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Britain Americans
Advantages ? ?
Disadvantages ? ?
Opposing Sides
Opposing Sides
By mid August of 1776, 32,000 British troops had arrived
Controlled by William Howe
Continental Army=230,000
Rarely had more than 20,000 at a time
Opposing Sides
Paying for the war became a problem for colonies
Continental Congress couldn’t tax
Robert Morris helped fund the Cont. Army
Setup loans and helped establish the Bank of North America to help finance the military
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 American
s
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.
Phase I: The Northern Campaign[1775-1776]
Crown Point
Capturing of Fort Ticonderoga
Fort Ticonderoga 1775
Fort Ticonderoga
Battle of Quebec 1775
Battle of Quebec 1775
Phase II:
NY & PA[1777-1778]
The Northern Campaign[1777-1778]
Britain wanted to take New York City to crush the will of the colonial rebels
Continental Congress asked George Washington to defend NYC
Troops were inexperienced so the British easily took NYC
Washington and his troops retreated
Nathan Hale=U.S. spy was captured and hanged “ I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country”
British established NYC as their headquarters for the rest of the war
New York City in Flames(1776)
Crossing the DelawareBattle of White Plains
Washington is forced to retreat again
British heads toward Philadelphia/ instead of following retreating colonial forces
Washington reaches Penn.=British had stopped their advance and est. winter quarters in N.J.
On Dec. 25, 1776, Washington led 2,400 troops across the icy Delaware River
Won two small victories at Trenton and Princeton
SETTLED IN HILLS OF N.J. FOR WINTER
Battle of White Plains
Washington Crossing the Delaware
Painted by Emanuel Leutze, 1851
Battle of Trenton
Battle of Trenton
Battle of Trenton
Battle of Princeton
Battle of Princeton
Battle of Princeton
Philadelphia FallsGen. John Burgoyne devised a three-pronged attack of New York (March 1777)
Attack NY from the North, South, and West
Wasn’t carried out
In Spring of 1777, Gen. Howe took 13,000 troops and attacked Philadelphia from the South (Maryland)
Defeated Washington at the Battle of Brandywine Creek
Captured Philadelphia
Continental Congress escaped and Howe failed to destroy C.A.
Retreated to VALLEY FORGE
Battle of Brandywine Creek
Valley Forge
Valley Forge
Valley Forge
Valley Forge
Valley Forge
Bitter cold and food shortages killed nearly 2,500 men
Two European military officers joined Washington and helped improve discipline and boost morale
1. Marquis de Lafayette (France)2. Baron Friedrich von Steuben
(Prussia)
France Enters the WarGen. Burgoyne in June of 1777, attacks New York from the North (Quebec) with 8,000 troops
800 British troops and 1,000 Iroquois attacked Albany from the east=defeated by Benedict Arnold
He won a few early victories but were unable to defeat Americans in upper NY
With his supplies dwindling and him being unable to defeat the militia
Surrendered at Saratoga
Turning point of the WAR!!!!!!
Saratoga: “Turning Point” of the War?
A modern-day re-enactment
Saratoga
Saratoga
Saratoga
War in the West
In 1778, George Rogers Clark took 175 troops down the Ohio River and captured several towns
Gave Americans control of the region
Various Indian Groups joined w/ British and fought against the Americans
Most suffered defeats and had villages and towns destroyed
France Enters the War
France and Spain had been sending weapons to the Americans
U.S. now wanted troops from FranceFrench didn’t want to get involved until they new the Americans could win
Battle of Saratoga Victory=French alliance w/ U.S.
Feb.6, 1778, U.S. signed two treaties1st France recognizes U.S. as an independent nation
2nd Alliance b/w France and U.S.
War at Sea
American ships attacked British merchant ships=disrupt trade
Congress issued letters of marque=licenses to private ships authorizing them to attack merchant ships (Brit.)
Seized millions of dollars of cargo
Most famous naval battle= John Paul Jones Bonhomme Richard vs. Serapis and Countess of Scarbrough, Sept. 1779
Jones “I have not yet begun to fight.”
3hrs of fighting=British surrendered
Bonhomme Richard vs. Serapis and Countess of Scarbrough, Sept. 1779
Bonhomme Richard vs. Serapis and Countess of Scarbrough, Sept.
1779
John Paul Jones“I have not yet begun to fight.”
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 [similar to U. S. failures in Vietnam!]
Good US General:Nathanial Greene
The Southern CampaignBritish defeat at Saratoga=Gen. Howe resigned
Replaced by Sir Henry Clinton
In Dec. 1778, British captured Savannah, GA
Gen. Clinton the attacks Charles Town, SC
About 14,000 troops surround the city
On May 12, 1780, Americans surrendered
5,500 Americans captured=biggest defeat
The Southern Campaign
Upset the “over-the-mountain” men, put together a militia
Battle of Kings Mountain
Defeated Ferguson and destroyed his army
Turning point of Southern Campaign
Gen. Nathaniel GreeneHoped to wear down British while militia destroyed supply lines
Carried out hit-in-run raids against British camps and supply wagons
Francis Marion “Swamp Fox”=leader of most famous militia
Nathaniel Greene
Battle of King’s Mountain
Battle of King’s Mountain
The Southern CampaignIn Spring of 1781, Gen. Cornwallis decided to invade VA
Linked up w/ Benedict Arnold’s (traitor) forces
Began to conquer VA
In June 1781, Americans led by Gen. Anthony Wayne forced Cornwallis to retreat to Yorktown
Cornwallis wanted to protect supplies and maintain communications by sea
The Southern CampaignWashington and Rochambeau rushed to VA
French fleet was arriving from the Caribbean
On Sept. 28, 1781, American and French forces surrounded Yorktown
On Oct. 14 Alexander Hamilton captured key British defenses
On Oct. 19, 1781, Gen. Cornwallis and 8,000 British troops surrendered
END OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
The Battle of Yorktown (1781)
Count de Rochambeau
AdmiralDe Grasse
The Battle of Yorktown (1781)
The Battle of Yorktown (1781)
Cornwallis’ Surrender at Yorktown:
Painted by John Trumbull, 1797
“The World Turned Upside Down!”
Reasons for American Success
Americans were more motivated
British were overconfident
Time was on the side of the Americans
Americans fought along side the British's most hated rival the French
North America After theTreaty of Paris, 1783
