Written by: Greg Clevenger

European nations were competing with each other for: World resourcesMilitary strengthPolitical superiority Some nations were upsetting the balance of power

The Story Thus Far

Also called War for IndependenceStarted in 1775 in Lexington and Concord MassachusettsCaused America to separate from Great BritainEnded in 1783Overview

The French and Indian WarThe Sugar ActThe Stamp ActColonial Responses to these taxes, followed by repercussions from England a snowball effect.Major Causes

The French and Indian War1754Rivalry between the French and BritishWho will control North America?British, colonists, and Native American allies fought French and Native American allies

The French and Indian War1754Great Britains national debt nearly doubled during the war British expected Americans to help pay for protection

The war lasted nine years

The Sugar Act - 1764

Proclamation of 1763 prohibiting settlement beyond the Appalachian Mountains attempt to raise income from the ColoniesDuty on sugar and molasses not obtained from BritainSmuggling cases tried in Great Britain

The Stamp Act1765Official government stamp required for EVERY piece of printed paper used newspapers, documents, playing cards, etc. First internal tax paying for British protectionSome British Stamp Agents attacked tar and feathers

Colonial ResponseColonists beginning to unite?1765 Stamp Act Congress (NY)John Rutledge (SC) attends (p. 54 55 in From Colonies to Country)Visits with William JohnsonForms solid relationship with NorthernersBelief is that Colonial Assemblies should decide on their taxesTwo worlds (North and South) are coming together? What is the difference in slave pop.?

The Townshend ActsBoston MassacreBoston Tea Party The Intolerable ActsMore Major Causes

A Taxing KingWilliam Pitt This is the mother country, they are the children; they must obey, and we prescribe.Pitt speaks up for American colonies in the 1766 (see p. 50 in From Colonies to Country in the box titled No Right to Tax)

A questionIs taxation an issue today?

What do we get for our money?Is it worth it?

Who are these Americans?Views from England Americans are a mongrel breed inferiorThe reality in America we are developing a proud, unique spirit of independence and strength King George III wants to teach us a lesson. Levied taxes, wouldnt listen to colonists, sent soldiers to America to enforce his wishes (housed and fed by Americans)Not a wise king by most accounts

The Townshend Acts1767Champagne CharlieImport duties on tea, lead, glass, and paint colorsMoney used to pay royal governors and take care of Budget ProblemsForeign War = BILLSNo taxation without representationAs stated in Magna Carta (1215)Colonial boycotts lead to repeal in 1770 (except tea)Eng. Merchants were losing moneyTownshend

Boston DiaryDined with three hundred and fifty Sons of Liberty, at Robinsons, the Sign of Liberty Tree in Dorchester. To the Honour of the Sons, I did not see one Person intoxicated, or near it.

John Adams (1769)Single click the speaker icon to hear the clip >>>>

FIREBRANDSSAM ADAMS troublemaker for English, agitator, Bostonian with Puritan roots, Harvard manWants people to rule themselvesStarts Committees of CorrespondenceStarts Sons of LibertyCame from $$$... A little lazy with family business affairs. Motivated by FREEDOM!!

FIREBRANDSPATRICK HENRY Southerner (Anglican), Virginian, country boyforest-born DemosthenesGreat orator and freedom fighter ancient GreeceStamp Act is a threat to libertySome see this as treason If this be treason, make the most of it.House of Burgesses is dissolved by the governorKept meeting in the Raleigh TavernEventually had to meet in a Richmond church b/c of danger

FIREBRANDSPATRICK HENRY You MUST read about his most famous speech (p. 61 62 in From Colonies to Country)GIVE ME LIBERTY or GIVE ME DEATH!

FIREBRANDSTHOMAS PAINE came from England in 1774, lives in the Middle Colonies (Philadelphia), Franklin helped him get set up as a writer/editor, deist with Quaker friendsCommon Sense (pamphlet)See p. 59 in From Colonies to CountryCopies spread like wildfire all over the coloniesThese are the times that try mens souls.

FIREBRANDSTHOMAS PAINE Believed in the American causeNever took any money for his writingsIt would demean themEnlisted in the Continental ArmyGave a third of his salary to help Washingtons army

We have it in our power to begin the world again.

