1775-1783

Patrick Henry “Give Me Liberty or Give me Death”

He made a stirring cry that started the Revolutionary movement

Representatives from 12 of 13 colonies

Agree to: Continue boycott of British goods

Send petition to king

Support Massachusetts

SHOWS UNIFICATION OF

COLONIES

Lexington and Concord (April 1775)

Considered American Victory, “Shot heard around the World”, Started the Revolutionary War

Samuel Whittemore

Had fought in the French and Indian war with the British, and had captured a French sword during the war. He joined the Patriots during the Revolutionary War (80 years old). He saw the British march past on their way to Concord, and knew something was up. So he strapped on his sword, two pistols, and grabbed his musket. He waited, and heard rumors that the British were coming back and were burning towns as they went. When he saw the British heading back through the town, he took his table outside and set it up as a barricade. As soon as the British drew close, he stood up, fired his musket and two pistols and killed three men. The British were on him before he could reload, so he started fighting with the sword. A British officer fired and shot him through the cheek; they then stabbed him 12 times with their bayonets to make sure he was dead. They left, and the other townspeople came to get his body. To their shock, he was still alive and trying to reload his musket. The doctor did the best he could with the injuries, but didn’t have much hope. Samuel Whittemore lived another 18 years, and continued fighting.

**Oldest known Colonial Combat in the Revolutionary War

Paul Revere

“One if by land, two if by sea”

Two Lanterns were lit, Paul Revere goes to Lexington to warn Samuel Adams and John Hancock and the colonists that “The Regulars are coming!” He gets caught at Lexington and Prescott goes to Concord to warn them and hide the ammunition.

**Think Johnny Tremain

Bunker Hill (Breed’s Hill, June 1775) “Don’t fire until you see the white’s of their eyes” British Victory because the Americans run out of

ammunition. British and Colonists suffer lots of casualties.

Battle of Bunker Hill Video

General Howe William Howe was a British General who was Commander-in-Chief of British forces during the American Revolutionary. Howe's record in the war was marked by the costly assault on Breed's Hill known as the Battle of Bunker Hill and the successful capture of New York City and Philadelphia - the latter of which would have significant strategic implications

Continental Army (American Army) The Continental Congress had established the

Continental Army, but they relied on the states to recruit soldiers; they didn’t want to force the 13 colonies to do anything, after throwing off the rule of the British Parliament. Soldiers only had to enlist for 1 year. Washington asked for longer enlistments so he’d have more soldiers; Continental Congress offered 3 year enlistments and length of war, but most still chose 1 year.

COMMON SENSE

by Thomas Paine

•WRITTEN IN LANGUAGE

THAT EVERYONE CAN

UNDERSTAND

•RALLYS COMMON MAN

TO SUPPORT WAR CAUSE

•SOLD OVER 100,000

COPIES IN TWO MONTHS

Second Continental Congress • Authorized the printing of money

• Set up a Post Office

• Created Continental Army (George Washington was chosen to lead it)

• Sent Olive Branch Petition to King George III telling him they wanted peace; asked him to protect colonists rights(which parliament wouldn’t) • George III rejected the Olive Branch Petition and

hired 30,000 German troops(Hessians) to send to America to fight for the British.

Declaration of Independence (July 4, 1776) Best Break Up Letter EVER

4 Parts:

Preamble

Declaration of Natural Rights “We hold these truths to be self-evident that

all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable (not to be denied) rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

List of Grievances (Complaints about the King)

Resolution of Natural Rights (Saying they’re Independent) and the 56 Signatures…John Hancock’s is the biggest he said “I will sign so big King George can read it without his glasses”

Sometimes when a relationship between two nations becomes difficult, one of those nations must break away, and , as a proper gesture to the world community, that country should state the reasons for this separation.

When you break up… it is socially expected that the person writing the break up letter should list the reasons why they are breaking up.

What does the Preamble say?

“We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable (not to be denied) rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

We believe that it should be clear that people everywhere are equal and have God- given rights to Life, Freedom, and pursuing their own form of happiness. These cannot be taken away.

