Splash Screen Chapter Introduction Section 1The Early Years Section 2The War Continues Section 3The War Moves West and South Section 4The War Is Won

Chapter Introduction

Section 1 The Early Years

Section 2 The War Continues

Section 3 The War Moves Westand South

Section 4 The War Is Won

Chapter Summary

Chapter Assessment

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Why It MattersAlthough the United States declared its independence in 1776, no country recognized it as an independent nation at that time. It took a war and the efforts of American diplomats to win this recognition.



British cannon


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The Opposing Sides• In order for the colonies to actually gain

their independence from Britain, they had to fight a war.

(pages 162–165)(pages 162–165)

• No one expected it to last so long, however.



• The Patriots, or Americans who supported independence, faced several obstacles:

- Britain had a larger population–over 8 million against 2.5 million.

- Britain had the strongest navy in the world and a well-trained army as well.

- The Americans did not have a regular army or navy.

- Many colonists belonged to militias who were basically volunteers and served for short periods of time.

The Opposing Sides (cont.)

(pages 162–165)(pages 162–165)



- Not all Americans supported the war effort.


- Some were neutral, some were opposed to fighting, and some were loyal to Britain.

(pages 162–165)(pages 162–165)



The Opposing Sides (cont.) • The Loyalists, or Tories, supported Britain

for several reasons:

- Some were members of the Anglican Church and thus loyal to Britain.

- Some depended on the British for jobs.

- Some feared the changes a new government might bring and feared challenging an existing government.

- Some just did not understand the war.

• Loyalist strength varied from region to region but was strongest in the Carolinas and Georgia.

(pages 162–165)(pages 162–165)



• Raising an army was difficult.

• Congress had trouble enlisting soldiers and raising money to fight the war.

• The Americans had militias, not a regular army.

• Soldiers usually signed up for one year of service.

• The Congress offered a three-year term, or length of service, but the one-year enlistment was most common.


(pages 162–165)(pages 162–165)



The Opposing Sides (cont.) • Some African Americans were promised

their freedom if they fought on the British side, so they became Loyalists.

• The Patriots had some advantages over the British troops.

- They fought on their own ground, not thousands of miles from home.

- They had a personal stake in fighting to protect the freedom of their own land as opposed to the Hessian mercenaries, or hired soldiers, who fought for the British for money.

- George Washington was a leader with courage, honesty, and determination. (pages 162–165)(pages 162–165)


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Why did the thirteen colonies have to fight a war if they declared their independence from Britain?

Possible answer: The Declaration was just that, a statement. No country, least of all Britain, recognized the colonies as an independent nation. Therefore, they had to go to battle to win their independence.


(pages 162–165)(pages 162–165)



Fighting in New York

• The British troops outnumbered the Americans.

(pages 166–167)(pages 166–167)

• During the summer of 1776, Britain sent 32,000 troops to fight in America.

• The British hoped to win an early victory.


• The British defeated the Continental Army at the Battle of Long Island in August.

Fighting in New York (cont.)

(pages 166–167)(pages 166–167)

• Nathan Hale became a hero for America.

• He was discovered as a spy and hanged.

• After the defeat, Washington retreated to Manhattan and then across New Jersey into Pennsylvania, pursued by the British.



• The Continental Army faced many obstacles.

Fighting in New York (cont.)

(pages 166–167)(pages 166–167)

• It ran short of supplies.

• The size of the army shrank.

• Soldiers became discouraged.

• Some soldiers finished their term of service and went home.

• Others ran away.



Patriot Gains

• More soldiers were needed, so some states enlisted African Americans.

(page 167)(page 167)

• By the end of the war, every state except South Carolina had enlisted African Americans.

• In fact Rhode Island had an all–African American regiment in 1778.



• American troops scored victories at Trenton and Princeton, New Jersey.

Patriot Gains (cont.)


• Washington caught the British troops off guard when he surprised them at Trenton in late December 1776.

• The British sent more troops under Lord Charles Cornwallis, but Washington marched his troops to Princeton and drove away the British.




Why did Washington plan a battle at Trenton?

He saw an opportunity to defeat the British troops. It was wintertime and armies often called a halt to fighting during winter. Washington was also successful at surprising the British in battle.

Patriot Gains (cont.)



A British Plan for Victory• The British planned to gain control of

Albany and the Hudson River to separate New England from the Middle Colonies.

(pages 167–168)(pages 167–168)



• Howe’s troops captured Philadelphia, and the Continental Congress fled to the countryside.