Boston Massacre17701765 Quartering Act1768 troops move in, led by Gen. Thomas GageCrowd of colonists threaten British soldiersBritish open fire killing five AmericansCol. Thomas Preston Parliament canceled the Townshend duties

Boston Tea Party1773British sold tea even more cheaply than smuggled teaColonists dressed up as Mohawks Tea was dumped overboard342 chests King is furious!

Tea Party DiaryLast Night 3 Cargoes of Bohea Tea were emptied into the sea. This Morning, a Man of War sails. This is the most magnificent Movement of all.

John Adams (1773)

A question.Are illegal acts ever justified?

The Intolerable Acts1774King and Lord North (Prime Minister) respond harshlyClosed the Port of BostonAmerican town meetings banned British officials in trouble sent to Great Britain for trial citizens are out of work, worry about starvation

56 Delegates (none from Georgia)Included George Washington, Patrick Henry and John and Sam AdamsDirect response to Intolerable ActsMet in Philadelphia 1774First Continental Congress

Colonists Agreed To:Boycott British goodsJohn Jay (NY)Arm themselves and form militiasPatrick HenryAppeal to the kingJohn DickinsonResolutions PassedRights to life, liberty, property

King George III Refused To:Allow American colonist representation in ParliamentNo respond to colonists complaints and official grievancesKing George III

The Shot Heard Round the WorldAmerican colonists stockpiled weapons in Concord, Massachusetts800 British troops marched on ConcordPaul Revere: The British are coming!

The Armed MilitiaKnown as Minutemen70 Minutemen on the Village GreenUncertain which side fired first50 Americans killed and 45 wounded or missing65 British killed and 208 wounded or missing

Lexington Diary At 10 of the clock last night, the Kings troops marched out from the bottom of the common, crossed over to Phips Farm, marched on till they came to Lexington.

Timothy Newell (1775)

Lexington Famous Quote Stand your ground, dont fire unless fired upon. But if they mean to have a war, let it begin here!Captain Parker

Single click the speaker icon to hear the clip >>>>

Decided to officially separate from BritainCommittee selected to draft the reasons for separationThomas Jefferson selected to write documentMet in PhiladelphiaSecond Continental Congress

The Declaration of IndependenceWritten by Thomas JeffersonIt is the Birth Certificate of the United StatesDocument listed rights and grievances against King George III

The Declaration of IndependenceJohn Hancock first to sign in large print Anyone who signed it and was caught would be hangedWe must all now hang together, or most assuredly we will all hang separately." Benjamin FranklinHancock

Key Quotes in the DeclarationWe hold these truths to be self evident: that all men are created equalThat they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights That among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happinessLocke

Independence Diary There were bonfires, ringing bells, with other great demonstrations of joy upon the unanimity and agreement of the Declaration.

Christopher Marshall (1776)

Choosing SidesPatriots Supported the Revolution

Loyalists Americans who supported the KingRed Coats/ Lobsterbacks British Army

What Happened to those who Signed?Five were captured by the British, though eventually releasedApproximately 12 had their homes ransacked and burnedOne lost his son in the Continental ArmySeveral suffered wounds in various battles

British Army most powerful in worldAlso well-equipped with weaponsRevolutionary Armies The BritishHighly trained and disciplined for war on land or high seas

Revolutionary ArmiesAmericans shot more accuratelyBritish carried three days provisions British gear weighed about 100 pounds

Revolutionary Army knew lay of the landUsed weapons appropriate for landscapeWore pieces of different uniformsBrown army clothing

Revolutionary Armies The Americans

Well-equippedDisciplinedStrongest navyBritish Advantages

Accuracy of the rifleKnowledge of the landGuerilla warfare tacticsSuperb commandAmerican Advantages

Patriot VideoSingle click screento view video:

British Soldier QuotesBritish soldiers faced new challengesDamn those Americans. They will not stand and fight.Settle your affairs at home before leaving for The Colonies; you probably wont be coming back again.Single click the speaker icon to hear the clip >>>>