Governments are created to protect peoples rights (not the other way around)

If the government is not protecting peoples rights then the people have the right to change or get rid of it

But only for super serious reasons

What does the Declaration of natural rights say?

He has not support our laws that we need and are good for us He has ignored, suspended, and dissolved our law-making bodies. He has sent over his red coats to watch us closely, made us provide for their

keep, and won’t let us put on trial those soldiers who commit crimes. He has taken away from us trial by jury, He has cut off our trade with other countries He has taxed us without our voting on it He has taken away our ways of governing our own colonies He as waged war on us He has destroyed our towns, our shores, and disrupted our sea commerce He has brought over to fight against us hired soldiers from another country

and encouraged the Indians to take up arms against us. He has continued to ignore our humble appeals and petitions to make things

right (olive branch petition) He is unfit to be our king. He doesn’t care about or listen to us!!!

What is the List of Grievances

We announce that we are free and independent states, with no loyalty or connection to the King. Therefore, we can wage war, bring about peace, Make friends abroad, perform all other actions an independent nation can do. We support this Declaration with our lives, our money, and our honor.

We declare freedom!!! We are single and not in a relationship with you anymore

What does the Resolution say?

Author: Thomas Jefferson

Where did they get their ideas?

• “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”

• “That among these are life, liberty,

and the pursuit of happiness”

Signing The Declaration of Independence on July 4th 1776

Five were captured by the British, though eventually released

Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned

One lost his son in the Continental Army

Several suffered wounds in various battles

What happened to those that signed?

Youtube: Too Late to Apologize: A Declaration https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZfRaWAtBVg

Women Help in the War Effort:

Molly Pitcher

Mary Ludwig, nicknamed Molly Pitcher because she would bring pitchers of water to the men fighting. When her husband collapsed from exhaustion, she continued to fire his cannon. One story says that an enemy cannon passed between her legs and she merely said, “Good thing it wasn’t any higher!”

Deborah Sampson

She watched her brothers go off to war and wanted to join them; disguised herself as a boy and enlisted as Robert Shurtleff. Other soldiers teased her for not being old enough to shave. She was wounded in a battle, but treated her wounds so she wouldn’t be discovered; later she had a fever, and the doctor found out she was a woman. She was honorably discharged.

Battle of Long Island (August 1776) Long Island, NY

General Howe lead troops into NY the sheer numbers of the British Troops vs Continental Army won the war. (32,000 British vs. 20,000 Americans) The Americans were destroyed and forced to retreat to New Jersey than to Pennsylvania.

British Victory

George Washington As the American Army is heading into the Winter of

1776-1777 George Washington states: “The spirits of the People have shrunk. Without fresh troops, I think the game is pretty near up.” He knew they needed a Victory soon.

More on Washington Founding father

Member of the Continental Congress

Commander-in-chief of the Continental Army

Presiding officer of the Constitutional Convention

First President of the United States.

African Americans join the war effort Washington pleaded for more troops. Southern states

didn’t want African Americans to join the army and get guns; some states ignored the ban and enlisted them anyways in order to get more soldiers. (5,000 African Americans joined the patriots). They fought to earn their freedom.

African Americans in the War

5,000 black men served in the Continental Army, and hundreds more served on the sea.

African American Patriots fought in every major battle of the Revolutionary War.

When the American Revolution ended, most African Americans were denied the promises of liberty that were written in the Declaration.

Trenton and Princeton (December 25, 1776-January 3, 1777) British Troops are in Albany, NY for the winter of 1776, they left some troops in New Jersey; armies in Europe usually paused their wars during they winter. Washington devises a plan to attack 900 German mercenaries (Hessians) in NJ in an attempt to catch the British off guard. They captured more than 900 Hessians in Trenton. On January 3rd 1777 they drove the British of Princeton as well. One British Soldier wrote, “A few days ago the Americans had given up the cause for lost. Their late successes have turned the scale and now they are all liberty mad again.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KF-Y7s_YIAU

American Victory

Washington Crossing the Delaware

What the Delaware really looks like

Even after the big wins at Trenton and Princeton the Americans still have some problems

No way to combat the British Navy and re supply ships

They need foreign help

They send Ben Franklin to France to ask for support

The French are hesitant to join because they were just humiliated by Britain in the French and Indian war and don’t want to join a losing cause.

