The American Revolution

The Opposing Sides

• The British Army – Commanded by general William Howe

– Well trained

– Well equipped

– Professional Army

• Gentleman’s Sport

– Unique Sources of Soldiers

• Paid mercenaries- Hessians

• Encouraged enslaved Africans to fight for loyalist cause

– Would promise freedom if fought for British

The Opposing Sides

• The American Army (Continental) – Commanded by general George

Washington (starting in 1775)

– Inexperienced

– Poorly equipped

– Had trouble keeping soldiers

– Resorted to guerrilla warfare • Hid among trees, and behind walls

• Ambushed British troops

Phase II: 1776-1778

• British in best position to win – According to conventional warfare,

the side with the most people/equipment should win

• Americans were constantly on defensive! – Fighting to protect own land

– Not trying to take over other land

Fought in the Mid-Atlantic region

Phase II: 1776-1778

• British Sent forces to NY in HUGE numbers

• General Howe planned to “awe” colonists into submission – Brought all

British troops and warships into New York Harbor flying the Union Jack

British Man Of War- Look at size difference between ship and row-boats!

Phase II: 1776-1778

• Washington and his men flee Long Island – British move slowly,

allowing surviving American troops to escape to Manhattan Island

– NYC becomes British headquarters for remainder of the war

Run!

Where? Get

Thee Yonder!

Phase II: 1776-1778

“Washington Crossing the Delaware”- Emmanuel Leutze 1851

• December 25th, 1776

• Washington’s men cross the Delaware River

• Invaded Hessian camp in Trenton, New Jersey

• Hessian mercenaries had celebrated with a Christmas feast and fallen asleep

• Victory inspired losing American troops to serve longer

Phase II: 1776-1778 During the Winter of 1777-1778, Washington’s forces settled in at

Valley Forge, P.A.

• Winter was moderately cold. • Alternated between freezing and non-freezing temps

• Made it impossible to keep dry, allowed disease to spread

• Lack of supplies caused problems • Not enough food

• Clothing was old and not warm enough

• As many as 2,000 died due to lack of nutrition, exposure and disease

Phase II: 1776-1778

• Baron von Steuben – Prussian military officer (leaves service

under dubious circumstances)

– Taught the Continental Army the essentials of military drill

– Wrote the “Revolutionary War Drill Manual” which was then sent out to other soldiers (used through the War of 1812)

Military Training at Valley Forge

Phase II: 1776-1778

• In 1777, King George III approved plan to isolate New England from the other American states – Plan developed by British general

John Burgoyne

• Comes to a head at the battles of Saratoga in September and October of 1777

Phase II: 1776-1778

• Turning Point of War – American general

Horatio Gates surrounds British General Burgoyne

– Burgoyne forced to surrender 5,000 troops

– Improved morale – Proved to foreign

countries that colonists had a chance of winning the war

The Battles of Saratoga September 19th and October 7th, 1777

Phase II: 1776-1778

• England realized there was a real chance of losing the colonies

– Offer the colonies home rule

– Too little to late

– Obviously, the colonists refuse

Oh Snap..

Phase II: 1776-1778

Meanwhile… in France

• French were worried that the Americans

would accept the deal with British, and

reconcile

• Following the American Victory at the

Battle of Saratoga, France officially enters

the war on the American side

Phase II: 1776-1778 • Provide money and supplies to the

Americans Help from France • Wanted to see the British Empire

weakened

• “The enemy of my enemy is my friend”

• Recognize America following victory at Saratoga • Strategic timing

• Entice America to continue fighting

• Additional foreign aid from Netherlands and Spain

King Louis XVI of France

Phase II: 1776-1778

Why didn’t the British win during this time?

Some blame British

General Howe

• Never takes the “kill shot” • Could have attacked at

Valley Forge but didn’t

• Some believe Howe was an American sympathizer (family ties)

• Poor judgment (heavy drinking, mistress in Philadelphia)

• Not a powerful commander

Phase III: 1778-1781

• Phase III of the Revolutionary War was fought in the South

– War in North was

– at a stalemate

Phase III: 1778-1781

• British worked to undermine the revolution from within

– Rumored to be large groups of loyalists in the south

– British intended to encourage Americans to fight against Americans

Phase III: 1778-1781

• British Actions Backfired

Loyalists in the South were in the minority

Many Loyalists refused to help

out of fear

Promise to Release slaves backfired

(turned Southern Loyalists against!)

British had no way of telling

who was a Patriot vs. Loyalist

Phase III: 1778-1781

• September 28th -October 19th, 1781

British commander General George Cornwallis

Phase III: 1778-1781

• The British had been attempting to take North Carolina for some time

– Cornwallis’ troops had been very unsuccessful

– Cornwallis told to retreat to the Virginia coast and wait for British naval forces to come and pick them up

Phase III: 1778-1781

• Washington, Rochambeau, and Lafayette began marching towards Yorktown – Had convinced British

they were actually heading to NYC

– Meanwhile the French Fleet (under De Grasse) sail to the Virginia coast and blocked British help from arriving

Phase III: 1778-1781

• British Under Cornwallis

• 6,000 troops

Americans

8,800 troops

French

7,800 troops

-British are surrounded

- Cornwallis/British Army surrenders on October 19th, 1781

Phase III: 1778-1781

• Yorktown is the last major battle of war -Cornwallis’ defeat

created public outcry against continuing war in

England

- British Prime Minister, Lord North, forced to

resign

-Work began to create a treaty to end the war

“Surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown”- 1797

Phase III: 1778-1781

• Signed September 3rd, 1783

• Britain forced to recognize U.S. Independence

• Set U.S. Borders

American Reps Benjamin Franklin

John Adams John Jay

Phase III: 1778-1781

• U.S. originally asked for Canada, but didn’t happen

• Boundaries set – West to

Mississippi River – North to Canada – South to Florida

(didn’t include FL) – East to the

Atlantic

Effects of the War

• 1/5 to 1/3 or colonial white population were loyalists

On Loyalists

What were their options?

Effects of the War

• Loyalists were harassed by patriots

– 100,000 fled country after war

– Those who could afford it moved to England

– Many fled to Canada

• When they moved – Left everything

behind – Often had land

confiscated and given to patriots

– Some returned to America once the issues had died down

Effects of the War

• Hundreds of slaves in the South had been freed by the British during fighting

• Others were exposed to the idea of freedom – In some areas, African Americans

outnumbered whites

– Whites feared revolutionary sentiment would lead to slave revolts!

On African Americans

Effects of the War

• Learned to be more independent – Men were at war!

• Many in charge of family farm

On Women

• Many impoverished

– Looted and rioted for food

Effects of the War

• Not really such a thing!! – Women felt like

following the revolution there would be a change, but ultimately, there was little change

– Women were now seen as the first educators of their sons (Republican mothers) • Taught their children to

be good American citizens

WOMEN’S RIGHTS?