The American RevolutionWar for Independence

OBJECTIVE

Explain why Americans realize that they could not go back to living under the rule of Britain but must move forward toward independence

War Begins

• Battle of Bunker Hill Americans hold off two Redcoat attacks

•Green Mountain Boys capture forts near Crown Point and Ticonderoga

Second Continental Congress• Central Government• Supply troops, send people to France• George Washington was Commander in Chief

(President)

Lexington and Concord• Militia being formed in all colonies• Redcoats sent to destroy ammunition at Concord• Sons of Liberty sent Paul Revere to alert

everyone

• Minutemen meet Redcoats at Lexington and are defeated

• Redcoats burn gunpowder, then are defeated by minutemen firing from behind trees and stonewalls on their way back.

Not Ready For Independence• Most colonists still want unity with Britain

• Blame their problems on ministers, NOT King George III

• King George III wants the traitors tried for treason

• He hires Hessians (German soldiers) to team up with his armies to help

Moving Towards Independence

• Common Sense by Thomas Paine – Attacks the king and monarchy

• Early American victories a. Dorchester Heights (used stolen cannon to drive back

recoats)• America is holding out for France’s help, but they will not

help until America declares its independence

Dorchester Heights

Declaration of Independence

• Most of it was written by Thomas Jefferson• Time Limited, so he took other’s ideas• John Locke• Enlightenment• Natural Rights: Life, Liberty, Property• Social Contract

Declaration of Independence• Preamble – explains why colonists are publically declaring

their independence• Declaration of Rights – general theories of government• List of Grievances• Formal resolution of independence

Declaration of Independence• Unalienable rights – Life, Liberty, and the pursuit

of happiness

• Social Contract – Governments are set up to secure natural rights

a. Get their power from consent of people b. If government is not doing their job, they can

be removed

• Did everything they could to stay united, but were turned away

Influence of Declaration• Americans look to it for freedom and equality

• Other countries look to it for the same reasons (France, India)

A Fight For Freedom

Objective• Explain the advantages that both sides had during the war

Advantages

• Britain a. Well trained soldiers b. more money equals more supplies c. more troops

• America a. Washington b. Fighting on their own soil

Defeats• 55,000 troops sail to New York City• William Howe (redcoat) offers pardons to the

rebels• Washington Declines• Redcoats take New York City

• Washington retreats through New Jersey to the Delaware River

• Continental Army is down to 5,000

Battle of Trenton

Battle of Princeton• Gen. Howe heard about Trenton, sends Gen.

Cornwallis to capture Washington’s troops.• Washington outnumbered, pretends to be trapped,

leaves men behind to tend campfires, then slipped away

• Surprised a force of redcoats at Princeton and move into hills of NJ

Gen. Howe Gen. Cornwallis

Troop & Money Problems

• Enlistments were short, so numbers always a problem

• Most served in winter, then farmed in spring and summer

• “Continentals” = worthless• Robert Morris (PA) pledges money to American

Revolution = Washington troops can move from NY to Yorktown, Va

????????? WHY ?????????•To gain intelligence

•Report troop movements and other plans

George Washington

• Spy master• Valued good intelligence• Stems from a defeat in the French and Indian

War• Paid a man $333 to begin recruiting a network

of spies

Nathan Hale• Great spy, school teacher by trade• Washington asks for a spy, Hale steps up• Disguised himself as a Dutch school master• His cousin ratted him out, and he was hung• “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my

country.”

Committee of Secret Correspondence

• They gather intelligence and talk with spies we had in other countries

• Forerunner to the CIA

How’d They Do It ???• Invisible Ink – written between the lines of an ordinary

letter. Once heated, the words would appear.

• Codes/Ciphers – letters or numbers stand for other words

• Blind Drop – messages were left an agreed upon location

• Masks – a mask was worn to show the message

The War Deepens

Objective

•Identify major battle and struggles of Americans as they fight for independence

Redcoats Attack From Canada• John Burgoyne plans 3 pronged attack a. He attacks from Montreal b. Howe moves up Hudson River from NYC c. St. Leger invades from Lake Ontario• Howe never gets message – failure• Burgoyne suffers many defeats

Howe

Burgoyne

Battle Of Saratoga

• France will not commit troops without a big victory

• Burgoyne’s troops were surrounded and he surrenders at Saratoga

• Benedict Arnold - hero

Winter At Valley Forge• Lacked supplies• food, coats, shirts, pants, and shoes• ¼ of troops died• Friedrich Von Steuben (Prussia) and Marquis de Lafayette

(France) help train the troops

Friedrich Von Steuben

Marquis de Lafayette

ObjectiveIdentify major battles and struggles

of Americans as they fight for independence.

Britain Focuses on the South

• Redcoats cannot defeat Washington in the north• Focus attention on the south• Spain helps Continental Army

Battle of Yorktown• Gen. Cornwallis is losing in the south• Retreats of the “safety” of Chesapeake Bay

(Yorktown, Va)

• Washington plans daring attack a. French navy block entrance to the Bay (no

escape) b. Washington and others attack from land c. Cornwallis is cornered – surrenders• Last major battle

Treaty of Paris, 1783• Acknowledged America’s independence• Land claims stretched from Atlantic Ocean to

Mississippi River a. 4 times the size of France b. 10 times the size of Britain

Effects of the Revolution• Inspires other oppressed countries to rebel (France)• King George III is discredited – he is a figurehead (just like

British monarchs today)• “Shot heard ‘round the world’.”