1. The Revolution Ends

2. Battle of Trenton—1776 Surprise attack the day after Christmas
The third significant battle called the Battle of Trenton was a surprise attack by General Washington. Washington and his men crossed the Delaware on Christmas night They caught trained German soldiers, known as Hessians, napping early the next morning. Washington’s brilliant strategy led to a great American victory.
Surprise attack the day after Christmas
Washington crossed the Delaware
Approximately 1000 German soldiers fighting for the British captured

3. Trenton & Princeton American casualties were four
German leader, Colonel Rall mortally wounded
Washington cleared British from central New Jersey
The attack on Trenton gave the American Army their first great victory of the war with only four casualties. The Hessians had spent too much time celebrating the holidays and were caught off guard. Colonel Rall, the German leader, was mortally wounded during the surprise attack. Washington cleared the British from central New Jersey.

4. Declaration of Independence
Written statement adopted by the 2nd Continental Congress on July 4th 1776 which announced that the 13 American Colonies were no longer a part of the British Empire but were their own separate nation.
Following the Battle of Bunker Hill King George III issued a Proclamation of Rebellion, announcing his personal belief that all of England’s American colonies were in open rebellion and that he would consider allowing foreign countries to help him stop the rebellion. This statement by the King led many colonists who before opposed independence to change their minds.
The Declaration had two basic messages: 1. That the colonies had a right to leave the British Empire and 2. That their leaving the Empire was justified by the wrongful actions of King George III and British Parliament

5. Patriots
The name that the colonists who fought in and/or supported the American Revolution gave themselves.
The term itself dates back to the early 1600’s and was used by British colonists who demanded colonial rights and resisted the control of the colonies by the King and Parliament.

6. Loyalists/Tories
The terms used during the American Revolution to describe colonists who remained loyal to the King of England.
At the beginning of the American Revolution in 1775 it is estimated that 40% of all people living in the colonies were loyal to the King.

7. On the Eve of the Revolution ?
Britain
Americans
Advantages ?
Disadvantages

8. Battle of Saratoga September 19th and October 7th, 1777
Decisive American victory in October 1777 which led to the surrender of an entire British-Canadian army of 9,000 soldiers and led France to make an alliance with the Americans to fight the British.
In June of 1777 an army of over 7,500 British, Canadian, Hessian, and Native American soldiers under the command of General John Burgoyne left Quebec, heading south into northern New York.
Burgoyne’s army succeeded in re-taking Fort Ticonderoga from American forces on July 6th; however, they did not capture the small American army, allowing them to escape south and advise General Washington of the British invasion.
In response to news of the British invasion General Washington made the risky decision to send 1,000 Continental soldiers north to stop the invasion under the command of Benedict Arnold.
As a result of unfamiliarity with the land the General Burgoyne’s army moved very slowly through the New York wilderness, giving Generals Benedict Arnold and Horatio Gates time to recruit local colonists, increasing the total number of American soldiers to over 7,0000.
In an unfamiliar territory, without hope of being saved by allies, outnumbered by the Americans , and after two failed attempts to break through the American lines, General Burgoyne surrendered his entire army on October 17th, 1777.
Washington’s decision to send a portion of his army to fight against Burgoyne weakened his own main army, making him unable to stop the British invasion and capture of Philadelphia on September 26th, 1777; however, the American victory at Saratoga brought the French into the war on the side of the colonies, eventually leading to American victory.

9. A modern-day re-enactment
Saratoga: “Turning Point” of the War?
A modern-day re-enactment

10. Benedict Arnold ( )
Aside from George Washington, Benedict Arnold was the most famous and popular military leader in the colonies from 1776 to In 1780 he became a traitor, joining the British army. To this day the name of Benedict Arnold is synonymous with becoming a traitor.
In July of 1780 British Major John Andre’ was captured by American forces. In his boot they found a letter from Arnold in which Arnold promised to give control of West Point to the British in exchange for a commanding position in the British Army.