George Washington: Commander of Americans ForcesNathanael Greene: Top StrategistHenry Knox: Artillery ExpertMilitary LeadersAmerican

General Charles CornwallisGeneral John BurgoyneAll considered America one of the worst places to serveMilitary LeadersBritish

France, Spain, Germany and PolandThe Marquis de Lafayette: Frenchman who supported American cause Huge percentage of American gunpowder came from FranceOther Key Players

Other Key PlayersThaddeus Kosciusko: Polish military engineer helping PatriotsBaron Friedrich von Steuben: German military commander who helped train American troops

The War at SeaApproximately 3,000 men enlistedAmerica made 13 Frigates Most, if not all, were destroyed or capturedColonial Navy authorized by Continental Congress October 13, 1775

Fort TiconderogaBunker HillTrentonMajor Battles

Fort Ticonderoga1775 Key strategic location in New YorkEthan Allen and about 125 Green Mountain boys attacked fort

TiconderogaThe Fort was taken without firing a shotBritish officers and women and children were capturedCannons were taken from Ticonderoga to Boston Henry Knox: American Army top artillery commanderMajor hero of American Revolution

Battle of Bunker Hill - 1775 Bunker Hill located near BostonRed Coats victorious in third chargeAmericans ran out of ammunitionMoral victory for American Army

Bunker HillCostliest battle for British during whole war British casualties 1,054American casualties 441British began to get nervousWashington took command of the army two weeks after this battle

Bunker Hill Famous Quote Dont fire until you see the whites of their eyes. Israel Putnam

Battle of Trenton1776Surprise attack the day after ChristmasWashington crossed the Delaware Approximately 1000 German soldiers fighting for the British captured

TrentonAmerican casualties were four German leader, Colonel Rall mortally woundedWashington cleared British from central New Jersey

SaratogaWinter at Valley Forge

More Significant BattlesYorktownWere blend of successes and failures for American Army

Battle of Saratoga 1777The turning point of the war The biggest American victory at the timeApproximately 5,000 British surrender to Washington

Burgoyne DiaryFrom the 20th of September to the 7th of October, the armies were so near, that not a night passed without firingI do not believe that either officer or soldier ever sleptwithout his clothesBurgoyne Diary Single click the speaker icon to hear the clip >>>>

Valley Forge 1777-1778American Army out of food and clothingValley Forge briefly a refugeSupplies ran out and many diedWashington appeals to Congress for helpLow point for American Army

Albigence WaldoThe army which has been surprisingly healthy hitherto, now begins to grow sicklyI am sickdiscontentedand out of humor. Albigence Waldo (1777)Single click the speaker icon to hear the clip >>>>

Battle of Yorktown1781

French blockade aided this final battleEscape for the British was impossibleBritish General Cornwallis faced American forces approximately twice his size

YorktownApproximately 8,700 British troops surrenderedPinned in by American and French Naval fleetsGeneral Benjamin Lincoln accepted the surrender swordBritish bands played The World has Turned Upside Down

1783: The Treaty of Paris officially ends the Revolutionary WarThe Treaty of Paris

The Treaty of Paris1783Officially ended the American RevolutionSet many geographic borders, including U.S. and CanadaFlorida was returned to Spain

Penalties inflicted on LoyalistsSome Loyalists were tarred and feathered and put on ships bound for Canada or Great BritainThe Aftermath:

Written by John Dickson in 1777Ratified in 1781Governed Americans in 1781-1787 Paved way for new ConstitutionThe Articles of Confederation

Articles of Confederation VideoSingle click screento view video:

Eight yearsTimeless impactSubject of countless plays and filmsMaker of heroesBirth of a nationConcluding Thoughts

**European nations were squabbling to see who could be the Big Kahuna or the Top Dog. They were especially competing with each other for world resources, military strength, and political superiority. Some nations were upsetting the balance of power.

*Meanwhile in America, colonists had some ideas of their own. They were ready to leave their parent country and start fresh. The American Revolution, also called the War of Independence, started in 1775. The first shots were fired in Massachusetts in Concord and Lexington. It caused America to separate from Great Britain and thus helped create a new nation. The War was fought for eight years and ended in 1783.