A British Plan for Victory (cont.)

(pages 167–168)(pages 167–168)

• Howe postponed the move to Albany and stayed in Philadelphia during the winter.



• The Americans, however, were able to slow down the British.


(pages 167–168)(pages 167–168)

• American forces led by Benedict Arnold forced the British to retreat at Fort Stanwix, New York.

• General Burgoyne’s army captured Fort Ticonderoga but had trouble after that.

• Short of supplies and men, Burgoyne retreated to Saratoga, New York, in October.



• The British lost the Battle of Saratoga.


(pages 167–168)(pages 167–168)

• Burgoyne’s troops were completely surrounded by the Patriot Army.

• On October 17, 1777, they handed over their weapons to the Americans and surrendered.




Why did the British want to take Albany?

By taking Albany, located between New England and the Middle Colonies, they would sandwich themselves between the Americans and take control of the Hudson River. By controlling the region in between, they could make it difficult for the Patriots to receive supplies and to form a united front.


(pages 167–168)(pages 167–168)



Guide to Reading

As the Revolutionary War continued, the Americans received support from European countries.

Main Idea

Key Terms



French medal showing Benjamin Franklin


Gaining Allies• European nations helped the American

cause.

(pages 172–175)(pages 172–175)

• France and Spain were at war with the British in Europe and hated the British.

• They realized that the Americans had a chance to win their war, so they offered assistance.



• France at first secretly gave money to help the American war effort and then publicly announced its support.

Gaining Allies (cont.)

(pages 172–175)(pages 172–175)


• In February 1778, the French and the Americans worked out a trade agreement and an alliance.

• France declared war on Britain and gave the Americans money, equipment, and troops to fight the British.



• Spain and the Netherlands were at war with Britain.

• Spain did not recognize America’s independence until after the Revolution, but the Spanish governor of Louisiana, Bernardo de Gálvez, helped the war effort.


(pages 172–175)(pages 172–175)



• Washington’s troops spent a hard winter at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.

• The army lacked enough food, clothing, and shelter.

• Some men deserted; others resigned.

• Yet the Continental Army survived.

• In April news of France’s alliance cheered them.


(pages 172–175)(pages 172–175)



• A French nobleman, Marquis de Lafayette, spent the winter at Valley Forge.

• He offered his services and became one of Washington’s trusted aides.

• Other Europeans also volunteered to help.


- Friedrich von Steuben from Germany taught military discipline to Washington’s troops.

(pages 172–175)(pages 172–175)


• Getting money to finance the war was difficult.


(pages 172–175)(pages 172–175)

• To pay for the war, Congress and the states printed hundreds of millions of dollars of paper money.

• Soldiers had to be paid and supplies bought.

• The paper quickly lost its value and in turn led to inflation.

• Congress stopped issuing paper money because no one would use it.




Many political disputes revolve around economics and especially the impact that money has on everyone’s daily lives. How was money an issue during the Revolution?

The Continental Congress had no power to raise money through taxes. The cost of the war was growing, and America needed money to pay for it. So Congress issued paper money to pay for expenses. Because there were so many bills in circulation, the paper money lost its value. The number of bills was greater than the supply of gold and silver used to back the money. This led to inflation. America had no other way to finance the cost of the war, however.


(pages 172–175)(pages 172–175)



Life on the Home Front• Women often took over the duties of men

while the men were in the military.

(pages 175–176)(pages 175–176)



• The Loyalists in the colonies faced hard times.

(pages 175–176)(pages 175–176)

• Those who actively helped the British by spying and informing on the Patriots could be arrested and tried as traitors.

• Some were victims of mob violence or ignored by their neighbors.

• Many fled to Britain, to Spanish-owned Florida, or to the frontier.

Life on the Home Front (cont.)


• The issue of slavery was questioned,

Life on the Home Front (cont.)

(pages 175–176)(pages 175–176)

• African Americans fought as soldiers in the Revolutionary War.

• They hoped that they would soon see the day when slavery would be abolished.



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Checking for Understanding

__ 1. a continuous rise in the price of goods and services

__ 2. to leave without permission

A. desert

B. inflation

Define Match the terms on the right with their definitions on the left.

B

A




Reviewing Facts Explain why the French did not publicly support the Americans until after the Battle of Saratoga.

After the Battle of Saratoga, the French believed the Americans had a chance of defeating Britain.



Guide to Reading

Revolutionary War fighting spreads to the West and South.

