War in the South/Path to Victory

Fighting in the West• West of Apps, NA’s attack Americans

with guns given by the British• George Rogers Clark- attacks forts in

Indiana/Illinois on way to Miss. River• Weakens the British in the west/on

Miss. River

Struggles in the South• Americans win early battles

in the south • Moore’s Creek Bridge (NC) –

saves Charleston the 1st time

• British focus on south for 2 reasons:

• 1. More loyalists• 2.Get slaves to help them—

freedom• British take Charleston in

the worst defeat of the war

• Gen. Charles Cornwallis takes over British forces in South

• American Gen. Gates attacks and loses to Cornwallis at Camden (SC)– we had dysentery, fewer men then thought, no bayonets

• British win most of the big battles but can’t hold countryside

• Guerrilla warfare all over south

• Francis Marion- know as the “Swamp Fox”

NC Fighting• Militia defeat

Loyalists at battle of King’s Mountain near Charlotte– sharp shooters surround mountain, loyalists executed

• Gen. Nathaniel Greene takes over US forces in the south

• Battle of Guilford Courthouse– won by British, Cornwallis fires cannons on own men, lose many troops and have retreat to coast for supplies

Victory at Yorktown

• US spirits low– Benedict Arnold betrays us, felt didn’t get enough credit and was in debt– British offer $ to switch sides

• Cornwallis backed up at Yorktown, VA

• French troops under Gen. Rochambeau arrive but get trapped up north

• Washington & troops keeping eye on rest of British in NYC

• 2nd French fleet on its way to Yorktown- Admiral De Grasse

• Wash and Roch sneak away, head to Yorktown

• Greene from Carolina (see map you drew)

British Surrender• British surrounded at Yorktown, siege–

trap army & wait them out• British troops die of disease, starvation,

constant artillery bombing• Cornwallis surrenders, end of the war

Treaty of Paris II• British decide we’re not

worth it• J. Adams, John Jay, and B.

Franklin negotiate peace treaty

• British will:– Recognize US as a nation– Remove troops from

western US– Give us rights to fish off of

Canada

• Americans will:– Pay back British merchants their

debts– Give back loyalist property

• Washington retires and goes home to Mount Vernon to live quietly

Why We Won

• British depended on support from sea• British couldn’t control countryside• Americans used hit and run/ ambush

attacks• Other nations helped• Washington an incredible leader