The Second Phase of the War for Independence

On your 4th Left Page:What can you do when times are tough (like when you’re losing)?

What is happening in this picture?

What’s happening here?

Revolution Phase 2 OverviewWhere was it fought? •It was fought in the Middle States.Why?•The British attacked New York by sea from CanadaHow did it go? •The Americans were defeated in New York and forced to retreat.•Americans surprised and trapped the British •They defeated the British and forced them to retreat

Washington and his men crossed the Delaware on Christmas night in 1776. The next morning, he and his men surprised the German mercenaries (paid soldiers) at Trenton.

Phase 2 (continued)What were the important battles? •Long Island – British won; Trenton – Patriots won; Princeton – Patriots won; Saratoga – Patriots won.What did it lead to? •Victories at Trenton and Princeton gave Americans hope and caused people to keep fighting! •Saratoga (turning point of the war), the French joined the war to help the Americans. •The British retreated again. •Training at Valley Forge made Washington’s army ready to win

The American victory at Saratoga, was the first major victory by the Patriots in the war. An entire British army was captured and the victory convinced the French to join the war and help the Americans = turning point!

What do you think he saw?• “I… spied as I peeped out…something resembling a

wood of pine trees…the whole bay was full of shipping…I thought all London was afloat.” New Yorker Daniel McCurtain Summer 1776

How did the second phase begin?• The British returned with a

vengeance to the middle states (summer 1776).

• Howe landed with 34,000 troops on Long Island (NY) and attacked Washington’s inexperienced army.

• German mercenaries called Hessians were paid to help the British.

• The British defeated the Americans and Washington was forced to retreat.

The Americans almost lost the war at Long Island! This Delaware regimen was one of the few to fight well in the battle. They, the weather, and some Massachusetts fishermen saved Washington’s army from total defeat.

What problems did Washington face?• Outnumbered• Facing experienced

professional soldiers• American troops were only

serving 3 months at a time – not enough to be trained!

• Lost several battles = very little confidence.

• Forced to retreat all the way to Pennsylvania.

Privately, Washington admitted that he believed his job as commander would be “the ruin of my reputation.”

What did the Americans have going for them?

• British did not like fighting in the cold so they backed off.

• British were overconfident.

• Washington was determined to win.

The execution of Nathan Hale (a Patriot spy) motivated soldiers to fight out of fear that they would

suffer the same fate.

How did Washington handle the problem?

• On Christmas eve of 1776, Washington and his men crossed the frozen Delaware river.

• Once in NJ, he divided his forces and marched on Trenton where a group of Hessians were sleeping off their Christmas hangovers.

Washington was determined to win a victory at all costs. Dr. Benjamin Rush found a note that the General had written which said “victory or death.” It became the password for the surprise attack on the day after Christmas.

Handling the problem continued

• At the Battle of Trenton, the Americans defeated and captured the entire army of Hessians.

Handling the problem (some more)• A week later, the British

thought they had Washington’s army trapped.

• However, the Patriots left their campfires burning and slipped out of the camp.

• At the Battle of Princeton, the Americans attacked the British from behind and defeated them before they could regroup.

British General Charles Cornwallis came to get revenge. He saw Washington’s campfires and said, “At last we have run down the old fox.” Little did he know that he had already been outfoxed. It wouldn’t be the last time either!

What were the results of the victories at Trenton and Princeton?

• Gave Americans new hope and confidence.

• American soldiers decided to stay and fight instead of going home.

• Helped get money and supplies from France.

• British made leadership changes (Burgoyne).

Victories like Princeton and Trenton made Washington a military legend and inspired his men to follow him (almost like a god).

What’s happening here?

How did Britain react to the losses at Trenton and Princeton?

• Sent more troops and money to America.

• Many British citizens unhappy with the war.

• Unhappy with the Washington’s victories, the British promoted General John Burgoyne. He had a plan to defeat the Americans once and for all.

General John Burgoyne was cocky to say the least. He bet an entire year’s salary that he

could end the war.

What was Burgoyne’s plan?

Three armies would march on Albany NY: Howe from NYC, St. Ledger from the West, and Burgoyne from Canada.Goal: control the Hudson River and cut “rebellious” New England off from the rest of America.Burgoyne said: The Hudson is, “the precise route that an army ought to take for the great purpose of cutting the communications between the Southern and Northern provinces.” (Hakim, 128)

Problem: His plan was complicated and needed a lot to go right for it to work.

What went wrong with his plan?

• Howe attacked Philadelphia instead of marching up the Hudson.

• He defeated Washington at Brandywine and Germantown but lost too many men and too much time so he decided to camp for the winter in Philadelphia.

Some people believe General William Howe did not want the British to win the war because of his decisions and his politics (he didn’t care for George III’s policies)

Wrong #2

• The army marching from the west (St. Ledger and some Iroquois allies) was stopped by patriots who refused to surrender at Fort Stanwix.

• When Benedict Arnold marched to support the fort and the Natives turned on him, St. Ledger retreated into Canada.

Wrong #3

• Burgoyne was repeatedly slowed by American troops.

• They cut down trees.• Waited and attacked when

Burgoyne divided his troops (Battle of Bennington).

• His march south took so much time that three American armies were able to set a trap for him.

Battle of Saratoga (October 7, 1777)

What happened at the Battle of Saratoga?

• Burgoyne was surrounded by armies led by Horatio Gates, Benedict Arnold, the Green Mountain Boys, and farmers who showed up to defend their homes.

• The Americans had positioned themselves in an ideal place.

• He tried to escape but was trapped again.

• Burgoyne’s entire army surrendered on October 17th.

Burgoyne surrendered at Saratoga and admitted that he had been beaten. He even felt relieved to be done with the ordeal. He and his army were marched to Boston and swore not to fight the Americans again.

Why was the battle important?

• Turning point of the war.

• Franklin used the victory to convince the French to join the war.

• First major victory by the Americans without surprise, luck, tricks, or flukes as many had accused before.

Benjamin Franklin spent most of the war in France using all of his talents and wits to convince the French to help the Americans. It was the victory at Saratoga that helped him convince the French to join the war officially.

What was Valley Forge?

Valley Forge was where Washington’s army held camp for the winter of 1777-78.

Why was Valley Forge Important?

• Harsh winter led to suffering but the nation rallied to help the troops.

• The troops were trained by Prussian Officer Baron von Steuben.

• Times were difficult as a result, the troops were tougher and more skilled than ever.Friedrich von Steuben claimed to be a

Prussian General – he wasn’t but he was so good at training the troops that Washington let him take charge of the training at Valley Forge.