1. Lexington and Concord
Farmers and townspeople had begun gathering weapons and ammo
Train as “Minutemen”
Can only respond to British aggression

2. Lexington and Concord
British Commander in Boston is General Thomas Gage
He believed that his army was too small to do anything significant
He receives orders to arrest both Samuel Adams and John Hancock, and that they are in Lexington, MA
He is also told that there is a stash of weapons in Concord, MA

3. Lexington and Concord
Gage wants to avoid as much trouble and bloodshed as possible
Decides to send 1,000 troops out of Boston on the evening of April 18th, 1775
This is where the committees of correspondence come into play

4. Lexington and Concord The Midnight Riders
Paul Revere, William Dawes, and Samuel Prescott
“The Regulars are coming”

5. Lexington and Concord
When the British arrive at Lexington there are roughly 70 minutemen waiting for them
Quick fight, nothing that seems real significant
“Shot heard around the world”
First Battle of the American Revolution
British will then march to Concord, but they don’t find any weapons
Set fire to the town

6. Lexington and Concord
Minutemen have lined the roadways all the way back to Boston
They will use guerilla warfare tactics on the British
Chase British all the way back to Boston
Lexington was basically a trap to set up the events at Concord

7. Fort Ticonderoga Located on Lake Champlain in northeastern New York
a key point of access to both Canada and the Hudson River Valley
Benedict Arnold of Massachusetts joined Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys

8. Fort Ticonderoga Surprise Attack
The Colonists easily defeat the sleeping British garrison.
first American victory of the Revolutionary War
It would give the Continental Army much needed artillery

9. Bunker Hill Most of the fighting took place at Breed’s Hill
Hills oversees Boston
A hard fought battle
228 British killed, 828 wounded
Colonists much less
Colonists run out of ammo and are forced to retreat.
A morale victory for the colonists

10. Battle of New York
Early 1776, Parliament authorized an army of 55,000 troops sent to America
Includes 30,000 Hessians
August, 1776, 32,000 troops appear off the coast of New York City
Under the command of Admiral Richard Howe
Offers to pardon the rebels if they lay down their weapons and return to their farms
Washington refuses

11. New York City in Flames (1776)
Colonial Troops
20,000 ill-trained militia
Led by Washington
Easily defeated
Will be reduced to 5,000 troops

12. Battle of New York
GW’s forces have to retreat across the Hudson in to NJ
all the way across NJ
finally settling down in PA
The British will give chase before settling in Central NJ for the fall and winter months
British will hold NYC until the end of the war
American Morale, extremely low

13. Battle of Trenton GW badly needs a victory Surprise Attack
enlistments are almost up.
Surprise Attack
GW crosses the Delaware River
Christmas Night
through a fierce storm
Marched his troops (2,400) 9 miles through sleet and snow
to ambush a British controlled fort at Trenton

14. WASHINGTON CROSSING THE DELAWARE FOR TRENTON

15. Battle of Trenton Surprise Attack GW and his men stormed the fort
in the early morning hours
Killed 30, Captured 918 Hessian soldiers, took 4 cannons, weapons and food.
First major colonial victory of the American Revolution

16. Battle of Trenton
Referred to as the “ten crucial days”…Dec. 25th to Jan. 3rd
Raised the morale of the American troops as well as the country
Led to soldiers re-enlisting and future enlistments

17. Surrender at Trenton

18. Battle of Princeton
Washington wins another surprise attack at Princeton
8 days after Trenton
The victories at Trenton and Princeton are crucial to the Colonial war effort

19. Battle of Princeton GW can’t keep either fort
the brief victories will be monumentally important for the Americans
GW managed to keep his main army intact
the British were no closer to total victory than at the start of the year
After Princeton, GW will march his troops to Morristown for the rest of the winter

20. War Strategy The Americans The British
Guerilla tactics [fight an insurgent war  you don’t have to win a battle, just wear the British down]
1777, separate and control New England.
Break the colonies in half by getting between the North and South.

21. Saratoga (Fall 1777) “Gentleman” John Burgoyne- British General
Devises a complex strategy to isolate New England from the rest of the colonies
Calls for a multiple-front assault throughout northern and central NY
Burgoyne from Canada,
Barry St. Ledger from Western NY,
Howe from NYC
All three units would meet up in Albany
Plan looks fantastic on paper

22. Saratoga (Fall 1777)
General Horatio Gates surrounds the British with the help of Benedict Arnold
British defeat stopped them from cutting off completely New England from the rest of the country and ending the war.
British lacked knowledge of geography and failed at communications.
Oct. 1777, British General, John Burgoyne was surrounded by US General Horatio Gates and forced to surrender 6,000 British troops.
Led to a military alliance with France providing soldiers, naval fleet and $. (Franco-American alliance, 1778)

23. Saratoga (Fall 1777) Saratoga is the turning point
Greatly alters the course of the war
First time the Americans will defeat a major British regiment
They won without GW having to be there
The loss will drastically alter British war strategy

25. Surrender at Saratoga

26. Valley Forge (Winter 1777-1778)
The British will settle down comfortably for the winter in Philadelphia
The Americans will have to brave it in the extreme conditions of Valley Forge
20 miles to the west of the British.
Many American soldiers lack provisions
very tough to get resources in the given economic climate
Harsh conditions and climate
Americans will lose 20% of their soldiers as a result of exposure to the elements
Washington’s greatest challenge at Valley Forge was keeping the Continental Army together.
Many men deserted and some officers resigned.
Two important additions to the military: Marquis de Lafayette and Friedrich von Steuben

27. Britain’s Southern Strategy

28. Britain's Southern Strategy
Britain thought that there were more Loyalists in the South.
Southern resources were more valuable/worth preserving.
The British win a number of small victories, but cannot pacify the countryside
Good US General: Nathanial Greene

29. Map-yorktown
Battle of Yorktown
British General Charles Cornwallis wanted to winter his troops in the South believing the war would be won in the Spring…..
Yorktown was chosen because it provided easy access to be reinforced and re-supplied
General Washington learned of the British decision to winter their main troops in Yorktown.

30. 15,000 American and French troops surrounded 8,000 British troops……
Battle of Yorktown
Strategy included the use of the French navy, French troops and American troops.
French navy under the direction of Admiral de Grasse, placed a blockade around the Chesapeake Bay.
15,000 American and French troops surrounded 8,000 British troops……
General Cornwallis is trapped and is forced to his surrender his troops to Washington
Brings war to an end

32. Cornwallis’ Surrender at Yorktown
“The World Turned Upside Down!”
Painted by John Trumbull, 1797

33. Why did the British Lose?
Controlled cities but not countryside
Generals made key mistakes
Communication
Lack of respect
US had the will to fight
Alliances with France, Spain and the Netherlands

34. Treaty of Paris
The Patriot victory at Yorktown convinced the British that the war was too costly
March 1781, King George appoints three new ministers who are prepared to give the colonies their independence.
Ben Franklin, John Adams and John Jay represent the Colonies in peace talks
Talks begin in April 1782, six months later English accept a preliminary agreement
Treaty is ratified by Congress a year later.

35. Treaty of Paris America is granted independence America's borders
Great Lakes in the North
Florida in the South
the Mississippi River on the West
Loyalists would not be persecuted and repaid.

36. United States after the Revolutionary War
Treaty of Paris, 1783
Great Britain recognized the independence of the United States
US acquired land from the Great Lakes to Florida and Atlantic coast to the Mississippi River.
British were to remove troops and forts from US Land.
US was to pay Loyalists for property.
USA
United States after the Revolutionary War
British Forts