The American Revolution

1775-1783

Loyalist Strongholds

Battle for the Middle States

• NY & PA – 1776-1777

• Colonists suffered many defeats early on

• “These are the times that try men’s souls”– Thomas Paine

Battle for New York

The British wanted NYC to isolate New England – By both land & sea

• Summer 1776- General William Howe and Admiral Richard Howe sailed to NY Harbor

Defeat in NY

• Goal: humiliate Washington & end the Revolution

• Washington had 23,000 soldiers and was greatly outnumbered

• Howe brought 32,000 soldiers & Hessians • By late August the colonists retreated with

heavy losses

Defeat in NY

• By the Fall: – Washington’s troops were pushed back

across the Delaware River

• Less than 8,000 troops left

HW- pages 107-111• What are Hessians?

• What was the result of the Battle of NY?

• Why did General Washington desperately need a victory prior to December 31, 1776?

• Describe the Battle of Trenton.

• Who won the Battle of Princeton?

The Battle of Trenton American Casualties- 5

British Casualties- 107 • Washington knew he needed a victory to

keep his troops• Christmas night,1776 he crossed the almost

frozen Delaware River in row boats

– Washington’s troops lacked shoes– The storm made muskets unfit for use &

Washington ordered his men to use bayonets

Battle of Trenton

• 4am they marched 9 miles in sleet & snow to capture Trenton

• Sneak Attack-– Hessians were drunk & passed out from

Christmas celebration • Washington’s troops took 1,000 Hessian prisoners-

which were all treated with great respect• This prompted many American soldiers to reenlist

The Battle of Trenton

The Fight for Philadelphia

• Spring 1777: General Howe planned to take the capital of Philadelphia – Howe’s troops left New York by sea &

landed in Philadelphia by August

• The Continental Congress fled the city & Washington tried to stop the redcoats

• Washington had no successful & the British celebrated with the Loyalists

Victory at SaratogaSeptember 19-October 17,1777

American Leader: Gen. Horatio Gates

British Leader: Gen. John Burgoyne • General Burgoyne planned to move

from Canada to Albany and eventually meet Howe & his troops in NYC– He traveled with 8,000 soldiers and

138 pieces of artillery

Saratoga

• Burgoyne was constantly attacked by militiamen & Continental soldiers – One of the worst was

Ethan Allen and his Green Mountain Boys

Saratoga Continued

• Burgoyne did not realize that Howe was not going to meet him – October 17, 1777- Burgoyne was forced to surrender at

Saratoga he was surrounded by General Gates and his army

• From this point on the British kept their troops close to the coast & supply bases – British confidence took a heavy blow

• The French looked to increase their support to the Patriots – February 1778- a treaty of cooperation signed

The Surrender of General Burgoyne at Saratoga- October 17, 1777

French Aide

• After victory at Saratoga, Americans had a morale boost

• Since 1776: The French had secretly sent weapons & ammunition – Victory proved to the French that Americans had

a real chance at beating the British – The French saw it as an opportunity to avenge

the British after the French & Indian War

Valley Forge

Valley Forge

Dec 19, 1777- June 19,1778

Valley Forge

• Winter Camp 20 miles outside Philadelphia – Congress had little $$ for supplies

• 10,000 soldiers battled: – Wind, snow & ice – Built makeshift housing, slept on straw– 2,000 soldiers died

Financing the War

• Continental Army was unable to pay the troops– When Congress ran out of hard

currency, gold & silver - it borrowed money by selling bonds

– Started printing paper $ or Continentals

– Had no gold or silver to back up currency

• Caused inflation

War Financing

• Americans had a hard time supplying the troops – Blockade forced Americans to smuggle

goods – Corrupt government officials engaged in

profiteering

Civilians at War

• Women stepped into men’s roles

• Many women joined the war effort – Made ammunition – Followed husbands to

battle • Washed, mended &

cooked for troops- some even fought

Abigail Adams

Molly McCauley

• “Molly Pitcher” • Born NJ 1754 • Battle of Monmouth-

stepped in for her husband John Hays after his collapse

• Nursed wounded soldiers

Sarah Franklin Bache

• Daughter of B. Franklin

• Ladies Association of Philadelphia– Supervised the

making of shirts for troops during the war

Betsy Ross

• A seamstress acquainted with George Washington

• According to legend Ross made the first flag – Stars & Stripes

European Allies Shift the Balance

• During the winter of 1778 Friedrich von Steuben (Prussian) volunteered to help Washington at Valley Forge– “make regular soldiers

out of country bumkpins”

– With his an others help the Continental Army became an effective fighting force

European

• 20 year old Frenchman Marquis de Lafayette

• Lobbied France for reinforcements– France took time to

organize its forces which meant no immediate improvement for American troops

British Move South • Summer 1778 the British focused on the South &

force their way north – The British wanted to use port cities to attack the French

• By the spring of 1779 the British had taken over Georgia & put a royal governor in place

• 1780- General Clinton replaced Howe and with the help of General Charles Cornwallis captured Charles Town– They marched 5,500 soldiers off as prisoners of war

Continue South

• Throughout most of 1780 the redcoats advanced & gained continued support from escaped slaves hoping to win their freedom

• Within 3 months the British also took North Carolina only to be pushed back by Patriot forces into South Carolina

British Reverses:1781• Nathaniel Greene, under Washington’s orders, harassed

Cornwallis as he retreated • Greene divided his forces & sent 600 of his troops under

the command of General Daniel Morgan to South Carolina– Cornwallis sent Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton

after Morgan• When the forces met in January 1781 at Cowpens, South

Carolina the battle ended in the redcoats surrendering – Angered by defeat Cornwallis attacked Greene in

North Carolina & won • Cornwallis had 93 troops killed, 413 injured, & 26

missing

Victory at Yorktown • Lafayette & his 6,000 French soldiers unite with the

American troops and attack Cornwallis – The French navy defeated the British & blocked

the coast • The siege of Yorktown lasted almost a month where

the British were attacked day & night by 17,000 French and American troops

• October 17, 1781- Cornwallis forced to surrender since his troops were outnumbered

• Cornwallis was expected to officially surrender on October 19th, but he sent General Charles O’Hara to surrender to Washington, French Generals, and the troops

Seeking Peace

• Representatives from the US, Britain, France, and Spain met in Paris 1782 to negotiate the treaty

• They all had their own interests – many thought the Europeans would easily outwit the

Americans

• John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and John Jay demanded full independence before they would even talk

Treaty of Paris• September 1783• US now covered the

Atlantic to the Mississippi and from Canada to Florida

• Treaty contained problems: – British did not protect the

land interests of their Native allies

– Did not specify when the British would leave America

United States of America 1784

Symbol of Liberty

• One of the major changes in the colonies was the rise of egalitarianism or all people being equal

• Were all people truly equal? – Women – Slaves– Native Americans

Equality?

• African Americans were still enslaved and those that were free faced discrimination– By 1804 many New England & Middle States took

steps to outlaw slavery – Some Southerners (Washington) took steps to

free slaves• Native American interests were of great uncertainty

– 50% population decline east of Mississippi

Symbols of Liberty

• “Novus Ordo Seclorum”– “a new order for the ages”

was chosen to be on the reverse of the Great Seal of the United States

• Now came the difficult job of creating a government for the people