the american revolution

THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION

BACKGROUND

April 1775 Fighting begins atLexington & Concord

AMERICAN ADVANTAGES BRITISH ADVANTAGES

Britain is far away Home-court

advantage Resourceful/smart Colonies are spread

out 1/3 are patriots

More ppl / soldiers More experience Better weapons /

supplies World’s best navy 1/3 are loyalists One “decider”

Military Strategies

Attrition [the Brits had a long supply line].

Guerilla tactics [fight an insurgent war you don’t have to win a battle, just wear the British down]

Make an alliance with one of Britain’s enemies.

The Americans The British

Break the colonies in half by getting between the No. & the So.

Blockade the ports to prevent the flow of goods and supplies from an ally.

“Divide and Conquer” use the Loyalists.

http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/42bunker/42images/42MAP2Bh.GIF

http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/cas/fnart/fa267/sequence.html

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BATTLE OF BUNKER HILL

First Big Battle Americans retreated after killing 1,000 British

Proved Americans could fight

March 1776 - Colonists drive British out of Boston (victory).

July 1776

Declaration of Independence

written by Thomas Jefferson

Phase I: The Northern Campaign[1775-1776]

Phase II:

NY & PA[1777-1778]

New York City in Flames(1776)

Washington Crossing the Delaware

Painted by Emanuel Leutze, 1851

Saratoga: “Turning Point” of the War?

A modern-day re-enactment

Phase III: The Southern Strategy [1780-1781]

Britain’s “Southern Strategy”Britain thought that there were more

Loyalists in the South.

Southern resources were more valuable/worth preserving.

The British win a number of small victories, but cannot pacify the countryside.

Good US General:Nathanial Greene

THE AMERICAN CRISIS: PAINE

These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine

patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands

it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.

Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious

the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every

thing its value.

FIGHTING IN NEW YORK

November 1776 – Washington retreats from New York

Washington Crosses Delaware Riv.

BATTLE OF TRENTON

Washington crossed the Delaware River on Christmas night, 1776

Americans surprised and captured 900 German mercenaries

SARATOGA Took place in

NEW YORK, Am. defeated

British Gen. Burgoyne – gave up army & cannons

Boosted morale

Turning point of the war – we got the help of France

World war????

Valley Forge

Valley Forge

•Very cold winter camp

•Short on supplies, food, clothes

•Began training

FRENCH / ALLIES Lafayette – 19 y/o French

commander, gave huge donations, helped out by adding soldiers

Rochambeau helped Washington, brought large army

THE END

War in the South

Cornwallis’ Surrender at Yorktown:

Painted by John Trumbull, 1797

“The World Turned Upside Down!”

•British wanted to fight in the South – more loyalists (tories)?•Cornwallis (Br.) ran from the patriots•Br. surrendered at Yorktown in October 1781

War in the South

•Independence of US recognized

•New borders – Atlantic Ocean to Mississippi River

Treaty of Paris - 1783

North America After theTreaty of Paris, 1783