

presidency he was a farmer

• He was the 4th president.

• Known as the “Father” of the Constitution

Samuel Adams

Born: Boston Mass. Sept. 17, 1722Died: Boston Mass. Oct. 2, 1803

Samuel Adams is important to the American Revolution because he founded the Sons of Liberty, the Top Secret Resistance that was the turning point for the Americans.

John Hancock

• First person to sign the Declaration of Independence and signed in BIG letters

• Was born in 1737 and died in 1793

• President of the Continental Congress from 1775 to 1777

Thomas Jefferson

• Third president• Born in 1743• Died in 1826• Was a delegate of the

Continental Congress• Was a vice president • Wrote the Declaration

of Independence

Thomas Paine

• Born in 1737• Published “Common

Sense” on Jan. 10, 1776• Served in Continental

Army• Convicted of treason in

France, but released by James Monroe saying he was American

• Died in 1809

Ben Franklin

Born: Boston, Mass. January 17, 1706Died: Philadelphia, Penn. April 17, 1790

Was important to the American Revolution because he was a one of the people who help set peace between Britain and America.

He wrote Poor Richard’s Almanac in 1742

Paul Revere

• Born on January 1, 1735.

• Died May 10, 1818.• Before the war he was

a sliversmith.• He warned the

minutemen that were close to the area and told them the British were coming.

William Dawes

• Born- April 6, 1745• Died- Feb. 25, 1799• American Patriot • Member of the U.S. House

of Representatives• U.S. Senate • A second rider that rode

out to warn minutemen that the British were coming

Alexander Hamilton

• Born: Jan. 11, 1755• Died: 1804• American Politician • Secretary of State• Member of

Continental Congress

Women of the American Revolution

The women are sometimes left out in our history books. Here are a few that we remember from the American Revolution.

Phillis Wheatley

• The first recognized black American poet.

• 1753-1784• Published her first poem at age

13• Brought to America as a slave• Her poetry reflects both the

influence of Alexander Pope and her study of Latin.

Picture of Phillis Wheatley

Betsy Ross

• 1752 – 1836• Betsy did important

things during the war like:

• Made our flag• George Washington

was counting on her to make the flag

British of the American Revolution

There were many important people from Britain in the American Revolution. The following are some of the ones you should know about.

King George III

• Born on June 4, 1738.• King of England

during the American Revolution.

• Died on January 29, 1820.

General Charles Cornwallis

• British General • Born Dec. 31,1738-

Oct. 5,1805 • He served 7 years of

war• Captured Philadelphia

in 1777• Served with distinction

during the American Revolution

British General Charles Cornwallis

General John Burgoyne

• Born in Bedfordshire on January 4, 1723.

• He was a British general from 1775 to 1783.

• Burgoyne submitted a plan to the British for invading New York from Canada.

• General John Burgoyne lost over 1,000 men in a battle near Bennington, Vermont.

• Died on January 4, 1723. General Burgoyne and his signature.

General Burgoyne

Thomas Gage

• Born in 1721• Died April 2, 1787• Was in charge of Boston in the American

revolution • Gave the orders that led to the first battle of

the American Revolution• Was recalled to England after the battle of

Bunker Hill• A general in the Revolutionary War

General Sir William Howe

• Commander• Born Aug.10,1729-

July.12,1814• Fought in the battle of

Bunker Hill• Defeated George

Washington’s army at White Plains

Commander William Howe

Joseph Brandt

• Born in the year of 1742.• Mohawk Iroquois Chief. • Convinced Mohawk and other

Indian tribes to support the British.

• Led raids on Patriot settlers in an effort to keep them from taking more of their land.

• Died in the year 1807.

Joseph Brandt

George Grenville

• He was born on October 14, 1712.

• He introduced the Stamp Act in 1765.

• He became a member of Parliament in 1741.

• He died on November 13, 1770

Writing the Treaty of Paris 1783

The treaty was negotiated in the city of Paris, France. That's where it gets its name. There were three important Americans in France to negotiate the treaty for the United States: John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and John Jay. David Hartley, a member of the British Parliament, represented the British and King George III. The document was signed at the Hotel d'York,

Treaty of Paris 1783

• It took a long time!

• After the British Army surrendered at the Battle of Yorktown it still took a long time for an agreement between Britain and the United States to be signed. It was around a year and a half later that King George finally ratified the treaty!

Major Points

• The three Americans did a great job in negotiating the treaty. They got two very important points agreed and signed off:

• The first point, and most important to the Americans, was that Britain recognize the Thirteen Colonies to be free and independent states. That Britain no longer had any claim on the land or government.

• The second major point was that the boundaries of the United States allowed for western expansion. This would prove important later as the US continued to grow west all the way to the Pacific Ocean.

• other points in the treaty had to do with agreements on fishing rights, debts, prisoners of war, access to the Mississippi River, and the property of Loyalists. Both sides wanted to protect their citizen's rights and possessions.

• Each of the points is called an article. Today the only article that is still in force is article 1, which recognizes the United States as an independent country