End of the Revolutionary War Objective: Learn how and why the Colonial Army was able to defeat the British Empire

British Officials Flee After the Declaration of Independence colonies began to build up armies and create their own governments British officials had no power to stop this from happening and feared for their safety Many began fleeing back to England, which left the British with even less control over the Colonies

Although the British Army was winning almost every battle early in the war, things were starting to change Generals like George Washington stopped engaging the British directly, instead using guerilla tactics France and Spain continued to support the Colonial Army The tide begins to turn

Guerilla Warfare Guerilla warfare involves “hit and run” tactics Guerilla warfare will often avoid direct engagements, making it difficult for the attacking army to make any progress Fighters in a guerilla army will usually have a strong understanding of their land Guerilla fighters will often live amongst the public

Stop and Think Does Guerilla Warfare still happen today?

French and Spanish Aid France and Spain were both enemies of England, and wanted to help the Colonies win the war France supplied weapons, supplies, and ships Thomas Jefferson was a key negotiator for support As the war went on the French became more and more involved

Privateers Since the Colonial Army did not have a strong Navy, they relied on Privateers Privateers were given a license from the government that encouraged them to attack enemy ships They in turn benefitted by keeping a share of the plunder This was also embarrassing for the British Navy, causing division within their command

Stop and Think How are Privateers different from Pirates?

Battle of Yorktown During September and October of 1781 George Washington and the French forces had cornered the British Army at Yorktown Lord Cornwallis was the British commanding officer British forces surrendered on 10/17/1781 Yorktown was the last major battle of the Revolutionary War

Treaty of Paris Signed 9/3/1783 United States became it’s own independent country, free from British rule Established a boundary between the United States and British holdings in North America Both England and the US were interested in maintaining trade

Consequences of the War 25,000 American casualties, 24,000 British casualties Both the United States and Britain suffered financially after the war The war had forced the United States to create an Army, Navy, banking systems, and early forms of government Articles of Confederation were introduced