*The Revolution wasnt an impulsive act that just happened overnight. There are multiple historical events leading up to the fighting of the Revolution. The major causes in chronological order are the French and Indian War, the Sugar Act, and the Stamp Act.

*Two European nations, France and Great Britain, were fighting over who got custody and control of North America. The colonists and some Native Americans from the Iroquois Confederacy were allied with the British against the French and other Native Americans from the Algonquin and Huron tribes.

*Great Britain hadnt budgeted for such an expensive war. Great Britain needed money to pay for the war debts, which had nearly doubled. Thus, Great Britain expected the Colonies to help pay for their protection during the French and Indian War. The war lasted for nine years and ended in 1763.

*Making colonists purchase British-made goods instead of products from the French West Indies was Great Britains first plan to regain lost monies. Great Britain passed the Sugar Act, which included a tax on all non-British imports, to strongly encourage colonists to buy British. This act was also an attempt to regulate American smuggling. The Act called for a tax of threepence on every gallon of molasses, taxed wine and other goods, and provided for strict enforcement.

*The colonists hated the Stamp Act. It deeply impacted and infuriated American lawyers who dealt with legal documents. Many of these lawyers, including Sam and John Adams, were vital contributors to the Revolutionary Movement.

**Great Britain didnt stop there. The British continued to pass a series of laws to restrict the colonies and hold them partly responsible, once again, for British protection from possible attacks by the French or native Americans. The Townshend Acts eventually led to the Boston Massacre and Boston Tea Party, but the Intolerable Acts, as the colonists nicknamed them, prompted the large-scale revolt by outraged colonists against Great Britains King George III.

****The Townshend Acts, or duties, were the last straw. They were an attempt to get Americans to pay extra taxes on a variety of items most often used in the Colonies, such as tea, red and white lead (paint pigments), glass and paint tints. The money raised by taxation was used to pay royal governors in Great Britain and the colonists had no official representation within the government. No taxation without representation became a rallying cry for American revolutionaries.

*This diary excerpt shows the seriousness of the colonists. Listen.

******Its hard to believe, but a snowball fight led to the very first casualties of the War. It took place, in the center of Boston, five years before the first actual battle. Americans were throwing snowballs at British sentries. One British soldier fell on ice, causing his rifle to discharge. This accidental firing led to the historical Boston Massacre in which five colonists were killed. Crispus Attucks was the person of color casualty of the Revolutionary War. Parliament canceled the Townshend duties, all except for the tea tax, shortly after.

*Tea, along with beer, was the favorite drink in the Colonies. When the British undersold smuggled tea, thus threatening American trade, the Sons of Liberty, an organization of colonists ready for revolution against Great Britains king, had a tea party at Boston Harbor. The group disguised themselves as Mohawk Indians, crept onto the Dartmouth, the Eleanor, and the Beaver, and dumped 342 crates of tea into the Boston Harbor water. Mixed reaction met the event, and some colonists, including Ben Franklin, thought the tea should be paid for. Many colonists promised to change their drinking habits to something other than British tea, but that movement was short-lived.

*This piece from Adams diary shows how excited the colonists were to strike out against the British.

*This piece from Adams diary shows how excited the colonists were to strike out against the British.

*The British had to retaliate to save face. They couldnt let this act go unpunished. They responded to the Tea Party by toughening their stand against the Colonies, passing a series of Intolerable Acts, which restricted the Colonies in numerous ways, including closing the Port of Boston (essential to the colonists for importing and exporting goods), banning colonists from holding town meetings, and having British officials who had committed crimes sent from the colonies to Great Britain for trial, where they were rarely prosecuted.

*Fifty-six colonial leaders, including George Washington, Patrick Henry, and Sam Adams, decided to figure out what course of action to take after the Intolerable Acts were passed. They met in Philadelphia in 1774 and became known as the First Continental Congress.

*The First Continental Congress agreed to the following measures to let Great Britain know they meant business: boycott British goods, arm themselves, and form trained militias, and appeal directly to King George III.