11. Valley Forge
Located in Pennsylvania 22 miles northwest of Philadelphia, Valley Forge was the site of the camp of the American Continental Army on the winter of This was a time of great suffering, but also of retraining.
Though the Americans had achieved an important victory at Saratoga and made an official alliance with the French in January of 1778, the end of 1777 saw the British army living comfortably in the Continental Capital of Philadelphia, while due to a lack of money the Continental Army of 12,000 soldiers made their camp in a frozen wilderness, having inadequate food, clothing and shelter.
During this time in a letter to the Continental Congress General Washington wrote, “"that unless some great and capital change suddenly takes place ... this Army must inevitably ... Starve, dissolve, or disperse, in order to obtain subsistence in the best manner they can."
The experience of the Continental Soldiers who stayed with Washington at Valley Forge would unite them in their resolve to continue the fight. During this same time the troops received military training from several skilled European soldiers, the most important being Baron Friedrich von Steuben.

12. Valley Forge – 1777-1778 American Army out of food and clothing
Valley Forge briefly a refuge
Supplies ran out and many died
Washington appeals to Congress for help
Low point for American Army
Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, saw the Americans in a battle not against the British but rather against nature. The winter of was a time for Americans to regroup, re-supply, and train. The American Army had run out of food and clothing, and Washington had to appeal to Congress for help because supplies were quickly used up at Valley Forge. Also, the bitter cold added to the deaths of many exhausted, wounded, maimed, malnourished, and dispirited soldiers. The American Army reached a low point during this time.

13. Valley Forge –
Marquis de Lafayette joined Washington as an aide
Friedrich von Steuben drilled the troops teaching them military discipline

14. Phase III: The Southern Strategy [1780-1781]

15. 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 [similar to U. S. failures in Vietnam!]
Good US General: Nathanial Greene

16. Battle of Yorktown—1781 French blockade aided this final battle
Escape for the British was impossible
British General Cornwallis faced American forces approximately twice his size
John Paul Jones
The end was in sight with the Battle of Yorktown. The Americans were aided by a French blockade making British escape impossible. British General Cornwallis faced American forces approximately twice his size and no where to go.

17. Yorktown

18. Yorktown Approximately 8,700 British troops surrendered
Pinned in by American and French Naval fleets
General Benjamin Lincoln accepted the surrender sword
British bands played “The World has Turned Upside Down”
The last campaign of the Revolution took place in the south at Yorktown, Virginia, in About 8,700 British troops surrendered when the Americans and the French naval fleet pinned in the British in a series of brilliant strategic maneuvers. General Benjamin Lincoln accepted the surrender sword from a Cornwallis aide. The British bands played “The World Turned Upside Down.”

19. The Treaty of Paris
1783: The Treaty of Paris officially ends the Revolutionary War
The Treaty of Paris in 1783 officially ended the American Revolution.

20. The Treaty of Paris—1783 Officially ended the American Revolution
Set many geographic borders, including U.S. and Canada
Florida was returned to Spain
British merchants must be paid for lost items
Loyalists must be paid for lost property
The official end to the war came two years after Yorktown at the Treaty of Paris. The British commander, Cornwallis, was so humiliated by the defeat that he refused to meet with Washington for the formal surrender and sent an aide instead. The treaty set many geographic borders including that of the United States and Canada. Canada went to the British, but later the French won part of the country. Florida was returned to Spain.

21. North America After the Treaty of Paris, 1783

22. The Aftermath: Penalties inflicted on Loyalists
Some Loyalists were “tarred and feathered” and put on ships bound for Canada or Great Britain
Penalties awaited those who had been loyal to the king or who did not support the Revolutionaries’ cause. For example, some Loyalists were “tarred and feathered.” Ships waited in numerous harbors to transport Loyalists back to Great Britain or to Canada. Many descendants of former Loyalists reside in Canada today.

23. Concluding Thoughts Eight years Timeless impact
Subject of countless plays and films
Maker of heroes
Birth of a nation
America was officially here to stay. The American Revolution was an eight-year struggle, but the outcome of the struggle would forever change the world. Its events are the subject of countless plays and films. On the battlefields, and in the meeting houses, lives were lost and heroes were made. More importantly, the Revolution led to the birth of a nation unlike any the world had seen before it.