The American Revolution

Patriot Disadvantages Britain had 9 million people compared to 2.5 million in the United States They lacked a regular army and strong navy American soldiers lacked military experience Ammunition and weapons were in short supply Not everyone supported independence, ( Many were loyalists or neutral)

Loyalists About 1 in 5 were loyalists More loyalists were in the South than the North The war separated families and neighbors.

American Advantages Fighting at home The British had to hire Hessians, (mercenaries from Germany). American soldiers had more at stake. Great Leadership: George Washington

Recruiting an Army Washington wanted people to enlist for the whole war, but many wanted one year of service only. The Continental Congress was hesitant to push for an army, because they didn’t want to look like the British Parliament

Fighting in New York In the summer of 1776, Britain sent 32,000 troops across the sea. General William Howe hoped Americans would give up when they saw the Army They did not

A Low Point In the winter of , the size of the army dwindled. Soldiers completed their terms of service and went home Others deserted, or ran away.

Help Arrives Washington pleaded with the Continental Congress for more troops Southerners convinced the Congress not to allow African Americans in the war. They feared giving them guns and feared possible revolts.

African Americans in the War Some states ignored the ban and enlisted African Americans Rhode Island had an all African American regiment Every state except South Carolina eventually allowed African Americans to enlist Many felt fighting for freedom from Britain would help them as well after the war

Victories in New Jersey In previous history, many armies take the winter off and camp out The British did not expect to fight On Christmas Night, 1776, Washington crossed the Delaware and surprised the British at Trenton Americans captured 900 Hessians.

The British Plan The British plan for 1777 was to take Albany, NY and gain control of the Hudson River. This would separate New England from the middle states.

The British Plan General John Burgoyne would lead 8,000 troops south from Canada General Howe, would then move north from New York City up to Albany. But first he planned to take over Philadelphia

1 st prong “fails” The British were successful in taking Philadelphia, without much of a fight. The Continental Congress fled into the Pennsylvania countryside Washington surrounded the city, attacked the British camp near Germantown, but was forced to withdraw. Howe decided to spend the winter in Philly.

Benedict Arnold The colonists held out until Benedict Arnold came from Albany with troops and forced the British Back This prong of the three prong attacked had failed

Burgoyne gets Desperate In need of supplies, Burgoyne sent troops through the woods to Vermont to capture a military town. Colonists saw the bright red coats, and picked off British soldiers one by one in the woods. Desperately short of supplies, Burgoyne retreated to Saratoga.

Trapped!! Burgoyne had expected the reinforcements from the South and West, but they never came Troops under General Horatio Gates blocked the path to the south.

Surrender The British were now trapped, and outnumbered 3-1. After his last attack failed, Burgoyne surrendered. As a band played “Yankee Doodle,” 5,700 British soldiers handed their weapons to the Americans. The British plan to cut off New England had failed.

An old Enemy Becomes a Friend By late 1777, Ben Franklin had been in Paris, France for a year. France had secretly, been giving money to the allies American victory at Saratoga was the turning point. France now was committed to sending money, equipment, and troops. Spain and the Netherlands also aided Americans

Cold Winters Before France entered the war, Washington continued to surround Philadelphia and General Howe. While the British would have warm homes to sleep in, Washington and his army camped outside in the winter at Valley Forge, 20 miles from Philly

The cold winter Soldiers lacked shoes, shirts, and blankets Many men deserted The soldiers built huts and found shelter however necessary After the winter, the spirits of the soldiers rose when hearing news of France entering the war, and more soldiers would join the army.

Money problems The congress would not raise taxes, so they printed large amounts of money, which led to inflation Inflation is when it takes more and more money to buy the same amount of goods. It was a problem, but the only way to finance the war

Life at Home While men were at war, many women took jobs of men and worked the farms. Many women, like flag maker Betsy Ross, who made flags for a living, ran successful businesses. This new role in society made women start to question their role in society.

Glory at Sea The British used a Blockade, or in other words, stopping supplies from reaching the colonists. America built 13 warships, but they were no match for the British Navy American Privateers were more effective because they were privately owned merchant ships equipped with weapons

War in the South By 1778, the British realized how difficult a war this had become, and changed their strategy. They concentrated almost all their fighting now in the south, with most of their force together. The British hoped to take advantage of Loyalists in the south.

Guerrilla Warfare Soldiers would appear suddenly, strike, then run away. Then the next group of soldiers would attack. This frustrated Cornwallis to no end. Colonists would fight out of forests and swamps if need be.

British retreat The British retreated up to Virginia, carrying out raids. They nearly captured Thomas Jefferson and the Virginia Legislature. Jefferson fled on horseback just before the British arrived. Washington sent Lafayette south to fight Cornwallis, meanwhile Cornwallis set up camp at Yorktown, Virginia, awaiting orders from Clinton in the New York.

Yorktown The French fleet arrived just in time Now America had 17,000 combined troops against Cornwallis’s 8,000 British and Hessian troops at Yorktown Meanwhile, Admiral De Grasse’s fleet kept the British from escaping by sea The rest of the British Army was stationed in New York, unable to help Cornwallis

Cornwallis’s Defeat On October 11 th the Americans and French began a tremendous attack The battle was violent and bloody, and British supplies ran low and many soldiers were sick On October 19 th, Cornwallis surrendered, and the Patriots won The Battle of Yorktown.

End of the War The British still held New York, Charleston, and Savannah However, the King now felt the war would be to costly for Britain to pursue. King George III appointed ministers who were prepared to give Americans their independence

Treaty of Paris He two sides sent delegates to Paris to work out a treaty Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and John Jay represented the United States The American congress ratified, or Approved, the preliminary treaty in April Britain made peace with France, Spain, and the Netherlands as well

Terms of the Treaty The United States now claimed land from the Atlantic Ocean, west to the Mississippi River, and north of Spanish Florida. The British agreed to remove all troops in return for payment owed to them by colonists.

Washington’s Farewell British troops left New York City in November The war had ended Weeks later Washington resigned as commander of the army, and retired to his home at Mount Vernon, with a tearful goodbye from congress. He planned to live quietly for his remaining years.