The American Revolution

You don’t need to write this downToday we’re going to learn about …

The different kinds of soldiers who fought in the American Revolution.

The different types of weapons that were used in battles.

The different ways that the American Revolution was fought.

I. War on land

A. Different types of soldiers1. Regulars

a. They’re people who have signed up, or “enlisted,” to be soldiers

b. They serve for a long time, usually several years.

c. They’re very disciplined and highly trained.

d. Each unit has the same uniforms and equipment. Uniforms are usually brightly colored.

1. Reglulars (continued)e. Most soldiers on

the British side are regulars.

f. Regulars are best at fighting battles.

g. Regulars can be infantry (foot soldiers) or cavalry (horse soldiers).

2. Militiaa. They’re people who have to

act like soldiers in an emergency.

b. They usually serve a short time, either weeks or months.

c. They usually don’t have much training and aren’t very disciplined.

d. People wear everyday clothes, and usually have different types of equipment.

2. Militia (continued)e. Most soldiers who

fight on the American side are militia.

f. Militia are best at fighting in skirmishes and ambushes.

g. Militia are almost always infantry.

1. Things all shooting weapons had in commona. They all use gunpowder, which creates a

cloud of smoke every time it’s fired.b. Reloading is a long process, usually ten steps.

Cannons can be fired 1-2 times a minute, and muskets and rifles can be fired 2-3 times a minute.

c. They won’t work well in cold or rainy weather.

B. Different weapons for land battles

2. Musketsa. It’s smoothbore so the

bullet doesn’t spin, like a dodgeball.

b. It can only accurately hit something 50 yards away or closer.

c. It can be fitted with a bayonet, turning it into a spear against close enemies.

d. Most soldiers in the Revolution used muskets.

3. Long riflesa. It’s rifled so the

bullet spins, like a football.

b. It’s easy to hit something 100 yards away, and an expert can hit something 300 yards away.

c. Only special troops like snipers carry long rifles.

4. Artillerya. These include cannons.b. Cannons can be pulled by

horses or mules.c. It takes a crew of 3-5

people to fire a cannon.d. Two types of ammunition

i. Solid shot is a regular cannon ball. It can go 1200 yards (3/4 of a mile)

ii. Grape shot is like a huge shotgun shell. It is used when enemies are 100-200 yards away.

C. Different types of fights1. Skirmishes and raids

a. Usually between two small groups of soldiers.

b. They’re not usually very organized.

2. Ambushesa. Usually between one small

group and one large group of soldiers.

b. A small group hides and waits for a large group to get close. The small group attacks quickly, then runs away before the larger group can react.

3. Siegesa. A siege usually

happens when an army has its enemy surrounded in a town or fort.

b. The army will surround the fort or town and dig trenches or ditches.

c. They can starve the enemy out or blast in with cannons.

4. Battlesa. Usually between two large

groups of soldiers.b. They’re very organized.c. Artillery, infantry, and

cavalry are involved.d. Infantry fighting

i. Groups of soldiers line up close together.

ii. They march towards groups of enemy soldiers.

iii. When they’re close enough, they fire at the same time.

iv. One side will get nervous and run away eventually.

4. Battles (continued)e. Artillery fighting

i. Groups of cannons sit behind the infantry and fire over their heads.

ii. They focus on one part of the enemy to blast a hole through it.

f. Cavalry fightingi. They sit back by the

artillery for most of the battle.

ii. When one part of the enemy army starts to run, they chase them from behind.