The American Revolution

1
The American Revolution

• First Shots to Major Battles

2
Fighting Breaks Out

• First Continental Congress decides to continue
  boycotts and form militias
• British troops march toward Concord to destroy
  weapons stockpile
• Battles of Lexington and Concord marked the start
  of the war

3
Documents of the Revolution

• Common Sense was written by Thomas Paine
• Declaration of Independence written by Thomas
  Jefferson at the Second Continental Congress
• Jefferson used the ideas of Enlightenment
  thinkers such as John Locke (called for natural
  rights)

Thomas Paine
Thomas Jefferson
4
Conflict Spreads

• The British score a costly victory at the Battle
  of Bunker Hill
• The British are later forced out of Boston by
  General George Washingtons Patriot forces

5
Battle Figures Tactics

• 1/3 of colonists were patriots, 1/3 were
  loyalists and 1/3 were neutral
• British use military mercenaries mostly from
  Hesse, Germany (Hessians)
• British also had the help of 50,000 loyalists and
  southern slaves
• Americans had home field advantage and the help
  of mainly northern slaves

6
Help From Abroad

• The French had been aiding the Americans secretly
  at the start of the war
• Once the Americans started winning, the French
  increased their aid
• Spain and the Netherlands later join the American
  cause
• Foreign fighters also helped the Americans

7
The Hardships of War

• The patriots were severely under equipped
• The Continental Congress did not have the power
  to tax
• The British blockaded American ports
• Massive inflation started to erode the American
  economy

8
Victories for Patriot Forces

• Combined American and French forces are able to
  establish control of the Ohio River Valley
• The Battle of Yorktown dealt a final blow to the
  British army
• Marquis de Lafayette and George Washington were
  able to pin British armies against the sea

9
Defeat and Victory

• The Americans are forced to retreat from New York
• American forces surprise British troops and score
  victories at the Battles of Trenton and Princeton
• The Battle of Saratoga marked a turning point for
  the Americans

10
Treaty of Paris (1783)

• Great Britain recognizes American independence
• Boundaries were established for the new country
• Florida was returned to Spain
• Britain agreed to withdrawal remaining troops
  from the colonies