1. “Convergence in Virginia”
1781
“Convergence in Virginia”

2. Redcoats in the South
Britain would begin to move north into North Carolina and Virginia
Hoping to gain greater support
Capture key cities

3. Battle of Cowpens Jan. 17, 1781 Cowpens, SC
Banastre Tarleton led 1,100 Redcoats
Daniel Morgan led 1,000 American troops
Morgan positioned his men against Broad River cutting off any retreat
Preventing his untrained militia from running from battle
Positioned the militia in two lines, each firing twice and then falling back and reforming behind the regulars

4. Battle of Cowpens Tarleton and the British attacked head on
He thought he had sent the Americans retreating and chased after them, only to find another line of battle hardened Continental regulars firmly holding the hill
While the British engaged the regulars, the reformed militia and cavalry units flanked the redcoats on either side
Most of the British were captured (850 casualties)
Tarleton and about approx. 200 redcoats escaped
70 American Casualties

5. Results of Cowpens Decisive American Victory
A turning point in the Southern campaign
Great morale boost for the Patriots
The great, bold Tarleton had been defeated
A successful, original strategy by Morgan
“Seldom has a battle, in which greater numbers were not engaged, been so important in its consequences as that of Cowpens." - John Marshall
Daniel Morgan

6. Battle of Guilford’s Courthouse
March 15, 1781
Greensboro, NC
1,900 redcoats – under Cornwallis
4,400 patriots –
under Greene
Cornwallis attacked Greene’s men stationed in three lines defending the courthouse

7. Battle of Guilford’s Courthouse
British routed the Americans after 90 minutes but suffered the loss of ¼ of their army (500 casualties)
A British victory but at too high a cost
Americans suffered 1,300 casualties (1000 missing)
A variation of the Stars and Stripes; a flag thought to have been flow during this battle

8. The Swamp Fox
Francis Marion led group of “irregulars” called Marion’s Brigade
Supplied their own supplies, food, horses
Served without pay
Used guerrilla warfare tactics
Surprise attacks and quick retreats
Traveled along swamp paths
Very successful in harassing British troops in South Carolina
Disrupted communications and supply lines
Never captured

9. British move into Virginia
Cornwallis decided to move north into Virginia to link back up with the Royal Navy
Set up defensive position in Yorktown, VA
British southern army of 7,500 Redcoats

10. French Support: Battle of the Chesapeake
Sept. 5, 1781
24 French ships under Rear Admiral Comte de Grasse battled 19 British vessels under Thomas Graves
After a full day of fighting, the French gained control of the Chesapeake Bay
Blocking any retreat by sea from Cornwallis in Yorktown
French Fleet

11. French Support: Comte de Rochambeau
French General who arrived in Connecticut with French Army of 5,000
Joined up with Washington across the Hudson River
His behavior has been celebrated
put himself totally under the command of George Washington
Major reason for American success at Yorktown

12. Siege of Yorktown
Washington decided to use nearly all of his Continental force to surround Cornwallis and lay siege to Yorktown
American General Marquis de Lafayette and his men
French General, the Comte de Rochambeau, joined Washington with a French army of over 5,000
Together they amassed nearly 20,000

13. Battle of Yorktown
On Sept. 28, French and American forces arrived in Yorktown
Through the early part of October, French and American forces attacked the city, taking British redoubts and closing in on Cornwallis
Alexander Hamilton leads Americans to victory on Redoubt #10

14. Yorktown
Yorktown
American Forces storming British redoubts outside of Yorktown

15. “Surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown” by John Trumbull
The end of the line
Cornwallis was running out of time
British were running low on food, supplies
River escape was thwarted by storm
Reinforcements from Clinton never arrived
Cornwallis offered surrender on Oct. 17
Papers were signed on Oct. 19
Surrendered his entire army of 7,000
“Surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown” by John Trumbull

16. It Is Over
The surrender of Cornwallis meant the British lost their biggest army in North America
Congress sent John Adams, Ben Franklin, John Jay, Henry Laurens to negotiate peace with Britain
Due to continued fighting in Europe between France, Spain, The Netherlands, and England, an official would not be signed for almost two years

17. Treaty of Paris (1783) Acknowledged American Independence
America agreed to reimburse Loyalist property seized during the war
Britain agreed to abandon all posts/forts on US soil
Set the new N. America boundaries
Canada to Britain
Florida, Louisiana and West of the Mississippi to Spain
Treaty of Paris

18. The United States of America
John Adams holding the Treaty of Paris and pointing at the United States