Need Help?

Most powerful army in the world

More weapons and supplies

More experience (training and discipline)

More soldiers

Greatest Navy in the world

British Advantages

Knew the geography of the land (home field advantage)

Used Guerrilla warfare

Better Leaders

Move committed to their cause

Patriot Advantages

1st British Plan for Victory British planned to take Albany,

New York and Hudson River, and separate New England from the Middle Colonies. Sent General Burgoyne with 8,000 troops south from Canada, Lieutenant St. Leger moved east from Lake Ontario, and General Howe moved north from New York City. Planned to meet in Albany and destroy Patriot troops.

3 pronged attack on Albany:

Battle of Oriskany (August 1777) St. Leger’s force was halted at Fort Stanwix in New

York. American troops, led by Benedict Arnold, forced defeated the British at the Battle of Oriskany.

American Victory

1 prong down 2 to go

Leger was a British army

officer. St. Leger was active in the Saratoga campaign commanding an invasion force that unsuccessfully besieged Fort Stanwix

Benedict Arnold was a general during the Revolutionary war who

originally fought for the American Continental Army but went to the British Army. While a general on the American side, he obtained command of the fortifications at West Point, NY, overlooking the cliffs at the Hudson River (upriver from British- occupied NYC), and planned to surrender it to the British forces. After the plan was exposed in September 1780, he was commissioned into the British Army as a brigadier general.

Brandywine, Paoli, Germantown Before the attack on Albany, Howe sought to capture

Philadelphia– the home of the Continental Congress. Howe won battles in September 1777 (at Brandywine and Paoli right near Philadelphia). Then in October 1777 Howe won at Germantown which allowed them to capture Philadelphia, forcing the Continental Congress to flee. **Howe and his army stayed in Philadelphia instead of going to Albany. 2 prongs down 1 to go.

British took over Philadelphia (American Capital)

British Victory

General Burgoyne General Burgoyne’s army moved very

slowly, because Burgoyne had 30 wagons full of luxury food and clothes (hard to get through forests). Americans chopped down trees across the path. 800 men were sent to get more supplies, but they were easily defeated by a local militia group (red uniforms stood out in forest). Retreated to Saratoga.

Saratoga (October 1777) Expected back up, but neither of the other two armies arrived. Burgoyne couldn’t go south, because General Gates blocked the path and kept forcing him back to Saratoga. On October 17, 1777, Burgoyne surrendered; over 5,700 British soldiers handed their weapons to the Americans. General Howe resigned, and was replaced by General Henry Clinton.

American Victory

General Clinton was a British army

officer and politician, best known for his service as a general during the Revolutionary War. First arriving in Boston in May 1775, from 1778 to 1782 he was the British Commander and Chief in North America.

Valley Forge http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92KZNSt5j2U

Washington declared that no army had ever put up with “such uncommon hardships” with such spirit. “Naked and starving as they are” he wrote, “we cannot enough admire the incomparable patience and faithfulness of the soldiery.”

“We had a hard duty to perform, and little or no strength to perform it with.” –Joseph Martin

“The only alternative I had, was to endure this inconvenience or to go barefoot, as hundreds of my companions had to, till they might be tracked by their blood upon the rough frozen ground.”-Joseph Martin

When General William Howe and his British troops took Philadelphia in September of 1777, General Washington was forced to make winter camp about 20 miles from Philadelphia at Valley Forge.

It was a miserable winter for the 10,000 soldiers of the Continental Army at Valley Forge. Many soldiers lacked shoes and warm clothing. Food was scarce. Diseases such as smallpox and typhoid fever swept through the camp. 2500 men died that winter from the cold, disease and malnutrition.

