The American Revolution

Whigs and ToriesPatriots and Loyalists

Lexington and Concord,April 1775

British Gen. Thomas Gage sent 800 troops under Col. John Pitcairn to destroy ammunition and supplies being stockpiled by a militia group called the minutemen.

Paul Revere and William Dawes warned the minutemen that the British were coming.

Lexington – “the shot heard around the world” – 8 Americans killed, no British casualties.

Concord – the British destroy the ammunition they find.

On the 18-mile march back to Boston, the British are attacked by constant fire from behind trees. They have 73 killed and over 200 wounded.

Lexington and Concord

Fort Ticonderoga, May 10, 1775

Col. Ethan Allen’s Green Mountain Boys and Col. Benedict Arnold take Fort Ticonderoga, the strongest fort in America without firing a shot.

The men defending the garrison of Ticonderoga were surprised in their beds. Ethan Allen called out to Lieutenant Joceyln Feltham, "Come out of there you dammed old rat!" When Feltham asked on whose authority, Allen stated," in the name of Great Jehovah and the Continental Congress."

The Second Continental Congress, May 10, 1775

Congress chooses George Washington as commander of the Continental Army.

The Olive Branch Petition – a last attempt to make peace with the king by stating loyalty to the king and asking the king to protect the colonists’ rights.

The Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence

The Mecklenburg Resolves (The Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence), May 20, 1775

Upon hearing of Lexington and Concord, Mecklenburg County, NC declares independence from Great Britain

“First in Freedom”

Bunker Hill Bunker Hill (Breed’s Hill), June 6, 1775 British General William Howe vs.

American Colonel William Prescott Prescott said, “Don’t fire until you see

the white of their eyes” because the Americans only had so much ammo and muskets are not very accurate.

The British were driven back twice but the Americans had to retreat on the third charge because they ran out of ammo.

Battle of Quebec

November 1775 Americans under Gen. Richard

Montgomery and Col. Benedict Arnold invade Canada. After initial success, they lose the Battle of Quebec.

Montgomery was killed and Arnold wounded in the left leg.

Common Sense

Common Sense by Thomas Paine, January 1776, called for independence. It sold 120,000 copies.

Dorchester Heights March 1776 Col. Henry Knox used ox sleds to

get the artillery from Ft. Ticonderoga to Washington’s army.

Washington placed the guns on Dorchester Heights overlooking Boston.

The British left Boston under truce; Washington took the city without firing a shot.

The Halifax Resolves, April 1776

North Carolina is the first colony to instruct its delegates to the 2nd Continental Congress to vote for Independence.

The Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776

Written by Thomas Jefferson The Declaration of Independence

has four sections The preamble A list of rights the colonist should

have A list of complaints against the

British Declaring the United States as a

new, independent nation

The Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776

Hessians King George

III hires Hessians, soldiers from the German country of Hesse, to help fight the rebelling colonist.

The Summer of 1776 – New York British General William Howe (32,000)

vs. American General George Washington (20,000)

In a series of battles, the British defeat the Americans and take New York.

Washington retreats across New Jersey, over the Delaware River into Pennsylvania to avoid complete defeat.

Nathan Hale, “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.”

Thomas Payne wrote The Crisis “These are times that try men’s souls. The

summer soldier and sunshine patriot will in this crisis shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands now deserves the love and thanks of men and women.”

Washington and Howe

Trenton, New Jersey December 25-26, 1776 The spirits of the American soldiers is

very low and ½ of Washington’s army’s enlistment ends on Dec. 31st. Most have said the cause is lost and are not going to re-enlist.

Washington crosses the Delaware River at night on Christmas and attacks the Hessians guarding supplies at Trenton. Washington captures 900 prisoners, and the much needed ammunition and supplies, with only 4 casualties, the most one-sided victory of the war.

Washington Crossing the Delaware

British Plan –Divide and Conquer An army would go north up the

Hudson River (Gen. William Howe) from New York City.

An army would attack south from Canada (Gen. John Burgoyne) around Lake Champlain.

An army would attack west from the Canada (Gen. Barry St. Ledger) around Lake Ontario.

The three combined armies would then sweep over the New England states where the rebellion began.

British Plan

British General John Burgoyne

Oriskany, NY

August 1777 British Gen. Barry St. Ledger vs.

American Gen. Benedict Arnold Americans take heavy casualties

in hand to hand fighting with Indian allies to the British, but are able to defeat St. Ledger, who retreats back to Canada.

General Benedict Arnold

Brandywine and Germantown

October 1777 British Gen. William Howe vs.

American Gen. George Washington After the defeat of St. Ledger, Howe

attacks Washington. The British win the two battles and occupy Philadelphia, the capital and largest city in the United States.

Howe thinks the US will surrender when he takes the capital, but more people join the Continental Army.

Saratoga October 1777 – Saratoga, NY British Gen. John Burgoyne vs. American

Gen. Horatio Gates and Gen. Benedict Arnold.

