Revolutionary War

1
Revolutionary War

• The Battles and events that lead to Independence.

2
Moving People to Independence

• Thomas Paine wrote the pamphlet Common Sense
• This turned many loyalist to consider
  independence from England as a viable and
  productive option.
• Richard Henry Lee of Virginia was one of the
  first to offer officially in a document the ideal
  of independence.

3
Declaration of Independence

• A select committee of delegates were chosen to
  write the Dec. of Indep.
• Thomas Jefferson was the actual author of the
  document
• People in the delegation signed the document
  realizing they could be hanged for treason.
• July 4, 1776 Independence Day (July 2)

4
British Take New York

• Washington figured Howe would attack in New York.
  Washington and 20,000 troops meet him there at
  Long Island. Howe arrived with 34,000 men and
  10,000 sailors. Washington didnt even have an
  army.
• Howe killed 1400 men and forced Washington to
  retreat into Manhattan.

5
New York contd

• Howe had Washington and was ready to capture but
  stopped his men to fight fires in Manhattan.
  Loyalist were begging for his help. Washington
  retreated toward Pennsylvania.
• Howe had Washington with in distance to fight and
  capture him but decided to stop and let his
  troops rest.

6
Washington Retreats in New Jersey

• Howe failed to capture Washington.
• Washington took his thin, frail, unequipped army
  and prepared to raise morale.

7
Soldiers were disserting the army daily.

• Washington was afraid the war was about over. He
  didnt think his troops could withstand.

8
Trenton And Princeton

• Washington took a chance and planned a surprise
  attack on Trenton and Princeton.
• Trenton and Princeton were occupied by British
  troops and mostly German mercenaries.
• Attacked on Christmas Eve.
• Planned on troops being drunk from celebration.

9
Trenton and Princeton

• At Trenton Washington led his men through the
  night and watched the Hessians get inebriated.
• He attacked at 800 a.m. Christmas Day.
• The general was made to surrender.
• Cornwallis hears of the news and vows to capture
  Washington at Princeton.

10
Princeton

• At Princeton, Washington left the camp fires
  burning for Cornwallis to see. They attacked the
  camp site but Washington had left and flanked his
  men which led to a quick battle and surrender.
• Washington wins at Trenton and Princeton.
• Morale of Continental soldiers begin to soar.

11
Battle of SaratogaBritish 3 pronged attack

• The British had a plan to attack and capture
  Washington in New England.
• Howe was to March south from New York to Albany.
• St. Leger was to march west from Canada to
  Albany.
• Burgoyne was to march north.

12
Miscommunication leads to Disaster for British

• Howe was under orders to seize Philadelphia
  first. He completed this task but didnt march
  to Albany. He stayed in Philadelphia for the
  winter.
• St. Leger was stopped and turned back by Benedict
  Arnold and his regimen. He never arrived.

13
Miscommunication

• Burgoyne was the only to arrive.
• This was after many hardships of marching in
  swamps for days and having to clear paths to move
  artillery.
• Burgoyne arrived but men was exhausted and needed
  rest and re-enforcements.
• Burgoyne was captured and surrendered to American
  army at the Battle of Saratoga.

14
Saratoga the Turning Point

• The Battle of Saratoga created French Allies with
  the Americans.
• France not only send money but send a navy and
  people to train the American soldiers.

15
France Helps Out

• Marquis de Lafayette brought soldiers from France
  and trained American soldiers. Will be
  Washington most trusted person.
• Frederich von Stueben from Prussia will train
  American army. He had the best trained army in
  Europe.
• Thaddeus Kosciusko built forts and casimir
  Pulaski trained to Calvary.

16
Winter at Valley Forge

• The American army was in hard times for supplies
  and their morale.
• Soldiers were sleeping on open cold ground.
• They had few blankets, clothes that barely
  covered them, little food,no shoes, frost bite,
  and soldiers where having to train daily. Many
  soldiers died and others started to dissert.
  Washington becomes very strict.

