The Revolutionary

War

Vocabulary• Redcoats: British

soldiers• Minutemen: American

colonial militia• Militia: Army of citizens• Continental Army:

Colonial Army

Lexington - Concord• colonists, warned that the British

were coming, were waiting in Lexington when the British arrived the next morning.

• To this day no one knows for sure who fired first, but a shot rang out. The British soldiers fired a volley into the colonial militia, killing eight men and wounding 10.

• The British then moved on to Concord where minutemen drove back three British infantry units guarding Concord’s North Bridge.

• On their retreat back to Boston they were peppered by patriot snipers. By the time the redcoats reached Boston, they had suffered 273 casualties compared with fewer than 100 for the patriots.

• “Shot Heard Around the World”

American Strengths and Weaknesses

• The colonists are fighting for independence

• George Washington can inspire his men to fight

• France will aide the colonies with weapons, supplies and their navy

American Strengths and Weaknesses

• The colonists are not a trained army

• Colonists enlist for months instead of years

• Short on money, weapons and supplies to fight a war

British Strengths and Weaknesses

• The British have an experienced professional army

• Outnumber the Continental Army

• The British army is well supplied with equipment and weapons

British Strengths and Weaknesses

• The British are not fighting for a cause• British officers are careless and poor

leaders• The British have a to cross the Atlantic

Ocean to send men and supplies for the war

• The support at home is rather weak

The Strategy of War

• American Colonies– Keep the Colonial

Army together– Washington seeks to

stretch the British army away from supply lines

– Harass the enemy, defeat the British in a major battle

– Get allies to help win!

• Britain– Seeks to destroy the

Colonial Army– Regain control of

the colonies by region

– Take the fight to the Colonial Army using European war tactics

– Use loyalists support against the colonies

The Strategy of War

People in the Revolution

George Washington

Founding father. Member of the

Continental Congress, commander-in-chief of the Continental Army, presiding officer of the

Constitutional Convention, first President of the United States.

Charles Cornwallis

British general and colonial governor,

served with distinction in American Revolution,

won battle of Brandywine, captured Philadelphia in 1777

and Charleston in 1780, forced to

surrender to Washington at

Yorktown in 1781 ending the war.

Marquis de Lafayette

French citizen who joined Continental Army

during Revolutionary War, ardent supporter

of American Revolution, voted Major General by

Continental Congress, commanded light

division in Battle of Yorktown, close

associate of George Washington.

Key Battles of the American Revolution

Battle of Bunker Hill• American troops are dug in along the

high ground of Breed's Hill (the actual location) and are attacked by a frontal assault of over 2000 British soldiers who storm up the hill.

• The Americans are ordered not to fire until they can see "the whites of their eyes." As the British get within 15 paces, the Americans let loose a deadly volley of rifle fire and halt the British advance.

• The British then regroup and attack 30 minutes later with the same result.

• A third attack, however, succeeds as the Americans run out of ammunition and are left only with bayonets and stones to defend themselves.

• The British succeed in taking the hill, but at a loss of half their force, over a thousand casualties, with the Americans losing about 400, including important colonial leader, General Joseph Warren.

•

Battle of Trenton• The Battle of Trenton began on Christmas Day,

December 1776, when General Washington's army was in a pitiful condition, and growing weaker. Troops were deserting, it was bitter cold and they lacked food, shoes and blankets.

• It was under these conditions that Washington made his famous crossing of the Delaware river. He had heard from a scout that the Hessians, (German mercenaries) were spending the evening relaxing and enjoying food and wine.

• Washington decided to cross at night and surprise them in the morning. So while the Hessians were enjoying their wine and song, the Continental Army was preparing to attack. The army silently advanced to the Delaware River. They crossed the icy Delaware eight miles north of Trenton and nine hours later 2400 men gathered around Washington to hear the order for the assault on Trenton.

The famous crossing: Washington and his army cross the Delaware River

at night to attack the Hessian mercenaries at Trenton.

• The Hessians were sleeping at 8:00 a.m. when the Americans entered the City. Minutes later, Washington's army attacked - killing five Hessian officers, one non commissioned officer, and sixteen privates. There were 918 prisoners taken to Newtown, Pennsylvania. Of the American losses, two soldiers supposedly froze to death, one or two American privates were wounded, and three officers were wounded, (including future president Lt. James Monroe).

The Battle of Saratoga, August- October 1777

• The British are harassed by colonial guerilla forces and end up stretching their supply lines.

• The British will surrender to the Colonial forces led by General Horatio Gates

• Saratoga is important because it is a major defeat for the British and shows the French that the colonies may be able to win the war

Battle of Saratoga• The first major American victory of

the Revolutionary War,• inflicting 600 British casualties.

American losses are only 150.• October 17, 1777 - After long

negotiations, Gen. Burgoyne officially surrendered his 5700 man army on October 17. He was sent back to England in disgrace, and was never given another command.

• In Paris the victory is celebrated as if it had been a French victory.

• France recognizes the independence of America and enters the war on the side of the patriots.

• Money and supplies flowed to the American cause, providing Washington's Continental Army with the support necessary to continue its fight against Great Britain.

Victory at Saratoga !!Britain's loss at Saratoga proved disastrous, in that it signaled to the European powers that the rebels were capable of defeating the English on their own. More than any other single event, it would prove decisive in determining the eventual outcome of the War.

The End is near !!- Yorktown

• August 1, 1781 - British Gen. Cornwallis and his 10,000 tired soldiers seek rest at the port of Yorktown, Virginia.

• August 14, 1781 - Gen. Washington abruptly changes plans in favor of Yorktown after receiving a letter indicating a 29-ship French fleet with 3000 soldiers is now heading for the Chesapeake Bay near Cornwallis.

• Gen. Washington and Gen. Rochambeau rush their best troops south to Virginia to destroy the British position in Yorktown.

The Battle of Yorktown, October 1781

• The French are helping the Continental Army with men, weapons and warships

• The Americans and the French will corner the British on a small peninsula and bombard them with cannon fire.

• The British will surrender and end the American Revolution.

• The colonists will win the American Revolution with this victory.

Battle of Yorktown

The British surrender!!!

The Treaty of Paris, 1783

• THE WAR ENDS WITH THESE CONDITIONS• “free, sovereign and independent states”• British must remove all troops from forts • Boundary for United States is the

Mississippi• Loyalist would have rights and property

protected• captured slaves must be returned to

owners