The American Revolution

Nicole Cimaglia 7K

Introduction to the American Revolution

Years?1775-1783 WHO?

-America Britain-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhdmDDBjco0

Resolutio

nAmerican

s won their

freedom and

became an

independent

country!

Causes• The Colonists felt they were being taxed

too heavily and unfairly because they were not represented in the British parliament.

• 1764, Currency Act, Parliament argued that colonial currency had caused a devaluation harmful to British trade. They banned American assemblies from issuing paper bills or bills of credit.

• Quartering Act, Britain ordered that colonists were to house and feed British soldiers if necessary

Shot heard round’ the world, start of the Revolution!

Significant person from the Americans!Paul Revere

• Revere became a messenger for the colonists in their fight against the British. On the night of April 18, 1775, Revere and William Dawes waited for a signal from the steeple of the Old North Church in Boston; one lantern meant that the British were coming by land, two lanterns meant that the British were coming by sea. Two lanterns were shining; this meant that the British were coming by sea. This was the beginning of the American Revolution.

• Their plan was to ride borrowed horses from Boston to Lexington, and on to Concord, Massachusetts, to warn the people that the British were coming. Revere was captured by the British near Lexington, and Samuel Prescott (who had joined them on the ride) made it to Concord, warning Samuel Adams and John Hancock to protect the military equipment stored at Concord. Revere became famous for the ride because the poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow later wrote a poem called "The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere."

• Revere commanded a garrison during the Revolutionary War, but did not have a major part in the war. He later returned to silversmithing, at which he prospered.

Significant person from the British!Charles Cornwallis

• Lord Charles Cornwallis was a British general who fought against the Americans in many different battles during the Revolutionary War. The most important one was the Battle of Yorktown where the British surrendered. Cornwallis was a successful general, but he was unable to defeat the American and French forces, leading to the biggest loss of his career.

• In 1776, Cornwallis arrived in America two years after the Revolution started. Cornwallis came to America with the rank of major general, but by 1780, he was responsible for the entire British campaign in the South. At first Cornwallis was successful against the American forces. That all began to change in January, 1781, when he was defeated by Nathanael Greene’s army in South Carolina.

• In August 1781 Cornwallis was in Yorktown waiting for more troops to arrive. By the time the new British troops arrived, the French were ready to attack. The American and French troops had cornered the British forces. Cornwallis's forces had to surrender. The British surrender at Yorktown led to the end of the Revolutionary War.

Significant Battle-Battle of Yorktown

• The Battle of Yorktown was one of the most important battles of American Revolution. The Battle of Yorktown was the last battle in the American Revolution.

• During the spring of 1781 Cornwallis retreated to Virginia. The Continental Army followed and surrounded them.  There only hope was to flee for the ocean, but the French came and blocked off the port forcing Cornwallis to retreat.

Life on the home front. • During the war years, those Americans not involved in

warfare were doing their best just trying to survive. The lives of people on battlegrounds during the American Revolution were not easy lives

• Farmers continued to grow food, artisans continued to practice their trades, and merchants attempted to maintain their businesses. Despite efforts to maintain business as usual, the entire social landscape was changed.

• People living in towns had their homes ruined by soldiers.

• Family members were crushed from hearing loved ones had died.

• They would always be on the lookout from getting necessities to tending to animals.

• Many people had lost their lives living on the battlefield.

Final Resolution!

Both the Colonies and the British decide to end the war, to do so, The Treaty of Paris is signed by both sides which had permanently ended the American Revolution.

Major effects of the American Revolution!

• United States created a stronger government.

• United States became a closer and more trustful nation.

• United States went deep into debt from war materials.

Resources• http://

questgarden.com/47/76/3/070311160651/images/bunkerhill-small.jpg

• http://americanhistory.about.com/od/revolutionarywar/a/amer_revolution.htm

http://americanrevwar.homestead.com/files/corn.htmhttp://library.thinkquest.org/TQ0312848/lccornwallis.htmhttp://www.enchantedlearning.com/history/us/colonial/revere/ http://www.kidport.com/reflib/usahistory/americanrevolution/LexingtonBattle.htmhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Revolution http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/revolution-images/images/treaty-of-paris-01.jpghttp://library.thinkquest.org/11683/media/Yorktown.gifhttp://www.core.org.cn/NR/rdonlyres/Architecture/4-001JSpring-2007/95A87A0F-9EC7-4494-A633-D6E5B59718E5/0/chp_housing.jpg