AMERICAN REVOLUTION
SECOND CONTINENTAL CONGRESS • MAY 10, 1775
• HOPING TO AVOID WAR WITH BRITAIN,
DELEGATES SENT THE “OLIVE BRANCH
PETITION” DECLARING THEIR LOYALTY TO
THE KING OF ENGLAND AND ASKING HIM TO
REPEAL THE INTOLERABLE ACTS.
• IN RESPONSE, THE KING SENT 20,000 MORE
BRITISH TROOPS TO CRUSH THE REVOLT.
• GEORGE WASHINGTON WAS NAMED THE
COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE
CONTINENTAL ARMY.
THE OPPOSING SIDES• PATRIOTS: COLONISTS WHO FAVORED
WAR AGAINST BRITAIN.
• ADVANTAGES: OWNED THEIR OWN
RIFFLES AND WERE GOOD SHOTS.
• DISADVANTAGES: FORCES WERE
POORLY TRAINED, UNORGANIZED,
HAD FEW CANNONS, LITTLE
GUNPOWDER, AND NO NAVY.
• LOYALISTS- COLONISTS WHO REMAINED
LOYAL TO BRITAIN.
• BRITISH: VERY POWERFUL
• ADVANTAGES: HAD HIGHLY
TRAINED, EXPERIENCED
TROOPS AND THE BEST NAVY
IN THE WORLD.
• DISADVANTAGES: ARMIES
WERE 3,000 MILES FROM
HOME (NEWS AND SUPPLIES
TOOK MONTHS TO TRAVEL)
BATTLE OF BUNKER HILL• FIRST MAJOR BATTLE OF THE REVOLUTION.
• FOUGHT OUTSIDE BOSTON, MA.
• THE BRITISH WON, BUT THE BATTLE PROVED
THE PATRIOTS COULD FIGHT BRAVELY.
• SEVERAL WEEKS LATER, WASHINGTON
PLACED CANNONS ON BUNKER HILL AND
POINTED THEM TOWARDS BOSTON.
• THE BRITISH RETREATED TO CANADA
AND THE PATRIOTS TOOK CONTROL OF
BOSTON.
• KING GEORGE ORDERED A BLOCKADE
OF ALL COLONIAL PORTS.
“COMMON SENSE”
• THOMAS PAINE WROTE A FAMOUS
PAMPHLET CALLED COMMON SENSE
THAT ARGUED THAT THE COLONIES
SHOULD SEPARATE FROM ENGLAND.
• THE CONTINENTAL CONGRESS MET
AGAIN IN 1776 AND DECIDED TO
SEPARATE FROM ENGLAND.
DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE• WRITTEN BY THOMAS JEFFERSON
• CONSISTS OF THE PREAMBLE
(INTRODUCTION) AND THREE MAIN
SECTIONS
• SECTION 1: STRESSES THE IDEA OF
UNALIENABLE OR “NATURAL RIGHTS”
THAT BELONG TO PEOPLE FROM BIRTH;
INCLUDES THE RIGHT TO LIFE, LIBERTY
AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS.
• SECTION 2: LIST OF GRIEVANCES
AGAINST THE ENGLISH KING AND
PARLIAMENT
• SECTION 3: DECLARES INDEPENDENCE
– THE 13 COLONIES ARE NOW THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
KEY BATTLES•1775 - LEXINGTON & CONCORD: 1ST CLASH OF THE WAR
•1775 - BATTLE OF BUNKER HILL: 1ST MAJOR BATTLE OF THE WAR
•1776 - THE BATTLE OF LONG ISLAND, NY: BRITISH TOOK CONTROL OF NY CITY AND FORCED WASHINGTON TO RETREAT TO NEW JERSEY.
1776 - The Battle of Trenton and Princeton, NJ: •WASHINGTON ESCAPED ACROSS THE DELAWARE RIVER SURPRISING THE BRITISH WITH TWO SUCCESSFUL ATTACKS.
•THESE UNEXPECTED VICTORIES ARE SOMETIMES CALLED THE “TWIN MIRACLES.”
Victory at the Battle of Saratoga (1777)•THE TURNING POINT IN THE WAR.
•THE FRENCH WERE IMPRESSED BY THE AMERICAN VICTORY AND DECIDED TO JOIN THE PATRIOTS IN BATTLING THE BRITISH.
•LATER, OTHER NATIONS SUCH AS THE NETHERLANDS AND SPAIN WOULD JOIN IN THE WAR AGAINST BRITAIN.
THE WINTER AT VALLEY FORGE (1777-1778)
•LOW POINT IN THE WAR FOR WASHINGTON AND HIS TROOPS.
•3,000 MEN DIED OF STARVATION AND DISEASE
1781- BATTLE OF YORKTOWN, VA•LORD CORNWALLIS WAS SURROUNDED IN VA BY WASHINGTON AND THE FRENCH NAVY.
•ENGLAND WAS FORCED TO SURRENDER TO GEORGE WASHINGTON ENDING THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR.
RESULTS OF THE REVOLUTION•THE BIRTH OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
•THE TREATY OF PARIS, 1783, WAS SIGNED
•GRANTING ALL ENGLISH LANDS EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER TO THE USA.
•ENGLAND LOST ALL COLONIES IN NORTH AMERICA.
•CANADA WAS RETURNED TO FRANCE.
•NOW, THE YOUNG NATION WOULD HAVE TO PROVE IT COULD SURVIVE.