Main Idea

Key Terms



The Swamp Fox and his troops



War in the West• The war in the West took place along the

frontier, west of the Appalachian Mountains, and involved Native Americans.

(pages 177–178)(pages 177–178)

• They often helped the British by raiding American settlements.



Glory at Sea• The British had a powerful navy and thus

were able to wage battles at sea.

(pages 178–179)(pages 178–179)

• They blockaded American harbors, preventing ships from entering or leaving ports.

• This effectively cut off supplies and reinforcements from getting to the troops.



• The American Navy was too weak to fight the British, so they used privateers.

(pages 178–179)(pages 178–179)

• Privateers were privately owned merchant ships with weapons.

• The privateers attacked the British ships.

• Congress authorized approximately 2,000 ships to sail as privateers.

Glory at Sea (cont.)


• John Paul Jones became a naval hero as a result of his battle near the coast of Great Britain in September 1779.

Glory at Sea (cont.)

(pages 178–179)(pages 178–179)

• The battle involved his ship, the Bonhomme Richard, and the British warship Serapis.

• After more than three hours of battle, the Serapis surrendered.

• The Bonhomme Richard sank because it was so badly damaged.




Struggles in the South• By 1778 the British saw that it would be

difficult to unite the American colonies back into their empire.

(pages 179–182)(pages 179–182)

• They concentrated their efforts in the South, which had many Loyalists.



• In late 1778 the British occupied Savannah, Georgia, and took over most of the state.

(pages 179–182)(pages 179–182)

• In 1780 General Henry Clinton himself went to attack Charles Town, South Carolina.

• In May Charles Town surrendered.

• It was the worst defeat for the Americans during the war.

Struggles in the South (cont.)



• General Charles Cornwallis remained in the South as commander of the British forces.

• The British scored another victory at Camden, South Carolina, in August 1780.


(pages 179–182)(pages 179–182)



• The Patriots used guerrilla warfare to catch the British off guard.

• Frances Marion was one of the successful guerrilla leaders of eastern South Carolina.


(pages 179–182)(pages 179–182)



• In April 1781, the Cornwallis troops decided to march north to Virginia, carrying out raids and nearly capturing Governor Thomas Jefferson and the Virginia legislature in June.

• Cornwallis set up camp at Yorktown, Virginia.


(pages 179–182)(pages 179–182)



• George Washington sent Lafayette and General Anthony Wayne to fight Cornwallis.

• The battle for the South was almost over, but the war was at a point where each side needed a victory to win.


(pages 179–182)(pages 179–182)




Reviewing Facts Explain why most Native Americans sided with the British in the conflict.

The British seemed less of a threat than the Americans did. They knew the Americans wanted to expand onto their lands west of the App Mts.



General Rochambeau, French commander


Victory at Yorktown• Washington planned a complex and

secretive takeover at Yorktown, Virginia, in hopes of surprising Cornwallis.

(pages 183–185)(pages 183–185)

• Washington was originally going to attack New York City because he was expecting a French fleet to arrive there to help.

• The French fleet never reached New York City because the British fleet trapped them in Newport.




Victory at Yorktown (cont.)

- He knew the British expected him at New York City, so this change would surprise and confuse them.

- He learned that a second French fleet was to arrive near Chesapeake Bay, and he hoped that they would meet at Yorktown.

(pages 183–185)(pages 183–185)

• Washington planned an attack on Yorktown instead.




- In August 1781, Admiral François de Grasse’s fleet was to land along the Virginia coast near Yorktown.

- In July the first French fleet that was trapped in Newport would meet Washington’s troops and march south to Yorktown.

(pages 183–185)(pages 183–185)

• The Yorktown plan was kept secret.

• Three groups were to meet there and surprise the British.



• The plan worked.

• By the end of September, 14,000 American and French troops trapped Cornwallis’s 7,500 troops.

• The British troops could not escape by sea because the French Fleet blocked them.

• The rest of the British Army was in New York under General Clinton, unable to help Cornwallis in the South.


(pages 183–185)(pages 183–185)



• On October 9, American and French troops bombarded the British.

• On October 19, 1781 Cornwallis surrendered.

• The Patriots had won the Battle of Yorktown.


(pages 183–185)(pages 183–185)



Independence • Fighting continued after the Battle of

Yorktown, but the British realized that the war was too costly to continue.

(pages 185–187)(pages 185–187)

• Delegates from both sides met in Paris.

• After a preliminary treaty was ratified in April 1783, the final Treaty of Paris was signed on September 3, 1783.



Independence (cont.)

