America Secedes from the Empire

1775-1783

First shots had been fired at….

What’s so great about George Washington?• Selected by 2nd

Continental Congress at meeting following Lexington/Concord

• Personal qualities

• Why his selection made sense politically

May 1775—Ticonderoga and Crown Point

• Captured by Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold

• ammunition

That didn’t help us that much at Bunker Hill in June 1775, though…

Are the colonies ready yet to declare independence?

(Uhh, the answer is NO)

• But they’re not liking the Hessians too much

• And the king declared the colonists to be rebels

In October 1775, the colonies try to invade…

Hey, it’s “common sense” that colonies should rebel!

And then there’s that word “republicanism”

• What does it mean?

• Why might some people not agree with it?

OK, NOW it’s time to declare independence!• YAHOO!!!• Who the heck are

these people?• And why should I

care?• Dates, anyone?

Fill-in-the-blank time:

• All men __ __ __• ___, ___, and the

pursuit of _____• King ____ is the

“bad” guy• Pledge our ___, our

___, and our ___ ___• First signer was ___

LOYALISTS: who, what, when, where, why, how treated

British evacuate Boston in 1776, NYC is home base

• Battle of Long Island, summer/fall 1776

• Howe does not follow and destroy Washington’s troops

But Washington will get some revenge, Dec 1776

OK, nerds…what do YOU remember?

• What river did he cross?• What holiday was it?• What 2 battles were fought soon

after the crossing?

What ELSE do you remember?

• Where did Washington’s troops winter? What were the conditions like?

What foreigners helped train the troops and/or fight in the Revolution?

Howe and Burgoyne hatch a plan in 1777…

So then what happens is….

• Burgoyne is bungling

• Howe is having a good time in Philadelphia

Benedict Arnold helps force Burgoyne to stay in Canada, winter 1776-1777

Howe is content to keep staying in Philly once he defeats Washington at….

• Brandywine Creek, Sept 1777

• Germantown, Oct 1777

With Howe and Burgoyne not united, Burgoyne was forced to surrender at…

SARATOGA!!!!

• October 17, 1777• MAJOR turning

point: WHY?

1778 Treaty of Alliance

• Between what two groups?• WHY?• How did this escalate into a world

war?• What do you think would have

happened if there had been no help for the colonies?

Bad times for the colonies…

• Fall of Georgia, 1778-1779• Benedict Arnold, 1780• Fall of Charleston, SC, 1780

And then some better times for the colonies…

• King’s Mountain and Cowpens, 1780-1781

• Nathanael Greene, the “Fighting Quaker,” helps reclaim

GA and SC

On which side were the Natives? WHY?

• Joseph Brant

• Iroquois confusion

• Continued westward expansion

Fighting was also taking place in the west….• WHY IS THIS

IMPORTANT?• And who is this

man?

Besides George Rogers Clark, there was also…• John Paul Jones

• Legalized piracy

• LOTS of French help!

OK, a few more fill-in-the-blanks….EASY

• FINALLY, General ____ surrenders to Washington at the Battle of ____ on October 19, 1781; fighting continued until ____

TREATY OF PARIS, 1783

• Franklin, Adams, Jay

• Pay debts, loyalist protection– was either promise honored?

• French/British points of view

• Great borders!

UHHH, OK, we’re free!!

• NOW WHAT?????• That’s a story for another day….