During this winter, General Lafayette joined the Continental Army, without pay, and impressed the troops and Washington by living under the same conditions as the soldiers.

Another important addition to the Continental Army was Baron Friedrich von Steuben. He knew how to train an army. Even under the hardships of the camp, he drilled the soldiers repeatedly during the winter so that by springtime the Continental Army had become a strong and disciplined fighting force.

Not a battle of men and arms, but of will, power, and stamina

Foreign Help

Baron Von Steuben was a Prussian-born military officer who

served as inspector general and Major General of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. He is credited with being one of the fathers of the Continental Army in teaching them the essentials of military drills, tactics, and disciplines. He wrote the Revolutionary War Drill Manual, the book that served as the standard United States drill manual until the War of 1812. He served as General George Washington’s Chief of Staff in the final years of the war.

Marquis de Lafayette was a French aristocrat and military officer

born in south central France. Lafayette was a general in the American Revolutionary War and a leader of the Garde nationale during the French Revolution.

In the American Revolution, Lafayette served as a major-general in the Continental Army under George Washington. Wounded during the Battle of Brandywine, he still managed to organize a successful retreat. In the middle of the war, he returned to France to negotiate an increase in French Support. On his return, he blocked troops led by Cornwallis at Yorktown while the armies of Washington and those sent by King Louis XVI prepared for battle against the British.

Haym Salomon Polish-born, Jewish immigrant to the colonies. When Revolution broke out, he was a financial

broker in New York, and he was a Son of Liberty. In 1776 the British took New York; five days later, 25% of the city was burned (493 houses) making it

difficult for the British to house their troops. He was arrested by the British for his involvement. He let the British know that he spoke German, so he was pardoned (forgiven) and used as an interpreter by the British for their German troops. Salomon worked as a spy for the Americans. He helped prisoners of the British escape, and

encouraged over 500 of the German soldiers to desert. Arrested again in 1778 for being a spy, and was sentenced to death. Salomon bribed the guard and

escaped to Philadelphia where he once again opened a brokerage business, as Congress was struggling to finance the war.

Haym’s ability to handle money made him very valuable to Congress; they had him start handling their finances. He did this for free, and made many personal loans to the war effort which were never repaid.

George Washington needed more money ($20,000) for the Battle of Yorktown; Congress told him there was no more money, and he said, “Send for Haym Salomon.” Salomon came through and raised the necessary money, allowing Washington to win the Battle of Yorktown (final decisive battle of Revolution)

Salomon continued to help finance the new country, and died in bankruptcy, because Congress never had the money to repay him. December 15, 1941 a statue was finally built of him (Depression stopped it before) in Chicago. Under

Salomon is says, “Haym Salomon – Gentleman, Scholar, Patriot. A banker whose only interest was the interest of his Country.”

Battle of Kegs (David Bushnell) David Bushnell, an American inventor

during the Revolution, thought of trying sea mines. In 1777, he filled kegs (barrels) full of gun powder and spring-triggered them to detonate on impact. He then floated a bunch of these kegs down the river towards Philadelphia, hoping to hit a British fleet. The British saw the kegs coming, and thought that there were Americans inside, ready to jump out once they landed. They fired on them, and the kegs exploded; British realized they were mines and so fired upon all the kegs that came down the river.

Native Americans in the War Who do you think the native Americans sided with?

British or Americans? Why?

War in the west: Kaskaskia and Vincennes Lieutenant Colonel George Rogers Clark led the

Virginia militia (175 men) down the Ohio River in July 1778. They then marched 120 miles, and seized the British fort in Kaskaskia, Illinois. Then they took the British town Vincennes, Indiana. The British were able to recapture the town when Clark left that December, so in February 1779 Clark came back and forced Hamilton to surrender (again).

American Victory

Henry Hamilton Henry Hamilton commanded the

British troops in the west, and he was known as the “Hair Buyer” because he would pay Native Americans for the scalps of American settlers.

