The Revolutionary WarThe Revolutionary War

Continental Continental ArmyArmy

• General George General George WashingtonWashington

• Goal: protect by retreat Goal: protect by retreat and counterattack when and counterattack when they had the advantagethey had the advantage

• StrengthsStrengths- manpower?- manpower?- fighting on own soil- fighting on own soil- guerilla warfare- guerilla warfare- resourceful leaders- resourceful leaders- fighting for home - fighting for home

and and family family

Continental Continental ArmyArmy

• ChallengesChallenges- raising and organizing - raising and organizing armyarmy- supplies and - supplies and equipmentequipment- $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$- $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$- needed foreign - needed foreign supportsupport- dealing with state - dealing with state govt.govt.- real center of authority- real center of authority

BritishBritish Army Army

• The RegularsThe Regulars• Led by Gen. William Led by Gen. William

Howe Howe • Strategy: confront and Strategy: confront and

defeat Continental defeat Continental Army and isolate Army and isolate radical Patriots of New radical Patriots of New EnglandEngland

• AdvantagesAdvantages- superior military- superior military- financial- financial- most powerful - most powerful

navynavy

George WashingtonGeorge Washington• Held army and Held army and

country togethercountry together• Lacked military geniusLacked military genius• Gained respect of Gained respect of

most of patriotsmost of patriots• Faced mutiny from Faced mutiny from

troopstroops• Faced removal from Faced removal from

CongressCongress

Battle of Bunker HillBattle of Bunker Hill

Bunker HillBunker Hill• Breed’s Hill June 17,1775Breed’s Hill June 17,1775• Place: Charlestown Peninsula on north Place: Charlestown Peninsula on north

side of Boston Harborside of Boston Harbor• Combatants: British troops of the Boston Combatants: British troops of the Boston

garrison against troops of the Continental garrison against troops of the Continental ArmyArmy

• Generals: Major General Howe against Generals: Major General Howe against General Artemas Ward and General Israel General Artemas Ward and General Israel PutnamPutnam

• Size of the armies: 2,400 British troops Size of the armies: 2,400 British troops against 1,500 Americans.against 1,500 Americans.

Bunker Bunker HillHill

Don’t shoot until you see the whites of their

eyes!

The death of the American General Warren at the The death of the American General Warren at the climax of the Battle of Bunker Hill by John Trumbullclimax of the Battle of Bunker Hill by John Trumbull

Battle ResultsBattle Results• Americans retreatedAmericans retreated

- 450 killed or - 450 killed or woundedwounded

• British victory?British victory?- 1,150 killed or - 1,150 killed or

wounded (1/2) wounded (1/2) • First major battle of the First major battle of the

Revolutionary WarRevolutionary War

First Phase First Phase • Patriots surrounded Boston- British left

in March 1776• British didn’t gain huge loyalist support

in South• Patriots lost Canada

- siege of Canada failed - Montgomery and Benedict Arnold

Death of General Death of General Wolf at the Battle Wolf at the Battle

of Quebecof Quebec

The Declaration of The Declaration of IndependenceIndependence

The CommitteeThomas Jefferson

John AdamsBenjamin FranklinRobert Livingston

Roger Sherman

Drafting the DeclarationDrafting the Declaration

• Three StagesThree Stages

1. Written by Jefferson1. Written by Jefferson

2. Changes made by 2. Changes made by Franklin and AdamsFranklin and Adams

3. Changes made by 3. Changes made by CongressCongress

The The Declaration of Declaration of IndependenceIndependence

Second Phase 1776-1778

• Conventional war- British in position to win

but fouled it up• British drove Americans from

NY into Pennsylvania• Dec. 26, 1776 Washington

defeated Hessians at Trenton

Great Britain's MistakesGreat Britain's Mistakes

• Planned to cut US in 2Planned to cut US in 2

• Burgoyne pursued and Howe Burgoyne pursued and Howe changed planchanged plan

• Howe took PhiladelphiaHowe took Philadelphia

• Burgoyne suffered several defeats Burgoyne suffered several defeats

The Battle of SaratogaThe Battle of SaratogaOctober 7, 1777October 7, 1777

Turning Point of the WarTurning Point of the War

British General John Burgoyne British General John Burgoyne surrendered to American General surrendered to American General

Horatio Gates at Saratoga, New YorkHoratio Gates at Saratoga, New YorkFrance decided to help

the American

s

Winter 1777-Winter 1777-17781778

Valley Forge, PennsylvaniaValley Forge, Pennsylvania

Location was close enough to apply Location was close enough to apply pressure, but far enough away to avoid pressure, but far enough away to avoid a sneak attacka sneak attack2,000 huts built, miles of trenches dug2,000 huts built, miles of trenches dugFortifications builtFortifications built

2,000 soldiers die2,000 soldiers die2/3 from disease: 2/3 from disease: influenza, smallpox influenza, smallpox typhus, typhoid, and typhus, typhoid, and dysenterydysentery

Baron Friedrich von Steuben Baron Friedrich von Steuben trained the troopstrained the troops

Final Phase

• Characterized by guerilla warfare• British looked for loyalist aid

- found more Patriots than thought- Lost loyalist sympathy due to

slavery• Stalemate in the North • Battles in West won by Patriot, George

Rogers Clark• British won some in South, but hounded

by guerillas

YorktownYorktown

• Washington & French v. CornwallisWashington & French v. Cornwallis• Washington joined with Lafayette in march by land Washington joined with Lafayette in march by land

• French circled by seaFrench circled by sea• October 17, 1781 Cornwallis surrounded – surrenderedOctober 17, 1781 Cornwallis surrounded – surrendered• Final battle of the Revolutionary WarFinal battle of the Revolutionary War• Treaty of Paris signed September 3, 1783Treaty of Paris signed September 3, 1783

Treaty of Paris 1783Treaty of Paris 1783• Unconditional Unconditional

recognition of recognition of independence!independence!

• Land gained Land gained

- S. boundary of - S. boundary of Canada to N. Canada to N. boundary of boundary of FloridaFlorida

- Atlantic to - Atlantic to Mississippi Mississippi River River