17
Valley Forge

• Martha Washington arrived at Valley Forge to help
  nurse soldiers and to sew clothes.
• Spring came and supplies arrived.
• The morale of the American soldiers had increased
  drastically.
• Battles in the West

18
Native Americans will help the British in the
west because of Americans taking their lands.

• British try and take Fort Vincennes.
• George Rogers Clark and his men surround the fort
  and the British give up without much of a fight.
• Spain aids the Americans

19
Battles in South

• British Navy is controlling most of the south.
• British Seize Savannah Georgia, Charleston South
  Carolina, and Camden South Carolina.
• The British start to lose their strong hold on
  the south.

20
Battles of South

• The Americans take over the Carolinas and
  Savannah Georgia.
• The Americans win a huge battle at Kings
  Mountain.
• This is really the turning point of the year as
  far as confidence and morale.

21
Women in the War

• Many women cared for the troops at the front.
  Provided medical assistance and helped to produce
  clothing.
• One woman took on the role of a blacksmith.
• Molly Pitcher actually took water to the troops
  and once picked up husbands rifle and fought.
• Betsy Ross sewed flags for Washingtons army.

22
African Americans in War

• Many of the slaves fought in the Revolutionary
  war.
• They fought on the American side hoping for
  freedom from slavery.
• Freedom from slavery was not given.
• This will start the big debates over slave and
  free states.

23
Benedict Arnold

• Was one of the best American Generals in the war.
• Controlled West Point in New York. Became angry
  for lack of recognition and tried to turn over
  West Point to British.
• Americans found out and were to hang him before
  he switched sides.
• Died a traitor and poor man in England.

24
Battle of Yorktown.

• Cornwallis went to Yorktown VA to cut off the
  shipping of goods to the colonist and to wait for
  more supplies and re-enforcements.
• Washington, Lafayette, and Rochambeau all joined
  forces and surrounded Cornwallis at Yorktown.
• Admiral de Grasse used his fleet to blockade the
  bay area.

25
Yorktown.

• Cornwallis tried to flee across the river but the
  attempt was unsuccessful. He then had to
  surrender at Yorktown.
• Lord North of Britain when he heard the news
  stated oh my.. it is all over
• The United States win Independence.
• British have to go back to Europe and fight
  French.

26
Treaty of Paris

• April of 1783
• British recognize the colonist as United States
  of America.
• U.S. gets all land from Atlantic coast to
  Mississippi River. Spread south to Florida which
  remained with Spain.
• Americans agreed to pay loyalist for land lost.
  It never happened. War 8 years long.

27
Problems in forming a New Nation

• Government
• Economic
• States rights versus national Government
• Newly acquired land.
• Lack of trained soldiers and no navy for
  protection

28
Government Problems

• Each state wrote its own Constitution.
• Each state had its own set of laws independent of
  Federal Government
• No state wanted to realize power to a central
  government. They were afraid of tyranny by
  someone like a king.
• Inability to enforce laws

29
Economic Problems

• Each state coined its own money system.
• States would not accept other states money.
• People were going bankrupt.
• Only states could raise money through taxes. No
  money for federal government to operate or pass
  laws for trading protection.

30
Land west of Appalachians

• How do we determine what happens to land west of
  Appalachians.
• Land Ordinance of 1785 stated that land would be
  divided up into 36 sections of one square mile.
  Land would be sold for 640.00 and one section
  would be reserved for government and public
  schools

31
Northwest Ordinance

• Stated that all future lands would be divide up
  into territories.
• State that settlers will have individual rights
  and there would be no slavery in the territory.
  (watch for this in future)
• When a territory had 60,000 settlers it could
  write a Constitution and be admitted as a state.
  Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin etc

32
Trade

• Not only could the new government named the
  Articles of Confederation pass taxes but it
  couldnt limit imports.
• Britain and other countries flooded our markets
  with their cheaper products.
• Countries closed ports to us.
• The U.S. goes through its first Depression.

33
Shays Rebellion

• In Massachusetts, the state legislators were
  passing taxes to help rebuild after the war.
• The farmers could not pay their taxes therefore
  Massachusetts foreclosed and sold their land.
  The farmers rioted and the state militia was sent
  in.
• A change must happenin comes the Constitution.