*The king seemed to be too dignified and important to be bothered with trivial demands by the menial colonists. King George III, the leader of Great Britain, continued to be bothered by the rebels in the 13 colonies. He refused to allow for colonist representation in Parliament. He did nothing to pacify the American colonists and continued to disregard their requests.

*Enough was enough, American colonists stockpiled weapons in Concord, Massachusetts, outside Boston. Then fighting began. The first battles occurred outside Boston, in Lexington and Concord. It is often called The Shot Heard Around the World as 13 colonies decided to challenge the mighty British Empire. Paul Revere, one of the Sons of Liberty, warned colonists, The British are coming!

*This was truly a mismatched battle from the start, but the outcome was monumental. Farmers and shopkeepers responded to Paul Reveres call to arms by being ready to fight at a minutes notice, earning them the nickname Minutemen. Seventy Minutemen were waiting for the British soldiers at the Village Green, on April 19, 1775. Historians are still uncertain about which side fired the first shot. Approximately 50 American colonists were killed and 45 were wounded or missing; the British, on the other hand, lost approximately 65 soldiers and 208 were wounded or missing. The battle was a humiliating defeat for the British, who had more organized, highly trained militias. However, they didnt use guerilla warfare as the Minutemen chose to do and thus the British were unprepared for ambushes and easily slaughtered.

*This is an excerpt from Timothy Newells diary. At 10 of the clock last night, the Kings troops marched out from the bottom of the common, crossed over to Phips Farm, marched on till they came to Lexington. Timothy Newell (1775)

*Many British soldiers felt bad about shooting their countrymen. Listen to Captain Parkers words.

*It was time to make the split from Great Britain official. After the initial battles of the war, the Second Continental Congress convened in May 1775 in Philadelphia to call for an official separation from Britain. A committee including Thomas Jefferson was selected to write a draft of all the reasons the colonists wanted complete separation from Britain. Jefferson was chosen by congressional vote to draft the document.*A new country was about to be born. Thomas Jefferson was the unanimous choice to draft the document that would become the Birth Certificate of the United States, the Declaration of Independence. Benjamin Franklin and John Adams aided Jefferson with Declaration revisions. The document clearly listed colonists rights and their grievances against King George III.

*John Hancock, as President of the Second Continental Congress, wanted the king to know he meant business. He signed the Declaration in very large letters to send a message to King George III, signing in large print so King George could read it without his glasses. Any colonist whose signature appeared on the document and who was apprehended by British soldiers or officials would be hanged in public as a warning to other colonists. This possible horrible death was worth the risk to the men who signed The Declaration of Independence. In the words attributed to Benjamin Franklin, We must all now hang together, or most assuredly we will all hang separately.

*Many of the phrases that Jefferson included in the Declaration of Independence came from the works of the British political philosopher John Locke. Several of the Declarations quotes are well-known by most Americans even today. Some edited to match todays punctuation rules include: We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights and that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

*The Declaration put into words what many revolutionaries were feeling. There were bonfires, ringing bells, with other great demonstrations of joy upon the unanimity and agreement of the Declaration. Christopher Marshall (1776)

*When teams were divided up to pick sides in the battle, American colonists were split. One-third were for the Revolution; they called themselves Patriots. One-third who named themselves Loyalists were against it. One-third apparently didnt care to choose sides. When it was all said and done, two major groups of the War emerged. The first lineup included the Patriots fighting against King George III. The second group were the Loyalists teamed up with the kings Red Coats, called Lobsterbacks, fighting against the Patriots. *Signing the Declaration of Independence wasnt a task for the weak or fragile. Many of the men were opening themselves and their families up to great suffering and tribulation. Its interesting to note what happened to some of them. Five were captured by the British Army, approximately twelve had their homes ransacked and burned, one lost his son in the Continental Army, and several suffered wounds in various battles during the Revolutionary War.

