The Revolutionary War

The Divided Colonies 1/3 Patriots- Support Independence* 1/3 Loyalists or Tories- Loyal to GB* (Middle and Southern Colonies) 1/3 Undecided- Lacked Commitment* A Civil War

Great Britain’s Strengths Professional Army* British Naval Tradition* Loyalist Support/ African American Native American Support Hessians- Mercenaries*

Great Britain’s Weaknesses Unpopular War in Great Britain* Long Supply Lines* Fight in Hostile Country* Wrong Tactics*

Colonial Strengths Fought on their Own Ground* French and Indian War Tactics* George Washington*

Colonial Weaknesses Never Enough Supplies* No Navy* Desertion/ Constant Turn Over of Troops

The Major Events of the War Lexington and Concord The Battle of Bunker Hill Princeton/Trenton The Battle of Saratoga The Winter at Valley Forge The Battle of Yorktown

Lexington and Concord April 1775 Stockpiles of Ammunition at Concord (20 Miles from Boston) American Victory* Beginning of the Revolution* “The Shot Heard Around the World”*

The Battle of Bunker Hill June 1775 Actually Breeds Hill British Looking for an Easy Victory/ Show of Force Patriots Fight Tenaciously* Victory for the British* 1,100 Redcoats Killed or Wounded

The Crossing of the Delaware Christmas 1776

Trenton and Princeton Winter 1776 Americans Defeated in Battle of NY Many American Soldier Desert Washington Attacks in Winter Crosses Delaware River* Caught by Surprise in Trenton* 1,400 Hessians Captured* Morale Boost*

The Battle of Saratoga September 1777 The Turning Point of the War* Gen. Burgoyne (GB) Tries to Cut Off NE Gen. Gates (A) Surrounds Burgoyne at Saratoga Decisive American Victory* Help from Abroad France Enters the War for the Colonies* French Money, Troops, and Navy Marquis de Lafayette – Assisted Washington * Baron von Steuben - helps train troops*

The Winter at Valley Forge Disease/Starvation/Desertion* Continental Congress Could Not Tax Supplies Could Only Be Requested From the States British Warm and Supplied in Philly Showed Washington was great leader*

The Battle of Yorktown October 1781 Cornwallis Moves to Yorktown to be reinforced with Troops and Supplies Trap is Set French Navy Cuts Off the Chesapeake Lafayette is Reinforced by Washington “The World Turned Up-Side Down”* Last Major Engagement of the War*

The War is Over The Treaty of Paris (1783) Great Britain Recognizes United States* Boarder Between Canada and US Estab. Mississippi River Boarder Between Spanish Territory and New Nation The United States of America Florida Returns to Spain* Great Britain Removes Troops* Rights and Property of Loyalist Restored