Revolution=Tough Work

Battle for Quebec• Many patriots want to take Canada• We capture a few key forts but need

Quebec• Benedict Arnold leads attack, no

cannons, many troops leaving soon• Wait to attack during snowstorm, fails

badly, half Americans are causalities– killed, wounded, missing

Battle for New York• British General Howe has

32,000 troops, Washington has 20,000

• Battle of Long Island– Americans badly defeated, war could have been lost if not for Washington

• Nathan Hale– American spy caught by British, “I only regret that I have but one life to give for my country.”

Rough Time for the Patriots

• US soldiers don’t have proper clothes, shoes, supplies

• Many deserters– leave army w/o permission, cause is about to collapse

• Thomas Paine writes “The Crisis” –written to inspire the troops and citizens

• Washington wants slaves to be able to fight, southern colonies against it

• New England colonies let them fight anyway

Victory in New Jersey• British do not plan to fight in the winter,

plan to stay in NY, leave Hessians in Trenton and Princeton

• Washington sneaks across the Delaware River on Christmas night and defeats Hessians in Trenton

• Battle of Princeton– Americans leave fires burning, draw British in, surround them

• Big victory, lifts spirits

A British Plan for Victory

• British plan to take Albany/Hudson River– will cut off New England colonies from other colonies

• 3 Way Plan:– Gen. Burgoyne- goes

south from Canada– Gen. St. Leger- goes

east from Lake Ontario

– Gen. Howe- goes north from NY

• Howe decides to take Philly on the way to Albany but Washington attacks at Brandywine and Germantown

• Both American losses but slows down British

• St. Leger is stopped by Benedict Arnold at Fort Stanwix

• Burgoyne takes back Ft. Ticonderoga but moves to slow in the woods

• He runs out of supplies, sends some troops to find more and they get captured by Green Mtn. Boys at Ft. Bennington

Battle of Saratoga• Burgoyne retreats to

Saratoga, NY• He expects help from

Howe & St. Leger• Americans surround him,

led by Gen. Horatio Gates• Burgoyne tries to break

out once but then is forced to surrender

• Saratoga shows the world we might actually win– France and Spain now help

Foreign Allies

• France has been sending $, but now also sends troops

• Spain and France declare war on England, now England has to worry about Europe

• Spain captures British forts on the Miss. River– Bernardo de Galvez

• Marquis de Lafayette (French) helps led troops in battle, good friends w/ Washington

• Pulaski (Poland)– designs forts and trains cavalry

• Von Stueben (Germany)– drill sergeant, whips troops into fighting shape

Valley Forge• Washington spends

winter camped 20 miles outside of Philly at Valley Forge

• Lack of food, warm clothes, shoes, blankets, tents

• Many die of starvation, exposure, many also desert the army

Fighting at Sea• British use their navy to blockade our

coast– lack of supplies• Congress calls for ship building and

privateers attack British ships• John Paul Jones destroys the British ship

“Serapis”– “I have not yet begun to fight!”