Revolutionary War Notes

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Revolutionary War Notes
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A Country Divided

• 2/5th - Patriots
• Mostly in New England and Virginia

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A Country Divided

• 1/5th- Loyalist (Tories)
• Mostly in New York and South

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Colonies Divided

• Native Americans
• African Americans
• Have to decide which side will treat them best if
  they win

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Americans- Disadvantages

• Had to start Army/Navy from Scratch
• No formal government to make decisions
• Scarce supplies money, clothing, food, guns,
  ammo

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Americans-Advantages

• Better leadership-Washington
• Home Field Advantage
• Tactics/Strategy-guerilla warfare
• Foreign Aid- France as an ally
• Motivated to save own land
• CauseIndependence
• Control of Countryside

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British Disadvantages

• Far away from Britain, sending orders, getting
  news takes 2 months
• Fought using old strategies-unwilling to change
• Has a worldwide empire to worry about

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British Advantages

• Best Army and Navy in the world
• Also 30,000 hired mercenaries
• Superior weapons
• Controlled major cities (NY and Boston)
• Richest nation in the world
• Strong and organized government

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Early Strategies-American

• Score early victories to show they were for real
• Keep army away from major cities
• Drum up support-gain more patriots
• Gain foreign allies-France, Spain
• Make British taxpayers grow weary of paying for
  war

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Early Strategies-British

• Occupy major coastal cities-take advantage of
  better Navy
• Drum up Loyalist support
• Crush the Continental Army before it has a chance
  to gain momentum

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War in the North

• Patriots drive British from Boston, NYC
• Britain gets serious about war, sends huge amount
  of troops, ships, supplies
• Britain kicks patriots out of NYC
• Begins a year of defeats for Washington and
  Continentals

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Trenton

• Dec. 25, 1776
• Continentals are in bad shape after many losses,
  casualties, few supplies
• Most soldiers enlistments ending
• If Washington does not take immediate action the
  revolution is likely over

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Trenton

• Washingtons bold plan- cross the Delaware
  River on Christmas night
• Surprise attack on German Hessians
• Result
• 30 Hessians killed, 918 Captured
• Only 4 Colonists killed
• Many guns, ammo captured, supplies
• Major morale boost for Washington and Continental
  Army

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Trenton
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Princeton

• Jan. 3, 1777
• Washington builds on success, attacks 1200
  British and captures or kills 1/3
• Only 40 Continental casualties

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3 Reasons Trenton and Princeton were major
victories

• 1. Boosted Patriot morale
• 2. Britain left New Jersey- remains in Patriot
  hands the rest of the war
• 3. Continental Army gains much needed supplies
  and weapons

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Saratoga

• Oct. 17, 1777
• Part of British Army had gone to Canada to attack
  from the North
• They were supposed to go down the Hudson and meet
  Howe coming up the Hudson.
• Howe went to take Philadelphia instead and
  abandoned Burgoyne.
• The Continentals defeated the British in several
  battles around Saratoga

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Saratoga

• British surrendered 5800 men, supplies
• Is a major turning point in war towards a Patriot
  victory
• France sees success and becomes an ally, sending
  troops and
• Later Spain joins fight against British as
  well--global war for British!

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Valley Forge, Penn..
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Valley Forge

• In late 1777, British force Continentals out of
  Philadelphia
• They set up a winter camp at Valley Forge, PA
• Very poor conditions- few supplies, food, not
  proper clothing for winter
• 1/4 died from starvation, cold, disease

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Baron Von Steuban

• Prussian Officer
• Helped instill discipline in the Continental Army
  _at_ Valley forge
• Troops loved him!
• Cont. Army becomes formidable fighting
  forceBattle of Monmouth

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American Navy

• Built from scratch- few in numbers
• Each colony had its own small navy
• Pay 32/month for captain
• 8/month for seamen
• Bounties- 1/2 of profits from British warships

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American Navy

• At the beginning of the war the British control
  the seas
• Changes when France and Spain enter the war to
  help the Americans.
• John Paul Jones- I have not yet begun to
  fight- took the war at sea to Britain
• Privateers
• A privately owned ship that a wartime government
  gives permission to attack an enemys merchant
  ships.

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War on Frontier

• George Rogers Clark- 24 yr old
• Travels through PA, OH, IN, IL
• Recruits soldiers along the way
• Captures British forts at Kaskaskia, Vincennes
• Gave a huge amount of land to the Americans

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War in the South- Whigs vs. Tories

• Whigs loyal to the Continental Congress
• Tories British loyalists and sympathizers
• Most brutal acts of war occurred between Whigs
  and Tories in the South
• Excuse to repay old grudges
• British army much more successful in South-
  captured Savannah and Charlestown

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Swamp Fox

• Francis Marion- led a band of about 20 patriots
  on horseback
• Used guerrilla tactics
• Cut British supply lines, communications
• Nathaniel Greene replaces Gates
• Americans lead British on chase all through
  South, wasting British time and money

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Yorktown

• Washingtons Army French Navy Trap Cornwallis
• Oct 19 1781
• Cornwallis Surrenders 8000 men
• 1783 Treaty of Paris

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Why the Americans won the war

• Better Leadership
• Washington learned from mistakes
• He never lost his army
• Used guerilla warfare
• Foreign Aid
• France, Spain, and Holland forced Britain to
  fight a Global War
• Knowledge of the Land
• British could not control the countryside
• Motivation
• Americans- Liberty, homes, family, freedom,
  property
• British- paycheck

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Casualties

• Inaccurate records
• 25,000 Patriots/10,000 British killed
• 6004 wounded
• Does not count those dying from disease,
  starvation, freezing

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Financing the War

• Most difficult problem for the Americans
• No money in treasury
• No authority to tax
• 1 in paper money was worth 2 cents
• America left deeply in debt after war-
• 27 million

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Treaty of Paris- 1783

• Britain acknowledges American independence
• Boundaries W. to Mississippi, N. to Canada, S.
  to Florida
• Each side repays any war debts
• British return captured slaves-reality

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Fate of Loyalists

• Approx. 80,000 left America
• 4,000 African Americans went to Canada
• Many lost land, money, property