Battle at Sea British blockade American Harbors, so American

privateers helped capture enemy ships (they’re like pirates)

The Battle of “Serapis” (John Paul Jones) Naval officer who obtained an old French ship from

Benjamin Franklin (Bonhomme Richard) and began raiding British ports in 1777. While sailing along the coast of Great Britain in 1779, he met a British warship, Serapis (escorting merchant ships). Moved in close to the British and began firing; fought for more than three hours. Jones’s ship was soon so badly damaged that the British asked him if he wished to surrender. Jones said, “I have not yet begun to fight.” The Serapis surrendered, making John Paul Jones a naval hero (even though his ship sank soon after the battle finished). American Victory

2nd British Plan for Victory Take the South! There are more loyalists there!

Savannah, Charles Town, Camden= British Victory 1778: Henry Clinton sent 3,500 British troops to

Savannah, Georgia and easily took the city and most of the state.

1780: Clinton headed to Charles Town, South Carolina with a large army and took the city in May. Took thousands of prisoners. Worst American defeat of the war. “We look on America as at our feet.” (Parliament member)

Clinton returned to New York and left General Charles Cornwallis in command of the South. In August 1780 he fought General Gates in Camden and won.

Francis Marion The “Swamp Fox.” Led a small,

expert fighting force in South Carolina that would stage surprise attacks on the British, sabotage communication and supply lines, and rescue American prisoners; then he would withdraw into the swamps and forests so that the British couldn’t find him.

King’s Mountain, Cowpens, Guilford Courthouse= American Victory Problems for the British: less help from Loyalists than expected,

and Patriots would attack the British as they marched, and then disappear quickly (guerrilla warfare).

British marched north and were defeated in September 1780 at Kings Mountain (Patriot sharpshooters).

October 1780: Nathanael Greene became commander of Patriots in the South. He split the army in two, rather than lead an all-out attack on Cornwallis. January 1781: General Morgan defeated the British in Cowpens,

South Carolina. Reunited troops to meet Cornwallis at Guilford Courthouse, North

Carolina where Greene inflicted so many losses on the British that Cornwallis abandoned his Carolina campaign. Cornwallis marched north and settled in Yorktown, Virginia and awaited further orders.

Yorktown August-October 1781 The last major battle of the American

Revolution was fought at Yorktown. Washington learned that the French

Admiral de Grasse was sailing to Virginia to prevent the British army under the command of General Cornwallis from leaving Yorktown. He and the French General Rochambeau rushed their troops to Yorktown to trap the British and prevent them from escaping over land.

Cornwallis was surrounded. The American and French troops gradually closed in on him.

Cornwallis surrendered to Washington on Oct 19, 1781.

American Victory

General Cornwallis British general and

colonial governor served with distinction in American Revolution, won battle of Brandywine, captured Philadelphia in 1777 and Charleston in 1780, forced to surrender to Washington at Yorktown in 1781 ending the war.

Outcomes of the Battle of Yorktown

The Colonial army wins the WAR!!!

Colonists are free of British Rule! No more King!

They are their own country

Treaty of Paris(1783) THE WAR ENDS WITH THESE CONDITIONS

“free, sovereign and independent states”

British must remove all troops from forts

Boundary for United States is the Mississippi

Loyalist would have rights and property protected

captured slaves must be returned to owners

How did Americans win the War? Fought on their own land, while British had to bring troops and

supplies thousands of miles (depended on support from the sea – Americans could block ships) British succeeded in occupying cities, but couldn’t control countryside –

Americans knew where to lay an ambush

Had help from other nations (Yorktown wouldn’t have worked without French soldiers and ships); money, men, supplies, ships, etc. Spanish attacked the British in the Mississippi Valley and Gulf of Mexico

Movement of the people: didn’t depend on one battle or even, but on the determination and spirit of the Patriots. Washington pointed at crowds cheering American soldiers as they marched

towards Yorktown and said, “We may be beaten by the English…but here is an army they will never conquer.”

George Washington contributes the win to spies! (Nathan Hale, Haym Salomon)

How did they Spy? Spy Lab

Nathan Hale “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my

country.”

He was hanged after the battle of Long Island.