*The British had one of the most powerful armies in the world at this time. The men who served in the British Army of North America were well-equipped with state of the art weapons. They were also well-trained, well-disciplined, and strong. They endured daily drilling which included maneuvers with heavy weapons. One Brown Bess rifle and bayonet weighed about 11 pounds 4 ounces. Their Navy was also world-renowned for its strength in artillery, speed of their warships, and training of their men. *American soldiers may not have had all the high tech toys and creature comforts that the British did, but they had one advantage. The American soldiers were known for their superior rifle technology and sharp shooting skills, even back then. The British Brown Bess rifle was not as accurate as the American Pennsylvania and Kentucky rifles. The British also carried three days provisions, so their gear weighed about 100 pounds. Therefore, although the Americans were outnumbered by the British Army and Navy and had fewer weapons, they were quicker, had better guns, were excellent shots, and had great strength and endurance.*The Americans were truly rebels in all sense of the word. The American Army knew the lay of the land, useful for guerilla warfare. Most carried tomahawks, not bayonets, which were unwieldy in the heavily wooded areas. The tomahawks and short-blade swords were much more useful during battles in tight quarters than the British troops bayonets, giving the Patriots the advantage. They didnt have the time, money or woman-power to have proper uniforms hand-sewn, so they wore a combination of mix and match uniforms. George Washington, voted in as General Washington to lead the troops, preferred brown army clothing.

*It seems like the British had an unfair advantage over the Americans. They had ample experience in world affairs; as previously mentioned, they were well-equipped, highly disciplined, and had the worlds strongest navy. But the Americans proved to be a different opponent than traditional armies worldwide.

*The American underdogs werent out of the competition. Americans were especially blessed with accuracy in shooting rifles. They had local knowledge of the land and Native American weapons and tactics. From the Native Americans, they had learned how to use the tomahawk and guerilla warfare strategies. Finally, the Americans had a superb military command with General Washington.*Watch this clip from The Patriot to see an example of American tactics.

*Different entries in British diaries are quite useful in understanding the difficulties the British faced by fighting Americans as seen in the statements made by British soldiers. One of the quotes are Damn those Americans. They will not stand and fight. Listen to the soldiers quote.

*George Washington wasnt a one-man band. He was assisted by other American military leaders, including top strategist Nathanael Greene and artillery expert Henry Knox, both of whom excelled at a variety of military tasks.

*The English didnt exactly find America an ideal vacation spot to hold a war. Great Britains military leaders, such as General Charles Cornwallis and General John Burgoyne often considered America one of the least desirable places to serve. The dense forests and seasonally extreme heat offered major obstacles to traditional warfare.

*Some historians refer to the American Revolution as a World War, because other countries participated in the American Revolution including France, Spain, Germany, and Poland. The leaders of each country either had already claimed part of America or wanted some of the land for themselves. The French, especially, were instrumental in helping the American Army win the War because they had settled parts of the country in the South over a century before the English settlers arrived in the East. The Marquis de Lafayette was a Frenchman who supported the American cause and was a major leading hero of the Revolution. Also, a huge percentage of American gunpowder came from France.*In addition to Lafayette, Polish and German leaders helped the Americans. In particular, Polish military engineer Thaddeus Kosciusko and German military commander and trainer of American Army troops Baron Friedrich von Steuben aided the American Armys cause.

*One doesnt think about the Revolutionary War being fought at sea, but approximately 3,000 men enlisted in the Colonial Navy. America built thirteen Frigates; however, all were destroyed or captured by the British Navy. The Colonial Navy was authorized by the Continental Congress on October 13, 1775. *The following battles, in chronological order, were instrumental for Americas victory: Fort Ticonderoga, Bunker Hill and Trenton. All are significant and special in their own way.

*The first of these major battles was at Fort Ticonderoga, in New York. It was located in a strategic area in that whoever controlled the fort also controlled vital troop movements. From Ticonderoga the American Army could deter British troops coming down from Canada. Military leader Ethan Allen and about 125 Green Mountain Boys, a branch of the American Army, attacked the fort in May 1775 and were victorious.

*This was the battle where there wasnt a single shot heard around the world. The Fort was taken without firing a shot. British officers and women and children were captured. Cannons were taken from Ticonderoga to Boston. The cannons from Ticonderoga would be dragged over rough terrain and would be used at future battles. Henry Knox was Americas top artillery commander and one of the major heroes of the Revolution. *Another important battle was one that the Americans lost, yet they felt triumphant. The Battle of Bunker Hill, actually fought on Breeds Hill just outside of Boston in June 1775, inspired the Americans to believe fully that they could stand up to the British Army. Although about 1,400 Army of New England soldiers occupied the defenses, and 2,500 Red Coats unsuccessfully charged the hill numerous times, the Red Coats defeated the American soldiers in the third charge only because the Americans ran out of ammunition. The Americans lost the Battle of Bunker Hill, but considered the battle a moral victory.

