Key Battles of the American Revolution

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Key Battles of the American Revolution

• Copy these notes onto pg. 13

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America Ready to fight?

• American weaknesses
• 1/3 of citizens opposed the rebellion
• Inadequate financial resources
• No factories
• Shortage of supplies and ammunition
• Continuous turnover of men in army
• Not used to military discipline
• Lacked a strong navy

• American strengths
• Great leader George Washington
• Fighting for homes and freedom
• Used to hardships
• Financial/military aid from foreign countries
• Used to guns
• Gained experience in F I War
• Fighting on own land

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Britain Always Ready

• British weaknesses
• Unaccustomed to wilderness warfare
• Leaders underestimated Americas military ability
• Separated from battlefronts by 3,000 miles took
  months to send reinforcements and war orders
• Hired soldiers had nothing at stake except pay
• Attention divided between other conflicts
• Some British leaders sympathized with American
  cause

• British strengths
• Well-equipped and well-trained forces
• Professional military leadership
• Able to hire foreign soldiers
• Had the money and factories to supply needed
  materials
• Had support of American loyalists

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Major battles and results

• 1775
• Battle of Lexington and Concord British
  attempted to rob American arsenal (storehouse for
  weapons) at Concord Americans found out and met
  British at Lexington and skirmished again at
  Concord British had 273 casualties while the
  Patriots had 93 known as the shot heard round
  the world and as the beginning of the Revolution.

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• 1776
• British increased number of forces to 32,000
  troops.
• Summer and Fall Washington commanded colonial
  troops in Battle of Long Island. Patriots were
  defeated and retreated to Manhattan. By late
  Nov., Patriots had lost New Jersey and retreated
  into Pennsylvania

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1776 cont.

• Battle of Trenton (NJ)
• Huge Patriot victory Washington crossed the
  Delaware River Christmas night into New Jersey
  and surprised British troops captured 900
  Hessians (paid German soldiers)

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• 1777
• British planned to push further into New York
  state with a 3-pronged attack ending in Albany,
  NY. American troops surrounded British troops
  and defeated them at Saratoga this is
  considered the turning point of the war for the
  Americans.
• British captured Philadelphia American capital
  -

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1778

• France openly allies themselves with America.
  Many European countries had been sending supplies
  to America in secret but the French alliance was
  the first in the open. Benjamin Franklin traveled
  to France to secure the alliance.

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Winter at Valley Forge

• After British captured Philadelphia, Washington
  chose Valley Forge as the site for the
  Continental Army to spend the winter of 1777-78.
  More than 2,000 soldiers died of disease and
  starvation. Many soldiers thought about leaving
  due to the hardships. Maintaining the morale of
  the troops was considered one of Washingtons
  biggest challenges at this time.

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War turns south

• With no clear upper hand in the New England and
  middle colonies, Britain turned its focus south
  by capturing the regions 2 major ports -
  Savannah in 1778 and Charleston in 1780.

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War turns South

• 1780 Patriot sharpshooters forced British
  loyalists to retreat at Kings Mtn., NC victory
  brought new support for Revolution into the south
• Other southern battles included Cowpens, SC and
  Guilford Courthouse in NC
• Southern campaign was headed up by Nathaniel
  Greene

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1781 The end approaches

• Lord Cornwallis (British commander) retreated
  into Virginia after abandoning the Carolina
  campaign
• Washington secretly sent more troops to Virginia
  after learning of French reinforcements coming
  toward Chesapeake Bay
• 17,000 American and French troops surrounded
  Cornwallis 8,000 British and Hessians on the
  Yorktown peninsula, forcing Cornwallis eventual
  surrender on Oct. 19, 1781

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Key Georgia events

• 1778 British captured key cities of Savannah,
  Sunbury, and Augusta
• Feb. 1779 Battle of Kettle Creek Georgia
  militia with Col. Elijah Clarke defeated more
  than 800 British troops lifted spirits of
  Georgia troops and gave them weapons and horses
  from defeated British troops

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Siege of Savannah

• Sept. 1779 French commander Count DEstaing
  arrived off Savannah coast with ships and troops.
• The French began bombarding Savannah after the
  British would not surrender. It lasted for three
  weeks.

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• The siege had not ended by Oct. 9, so a Patriot
  attack began.
• The British had had time to strengthen their
  defenses around Savannah and held off the attack.
• The battle of Savannah was the 2nd bloodiest
  battle of the Revolution.

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2 key Patriot fatalities

• Casimir Pulaski

• William Jasper

• South Carolina militia leader
• Famous for saving his regimental flag before
  being killed

• Polish cavalry leader
• Saved George Washingtons life
• Considered father of American cavalry

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Key Georgians

• Austin Dabney
• freeborn mulatto who took the place of his owner
  in the Georgia militia
• Wounded at Battle of Kettle Creek
• Most patriots were promised land in return for
  their service but many did not want Dabney a
  man of color- to receive his land
• Ultimately, he got land in Madison County and
  died on that property in 1834.

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Key Georgians

• Nancy Hart
• Legendary war woman who hanged a number of Tory
  soldiers
• Hart county is named after her the only county
  named after a woman
• Elijah Clarke
• Started out as a Tory but took up the Patriot
  cause and led a number of battles most famous
  for leading the militia attack at the Battle of
  Kettle Creek
• Clarke Co. is named after him

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Key Georgians

• Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton
• Georgias signers of the Declaration of
  Independence
• All have counties named for them