The Americans had an advantage in numbers for one of the few times in the war, but the British almost won.

Arnold counter-attacked against Gates’ orders winning the victory in the battle, but being wounded in the leg again.

Saratoga is the most important battle of the Revolution. After the victory, Benjamin Franklin was able to negotiate an alliance with France.

British General John Burgoyne surrendering to U.S. General Horatio Gates

Valley Forge Winter 1777-1778 –

Valley Forge, Pa 1/3 died of hunger

and cold, while many others deserted.

Volunteers, including Washington’s wife Martha, came to Valley Forge with food, clothing, and to care for the sick.

Valley Forge Marquis de Lafayette, a French

nobleman, had sailed to America and joined the army at the beginning of the war, spent much of his own money to buy supplies for the army.

Baron Friedrich von Steuben, a former officer in the Prussian Army drilled Washington’s troops at Valley Forge making the American regular army as good as the British.

Money Problems

To pay for the war, the Continental Congress began printing money. As Congress printed more money it became worth less and less. “Not worth a Continental.”

Winning the War West of the Appalachian Mountains July 1778 – Kaskaskia and Vincennes British General Henry Hamilton vs.

American Gen. George Rogers Clark Clark takes British forts west of the

Appalachians, securing the region for the United States and ending British backed Indian raids from the west.

Bonhomme Richard vs. Serapis September 1779 The French sold the US a ship named

Bonhomme Richard, “Poor Richard”. In a battle with the British ship Serapis, Bonhomme Richard was so badly damaged the British asked for it to surrender. Captain John Paul Jones replied, “I have not yet begun to fight.”

When the British tried to board the ship, the Americans won the fight. The Serapis was taken by the Americans and the Bonhomme Richard sank.

The Treason of Benedict Arnold 1780 Arnold was mad at America because

others had been promoted over him, he had been court-martialed for miss-use of money, and hated the French who had become allies with America.

Arnold became commander of Philadelphia in 1778.

Arnold, 38, married a rich lady, Peggy Shippen, 18, who had been a close friend to British Major John Andre. She was used to a lifestyle Arnold could not afford. They soon ran out of money, and Arnold started using government supplies for his personal needs.

Benedict Arnold (continued)

Arnold began to commit treason for Sir Henry Clinton.

As commander of West Point, he was going to surrender the fort for 10,000 pounds and a commission in the British Army.

The Americans captured Major Andre, and the plans to surrender West Point were found hidden in his shoe.

Arnold switched sides to the British becoming a General. He began fighting against the Americans.

Kings Mountain and Cowpens October 1780 – Kings Mountain, SC British Col. Patrick Ferguson vs. American

Cols. William Campbell, Isaac Shelby, and John Sevier

American forces killed or captured Ferguson’s entire 1000-man army.

The turning point of the war in the south. January 1781 – Cowpens, SC British Gen. Banastre “Bloody” Tarleton

vs. American Gen. Daniel Morgan Morgan used militia and an organized

retreat to surround and defeat the British

Ferguson Rifle

Guerrilla Warfare

Hit and run tactics. Francis Marion – “The Swamp

Fox”

Guilford Courthouse March 1781 – Guilford Courthouse,

NC British Gen. Lord Charles Cornwallis

vs. American Gen. Nathaniel Greene Greene uses similar tactics as at

Cowpens, almost winning the battle. Cornwallis had the British artillery fired into both the Americans and his own troops and is able to win the battle, but is forced to retreat to Wilmington for supplies.

Yorktown

August - October 1781 – Yorktown, Va. While Cornwallis is trying to chase

down Lafayette in Virginia, he has to go to Yorktown to try to get supplies.

Washington leaves NYC, and has the French fleet sail to the Chesapeake Bay to cut off the British Fleet bringing supplies to Cornwallis.

Taking Redoubt # 10

Yorktown (continued)

August 16 – The French fleet defeats the British.

October 11 – American forces reach 17,000 to Cornwallis’ 6,000. Washington begins the bombardment of Yorktown.

October 19 – Cornwallis surrenders. This is the last major conflict of the war in America.

The Treaty of Paris

September 3, 1783 After months of negotiations,

Benjamin Franklin, John Jay, and John Adams negotiate the Treaty of Paris with the British.

The Treaty of Paris (continued)

Great Britain recognized the US as an independent nation.

The territory of the United States would be from The Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Mississippi River in the west, From Canada in the north to Spanish Florida in the south.

The British would withdraw all troops from US territory (a promise they did not keep until after the War of 1812).

Americans would have the right to fish off the coast of Canada.

American merchants would pay all debts owed to British merchants.

Congress would return all property taken from loyalists (a promise the US never kept).

Conclusion The American Revolution, the “shot

heard around the world” was the first of the political revolutions based on the ideas of the Enlightenment like natural rights and a right to have a voice in one’s own government. Other revolutions, like the French Revolution, would follow. People were fighting for the same rights the Americans fought for.