Key Battles of the American Revolution

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America – Ready to fight?American strengths

• Great leader – George Washington

• Fighting for homes and freedom

• Used to hardships• Financial/military aid

from foreign countries• Used to guns• Gained experience in F &

I War• Fighting on own land

American weaknesses• 1/3 of citizens opposed the

rebellion• Inadequate financial

resources• No manufacturing facilities• Shortage of supplies and

ammunition• Continuous turnover of men

in army• Not used to military

discipline• Lacked a strong navy

Britain – Always ReadyBritish strengths

• Well-equipped and well-trained forces

• Professional military leadership

• Able to hire foreign soldiers

• Had the money and factories to supply needed materials

• Had support of American loyalists

British weaknesses• Unaccustomed to

wilderness warfare• Leaders underestimated

America’s military ability• Separated from

battlefronts by 3,000 miles; took months to send reinforcements and war orders

• Hired soldiers had nothing at stake except pay

• Attention divided between other conflicts

• Some British leaders sympathized with American cause

Major battles and results• 1775

• Battle of Lexington and Concord – British attempted to rob American arsenal (storehouse for weapons) at Concord; Americans found out and met British at Lexington and skirmished again at Concord; British had 273 casualties while the Patriots had 93; known as the shot heard ‘round the world and as the beginning of the Revolution.

• 1776• British increased number of forces to

32,000 troops.• Summer and Fall – Washington

commanded colonial troops in Battle of Long Island. Patriots were defeated and retreated to Manhattan. By late Nov., Patriots had lost New Jersey and retreated into Pennsylvania

1776 – cont.• Battle of Trenton (NJ)

• Huge Patriot victory; Washington crossed the Delaware River Christmas night into New Jersey and surprised British troops; captured 900 Hessians (paid German soldiers)

• 1777• British planned to push further into

New York state with a 3-pronged attack ending in Albany, NY. American troops surrounded British troops and defeated them at Saratoga – this is considered the turning point of the war for the Americans.

• British captured Philadelphia – American capital -

1778• France openly allies themselves

with America. Many European countries had been sending supplies to America in secret but the French alliance was the first in the open. Benjamin Franklin traveled to France to secure the alliance.

Winter at Valley Forge• After British captured Philadelphia,

Washington chose Valley Forge as the site for the Continental Army to spend the winter of 1777-78. More than 2,000 soldiers died of disease and starvation. Many soldiers thought about leaving due to the hardships. Maintaining the morale of the troops was considered one of Washington’s biggest challenges at this time.

War turns south• With no clear upper hand in

the New England and middle colonies, Britain turned its focus south by capturing the region’s 2 major ports - Savannah in 1778 and Charleston in 1780.

War turns South• 1780 – Patriot sharpshooters

forced British loyalists to retreat at Kings Mtn., NC; victory brought new support for Revolution into the south

• Other southern battles included Cowpens, SC and Guilford Courthouse in NC

• Southern campaign was headed up by Nathaniel Greene

1781 – The end approaches• Lord Cornwallis (British commander)

retreated into Virginia after abandoning the Carolina campaign

• Washington secretly sent more troops to Virginia after learning of French reinforcements coming toward Chesapeake Bay

• 17,000 American and French troops surrounded Cornwallis’ 8,000 British and Hessians on the Yorktown peninsula, forcing Cornwallis’ eventual surrender on Oct. 19, 1781

Key Georgia events• 1778 – British captured key cities

of Savannah, Sunbury, and Augusta

• Feb. 1779 – Battle of Kettle Creek; Georgia militia under the leadership of Col. Elijah Clarke defeated more than 800 British troops; lifted spirits of Georgia troops and enabled them to take weapons and horses from defeated British troops

Siege of Savannah• Sept. 1779 – French commander

Count D’Estaing arrived off Savannah coast with ships and troops.

• The French began bombarding Savannah after the British would not surrender. It lasted for three weeks.

• The siege had not ended by Oct. 9, so a Patriot attack began.

• The British had had time to strengthen their defenses around Savannah and held off the attack.

• The battle of Savannah was the 2nd bloodiest battle of the Revolution.

2 key Patriot fatalitiesWilliam Jasper

• South Carolina militia leader• Famous for saving his

regimental flag before being killed

Casimir Pulaski• Polish cavalry leader • Saved George

Washington’s life• Considered father of

American cavalry

Key Georgians• Austin Dabney

• freeborn mulatto who took the place of his owner in the Georgia militia

• Wounded at Battle of Kettle Creek• Most patriots were promised land in

return for their service but many did not want Dabney – a man of color- to receive his land

• Ultimately, he got land in Madison County and died on that property in 1834.

Key Georgians• Nancy Hart

• Legendary war woman who hanged a number of Tory soldiers

• Hart county is named after her – the only county named after a woman

• Elijah Clarke• Started out as a Tory but took up the Patriot

cause and led a number of engagements; most famous for leading the militia attack against the British at the Battle of Kettle Creek

• Clarke Co. is named after him

Key Georgians• Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall,

George Walton• Georgia’s signers of the Declaration

of Independence• All have counties named for them