The American Revolution

1
The American Revolution
2

• Loyalists/Tories
• People who opposed independence for
  religious, political, or financial
  reasons.
• Many of these in North Carolina
• Patriots
• Many supported the war because they had
  a lack of any tie with Great Britain.

3
I. Advantages/Disadvantages

• A. Patriots
• Home Field advantage, they knew the land
• Emotional Advantage, they were fighting for
  freedom
• Leadership of George Washington
• -Shortage of Supplies
• -No Navy
• -Weak Government

4
I. Advantages/Disadvantages

• B. British
• Great navy and experienced Army
• More Money
• More Population
• -Distance from supplies
• -Weak leadership

5
I. Advantages/Disadvantages

• Who should win? Why?
• What chance do the colonists have?
• If the colonists lose, what will happen to them?
• If the colonists win, what will happen to them?
• Will we be able to survive without the British?
• What kind of government will we use?

6
I. Advantages/Disadvantages

• Who should win? Why?
• What chance do the colonists have?
• If the colonists lose, what will happen to them?
• If the colonists win, what will happen to them?
• Will we be able to survive without the British?
• What kind of government will we use?

7
II. Early Years of the War

• A. Lexington and Concord-April 1775
• -First shots fired by minutemen who attacked
  British troops on their way to destroy supplies
  of the militia. 73 British soldiers killed as
  they returned from destroying the supplies.
• -Showed that colonists would put up a fight.

8
II. Early Years of the War

• B. Bunker Hill-June 16, 1775
• -Actually occurred on Breeds Hill outside of
  Boston.
• -2200 redcoats charged up the hill numerous
  times to drive away 1200 minutemen.
• -British won the hill, but lost over 1000
  casualties.
• -British are eventually driven from Boston,
  Charles Town, and Montreal.

9
II. Early Years of the War

• C. 1776-Low Point
• -Continental Army had been defeated in New York
  and during the winter, many troops felt that the
  war was lost because they lacked supplies and
  morale was low.
• -Solutions
• 1. Thomas Paines Crisis was read to inspire
  them. These are the times that try mens
  souls.

10
II. Early Years of the War

• C. 1776-Low Point
• -Solutions
• 2. George Washington surprised 900 British
  troops by crossing the Delaware River on
  Christmas. This victory encouraged Americans
  to continue.

11
II. Early Years of the War

• D. British Plan for Victory
• -Goal Take Albany, separating New England and
  the Middle Colonies.
• Cut off the head of the snake
• -3 groups of British troops were to converge on
  the city, but they failed to communicate.

12
II. Early Years of the War

• E. Battle of Saratoga-Oct. 17, 1777
• Turning Point of the War
• -British surrendered 5700 troops to General
  Horatio Gates.
• -Importance Convinced European nations that
  America could win.
• France formed an alliance with America and
  Spain and the Netherlands declared war on
  Britain.

13
III. End of the Revolution

• British General Charles Cornwallis was driven
  from the South and set up camp with 8000 troops
  near Yorktown, Virginia.
• Yorktown is on a peninsula.

14
III. End of the Revolution

• A. Battle of Yorktown
• Combined effort between American and French
  forces.
• Patriot ground forces led by Washington
  trapped Cornwallis on the peninsula while the
  French fleet kept them from escaping by sea.
• Oct. 19, 1781-British surrendered 8000 troops,
  ending the war.

15
III. End of the Revolution

• B. Treaty of Paris of 1783
• Ben Franklin, John Adams, and John Jay
  represented the U.S. in peace talks.
• Provisions
• 1. Britain recognized our independence
• 2. Borders set at Canada and Mississippi River
• 3. Americans given rights to Canadian fishing
  waters

16
III. End of the Revolution

• C. Effects of the Revolution
• -Economic life changed very little
• -Great slavery debate still raged on
• -Churches lost influence in government
• -Set a standard for other revolutions worldwide

17
IV. Independence

• A. New Government
• 1. States wrote their own constitutions
• 2. Articles of Confederation
• Created a loose union of states with a
  legislature called the Confederation Congress.
  Each state had 1 vote. Ratified in 1781.