Strengths and Weaknesses

1
Strengths and Weaknesses

• Americans
• Strengths
• Opposite of British weaknesses
• Familiar terrain
• Used tactics from French and Indian War
• Weaknesses
• Washington never absolutely sure of numbers as
  troops would leave after their term was up. New
  troops would arrive but it was uncertain as to
  how many.
• Americans lacked a well supplied resources in
  troops

2
Fighting in the North

• Summer of 1776 British strategy was to
  concentrate on the middle colonies.
• British attacked and captured New York
• Continental Army driven from New York to PA
• Congress fled Philadelphia as they were afraid
  for their own safety.

3
The Crisis

• December 1776 Paine writes another pamphlet to
  inspire colonists called The Crisis
• These are the times that try mens souls. The
  summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in
  this crisis, shrink from the service of their
  country but he who 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.
• - Thomas Paine

4
Trenton and Princeton

• Traditionally Armies did not fight during the
  winter which was an unwritten rule.
• At Trenton and Princeton in Dec 1776, and Jan
  1777 Washington broke this rule.
• On Christmas Night 1776, Washington took some
  2,400 troops across the Delaware River to Trenton
  and captured about 1,400 Hessians nearly the
  entire force. This was the Battle of Trenton
• He left fires burning in his camp to let the
  British think that his army was still there.

5
Princeton

• A few days after the Battle of Trenton,
  Washington marched his troops (approximately
  5,000) on a cold and icy night time march
• They were attacked by the British the next
  morning by the British under general Charles
  Cornwallis
• The Americans repelled the attack.
• Victories at Trenton and Princeton served to
  greatly boost the troops morale and convinced
  more colonist to join the war effort.

6
British Attack from the North

• July 1777, Howe moves his 15,000 troops south
  from NY to Philadelphia to attack the Continental
  Army
• British win battles of Brandywine (outskirts of
  Phila) and Germantown

7
Saratoga

• At the time Howe attacked Philadelphia , Burgoyne
  brought troops out of Canada that included
  English, Canadian, Native American and foreign
  troops.
• Burgoyne, with about 8,000 troops attacked and
  recaptured Ticonderoga with a plan to move
  southeast to Albany. By doing this, they would
  cut off New England from the rest of the colonies
• In retreating, the colonists downed trees and
  destroyed bridges making the journey slow for the
  British

8
Saratoga

• As the British retreat was slowed, the
  Continental Army was gaining numbers.
• In Mid-September 1777, The Americans under the
  command of Horatio Gates attacked the British
• These attacks took place near Saratoga New York
  and was won by the Americans in October.
• This major American victory might have been the
  turning point of the war.

9
European Allies

• France had secretly aided the Americans
  throughout the war
• Despite this, the continental congress sent
  Benjamin Franklin to Paris to gain open alliance
  from France
• Feb 1778, France signed the Treaty of Alliance
  with the Colonies
• France would supply money, troops, naval help,
  and supplies.
• In fighting France, Britain would now have to
  defend itself in Europe.
• Spain, and the Netherlands also joined the fight
  against the British.

10
European Allies

• Other Europeans had volunteered to fight for the
  colonies or help them before the Treaty of
  Alliance
• Marquis de Lafayette and Johan de Kalb of France
  both became generals in the American army.
• Polish military engineer Thaddeus Kosciusko
  helped build defenses
• German Baron Friederich von Steuben successfully
  trained forces in the Continental army.

11
Winning the War

• While the British were able to occupy almost
  every colonial city, Washington knew that the
  colonies could still win the war
• They had to simply continue fighting and outlast
  the British
• The Winter of 1777-1778 was a winter of hardship
  for the Americans. While the British were in
  Philadelphia, well fed and warm, the Continental
  Army was at Valley Forge PA
• Colonial Army had little food, shelter, or
  supplies. Many did not even have shoes

12
Financing the War

• Part of the reason for the hardship was money
• States were asked to help finance supplies but
  they had no ability to raise money through
  taxation
• Paper money was made but was not backed by gold.
  Should the British win the war, the money would
  be worthless
• In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania farmers sold to the
  British in gold as it was more money than the
  paper the colonial army could pay.

13
Colonists Hardships

• British set blockades to prevent American imports
  and exports
• Since even necessities were scarce, many
  colonists took advantage and engaged in
  profiteering, selling basic and scarce items at
  unusually high prices.
• This combination of hardships caused inflation,
  which is a steady increase in prices over time
  which reduces the consumers ability to spend.

14
The war in the South and West

• Spring 1778, Patriot forces under George Rogers
  Clark start fighting the British in the Illinois
  and Indiana territories
• By late summer, Patriot forces had captured all
  of these territories with the help of French
  settlers
• The British came back with more men, but Clark
  convinced the native americans to part with the
  British and remain in control of the Ohio Valley

15
War in the South

• 1779 focus of the war shirfted to the south
• British seized Savannah, GA in 1778 and
  Charleston SC in 1780
• War in the South was brutal because many who
  fought for the British were tories.
• The Patriots won the battle of Kings Mountain on
  the Carolina border, and Cowpens in the same
  area.
• The British, led by Cornwallis headed northeast
  and won the battle of Guilford Courthouse in NC
  in March of 1781

16
War in the South

• Cornwallis headed towards Wilmington NC, and
  received reinforcements by sea
• Under the General Marquis de Lafayette, the
  Patriots were waiting in Virginia, where they
  too, were awaiting reinforcements

17
Yorktown

• Washington brought troops to the south from NY
• The French Navy set up a blockade of the coast of
  Virginia and successfully drove off the British
• Cornwallis, on the peninsula of Yorktown, now
  faced an army twice his size.
• In October fighting broke out at the Battle of
  Yorktown
• Cornwallis was trapped on the peninsula with no
  escape There were no reinforcements from the
  British Navy who had been driven off by the
  French
• On October 18, 1781, Cornwallis surrendered to
  Washington

18
Treaty of Paris

• Treaty signed nearly two years after the
  surrender at Yorktown
• Included 4 countries England, France, Spain and
  the United States
• 6 major provisions
• 1. Great Britain recognized the independence of
  the United States of America
• 2. The northern border between the United States
  and Canada extended from New England to the
  Mississippi river and primarily along the Great
  Lakes
• 3.The Mississippi River was established as a
  boundary between the United States and the
  Spanish territory to the West
• 4. Florida, gained from the British after the
  French and Indian war was returned to the Spanish
• 5. Great Britain would withdraw its troops from
  United States territory
• 6. Congress pledged to recommend to the states
  that the rights of American Loyalists be restored
  and that no future action be taken against them.
  Persecution of the Tories continued long after
  the war.