*The Battle of Bunker Hill was the costliest battle for the British in the eight-year war. British casualties numbered 1,054, while American casualties were 441. At this point, the British Empire realized they faced a full-scale war with the Americans. Two weeks after this battle, Washington took command of the American Army.

*The battle on Bunker Hill was furiously violent. The quote Dont fire until you see the whites of their eyes is often attributed to Israel Putnam, but sources are not completely in agreement. Regardless of who actually spoke the words, they have gone on to symbolize any soldier who is calm in the face of a seemingly insurmountable enemy.

*The third significant battle called the Battle of Trenton was a surprise attack by General Washington. Washington and his men crossed the Delaware on Christmas night 1776. They caught trained German soldiers, known as Hessians, napping early the next morning. Washingtons brilliant strategy led to a great American victory.

*The attack on Trenton gave the American Army their first great victory of the war with only four casualties. The Hessians had spent too much time celebrating the holidays and were caught off guard. Colonel Rall, the German leader, was mortally wounded during the surprise attack. Washington cleared the British from central New Jersey. *A host of other significant battles would take place between 1777 and 1781, including those at Saratoga, the winter at Valley Forge and Yorktown. They included both high and low points for the Americans.*A major turning point of the war occurred as a result of the Battle of Saratoga in October 1777. It was the biggest American victory at the time. British General Burgoyne surrendered to American General Horatio Gates. *Being prepared is more important than being comfortable as demonstrated in this excerpt. Listen.

*Valley Forge, Pennsylvania,saw the Americans in a battle not against the British but rather against nature. The winter of 1777-1778 was a time for Americans to regroup, re-supply, and train. The American Army had run out of food and clothing, and Washington had to appeal to Congress for help because supplies were quickly used up at Valley Forge. Also, the bitter cold added to the deaths of many exhausted, wounded, maimed, malnourished, and dispirited soldiers. The American Army reached a low point during this time. *Morale was an important issue for Valley Forge. Listen to Albigence Waldos thoughts.

*The end was in sight with the Battle of Yorktown. The Americans were aided by a French blockade making British escape impossible. British General Cornwallis faced American forces approximately twice his size and no where to go. *The last campaign of the Revolution took place in the south at Yorktown, Virginia, in 1781. About 8,700 British troops surrendered when the Americans and the French naval fleet pinned in the British in a series of brilliant strategic maneuvers. General Benjamin Lincoln accepted the surrender sword from a Cornwallis aide. The British bands played The World Turned Upside Down.*The Treaty of Paris in 1783 officially ended the American Revolution.

*The official end to the war came two years after Yorktown at the Treaty of Paris. The British commander, Cornwallis, was so humiliated by the defeat that he refused to meet with Washington for the formal surrender and sent an aide instead. The treaty set many geographic borders including that of the United States and Canada. Canada went to the British, but later the French won part of the country. Florida was returned to Spain.

*Penalties awaited those who had been loyal to the king or who did not support the Revolutionaries cause. For example, some Loyalists were tarred and feathered. Ships waited in numerous harbors to transport Loyalists back to Great Britain or to Canada. Many descendants of former Loyalists reside in Canada today.

*The country was in need of a new government and a written document to finalize it. The Articles of Confederation, written by John Dickinson in 1777 and ratified in 1781, served as Americas primary government between 1781-1787. Americans created a more perfect union with the creation of the United States Constitution.*This video clip examines the effectiveness of The Articles of Confederation.

*America was officially here to stay. The American Revolution was an eight-year struggle, but the outcome of the struggle would forever change the world. Its events are the subject of countless plays and films. On the battlefields, and in the meeting houses, lives were lost and heroes were made. More importantly, the Revolution led to the birth of a nation unlike any the world had seen before it.