- Britain recognized the United States as an independent nation

- the United States territory extended from the Atlantic Ocean west to the Mississippi River and from Canada in the north to Spanish Florida in the south

- the British promised to withdraw all troops and agreed to give Americans the right to fish off the coast of Canada

- the United States agreed that British merchants could collect on debts owed by Americans

- property taken from Loyalists would be returned to them (pages 185–187)(pages 185–187)

• It said that:



• George Washington gave up his command and on December 4 gave his farewell speech.


(pages 185–187)(pages 185–187)

• Two weeks later, he formally resigned and returned home to Mount Vernon.



• America won the war against the world’s strongest power.


- Americans fought on their own land.

- Americans controlled the countryside, where they knew the local terrain, even though Britain captured the cities.

- Help from other nations contributed to the victory.

- Mostly, the people fought the battles with determination and belief in their ideals.

(pages 185–187)(pages 185–187)

• They had several advantages on their side.




Reviewing Facts Describe how the French navy helped George Washington at Yorktown.

It prevented Cornwallis and his soldiers from escaping by sea.



Reviewing Themes

Groups and Institutions What influence did the American Revolution have around the world?

It inspired the ideals of freedom and democracy in France, influencing the French Revolution.




Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the answers.

Reviewing Key Terms

__ 1. armed private ship

__ 2. paid soldier who serves in the army of a foreign country

__ 3. a hit-and-run technique used in fighting a war; fighting by small bands of warriors using tactics such as sudden ambushes

__ 4. to enlist soldiers in the army

__ 5. a surprise attack

A. mercenary

B. recruit

C. blockade

D. privateer

E. guerrilla warfare

F. ambush

Define Match the terms on the right with their definitions on the left.

D

A

E

B

F



Reviewing Key TermsDefine Match the terms on the right with their definitions on the left.

__ 6. cut off an area by means of troops or warships to stop supplies or people from coming in or going out; to close off a country’s ports

C A. mercenary

B. recruit

C. blockade

D. privateer

E. guerrilla warfare

F. ambush



Reviewing Key Facts

What European nations fought with the Americans against the British?

France and Spain sent money, supplies, and troops to aid the Americans.



Reviewing Key Facts

Why did many Native Americans give their support to the British?

They knew that many Americans wanted to take their land.



Reviewing Key Facts

What fighting method did the Americans use to keep the British from taking the Southern Colonies?

The Americans used guerrilla warfare against the British.



Reviewing Key Facts

Which battle convinced the British that fighting the Americans was too costly?

The Battle of Yorktown convinced the British that fighting the Americans was too costly.


Critical Thinking

Drawing Conclusions Why do you think the British found it easier to capture American cities than to take over the American countryside?

Patriots had an advantage in rural areas because they were more familiar with the terrain. Guerrilla warfare could be used more effectively in the countryside.



Geography and History ActivityThe Treaty of Paris in 1783 established the boundaries of the new United States. The newly independent nation shared land claims on the North American continent with several nations. Study the map below and answer the questions on the following slides.


Geography and History Activity

The Mississippi River formed the new western boundary.


Location What natural landmark formed the new western boundary of the United States?


Geography and History Activity

Spain claimed the most land in North America in 1783. Russia claimed the least land.


Region Which country claimed the most land in North America in 1783? The least land?


About 30,000 Hessians fought during the American Revolution. The Hessians were paid about 25 cents a day for their service. The American cause appealed to some Hessians, causing them to desert the British army. Many Hessians stayed in the United States after the war.

Many Patriots wore their own clothing, such as breeches, vests, hose and tricorner hats, rather than uniforms. They carried muskets and knives into battle.

Illness at Valley Forge Of the approximately 12,000 soldiers at Valley Forge, more than 2,000 died of various diseases that winter. Dysentery, pneumonia, typhus, and typhoid were the leading killers.

Medical Practices For every Patriot soldier killed by the British, about nine died from disease or poor medical practices. In some cases, doctors drained about three-fourths of a soldier’s blood. Draining “sick” blood to spur the production of “healthy” blood later proved fatal to the Patriots’ commander. In 1799 the ailing George Washington gave his permission to be bled three times and died shortly afterward.

George Washington George Washington actually lost more battles than he won. However, he met his goal of keeping the army in the field.




The Americans and the French could be expected to win because they have surrounded the British troops and cut them off from supplies.

Documents

Splash Screen Chapter Introduction Section 1The Early Years Section 2The War Continues Section 3The War Moves West and South Section 4The War Is Won