THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION MADE EASY

1
THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION MADE EASY
2
(No Transcript)
3
(No Transcript)
4
(No Transcript)
5
STAR WARSEvil EmpireImperial Storm
TroopersPesky Rebels

• Evil Empire Britain
• Imperial Storm Troopers The British Soldiers
  aka Redcoats
• Pesky Rebels The minutemen
• Lexington and Concord, Bunker/Breeds
  Hilldestroying the Death Star
• Evacuation of Bostonthe saga continues

6
THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (1776)

• Britain returns
• 400 ships
• 32,000 professional soldiers
• The British thought this show of force would
  cause the rebels to give up
• AMERICA
• 17,000 barely trained menOld men of 60, boys of
  14, and blacks of all ages and ragged for the
  most part

7
THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (1776)

• Circled GWs army on Long Island in New York City
• 1,000 US soldiers captured8,000 more trapped
  along the East River
• able to escape to Manhattan because of a dense
  fog
• forced to retreat all the way to New Jersey

8
NATHAN HALE

• While the British occupied New York City, many
  Americans stayed behind as spies for the
  Continental Army.
• One such man was Nathan Hale who posed as a Dutch
  school teacher.
• He was caught by the British but in his last
  words before they hanged him he said, My only
  regret is that I have but one life to give for my
  country.

9
THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (1776)

• American soldiers demoralized
• Washingtons reputation tarnished
• British burn 300 buildings in NYC (9/1776)
• American navy loses 84 gunships _at_ Lake Champlain
  (10/1776)
• British troops overrun Ft. Washingtoncapture
  3000 soldiers, 100 cannons, thousands of muskets

10
THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (1776)

• Ft. Lee in New Jersey falls to the British
• American Naval base _at_ Newport, R.I. is captured
• British capture Philadelphia (capital)
  Continental Congress forced to flee to Baltimore
• Enlistments times are up down to 1400 men by
  years end Ten more days will put an end to the
  existence of our army- GW

11
African-Americans Join the Fight

• Washington pleaded with the Continental Congress
  for more troops.
• He asked the Congress to enlist free
  African-Americans.
• Early in the war southern states did not want
  thisfeared slave uprising
• By the end of the war, every state except SC had
  enlisted AA (about 5,000)

12
THINK-PAIR-SHARE

• Given the fact that Britain had offered enslaved
  African-Americans their freedom if they fought
  for the British, why would free African-Americans
  want to help the Americans?

13
The Return of the Jedi

• In a desperate move, GW plans an attack of the
  Hessian garrison _at_ Trenton, New Jersey.
  (Christmas night, winter)

14
Return of the Jedi

• Washington captures 900 Hessians at Trenton and
  also drove the British out of Princeton, NJ
• Washingtons victory at Trenton redeemed his
  reputation and reinvigorated the Continental army.

15
A few days ago, the Americans had given up the
cause for lost. Their late successes have turned
the scale and they are all liberty mad again.-
British soldiers diary following the fall of
Trenton and Princeton
16
BRITAINS STRATEGY FOR WINNING THE WAR
PLAN B
17
Britains Plan for Victory

• 3 prong attack
• 8,000 troops led by Gen Burgoyne head south from
  Canada
• 2nd force, led by Col. Barry St. Ledger would
  move east from Lake Ontario

• 3. 3rd group, led by Gen. Howe would move north
  from New York City

18
Britains Plan for Attack
What do you think Britain is trying to accomplish
with this plan?

• 3-pronged attack designed to split the
  trouble-making New England colonies from the
  other colonies by controlling the Hudson River.

19
Prong 3

• Gen. Howe planned to take the American capital,
  Philadelphia before marching to Albany.
• He did so in Oct. 1777, forcing the Continental
  Congress to flee to Baltimore
• Howe postponed his march to Albany, deciding
  instead to spend the winter nice and toasty in
  Philadelphia

20
Prong 2

• In August 1777, American soldiers under the
  command of Benedict Arnold attacked the British
  at Ft. Stanwix, NY forcing the British to retreat.

21
Prong 1

• Gen. Burgoyne was not making much progress toward
  Albany either.
• Known as Gentleman Johnny Burgoyne, he was a
  dashing general who enjoyed good food and fine
  clothes.

• Loaded down with 30 wagons of luxury goods just
  for the general, his army moved slowly through
  the dense forests of NY.

22
Prong 1- Gen. Burgoyne

• To make matters worse, the Americans blocked the
  British path by chopping down trees to block the
  road.
• In need of food and supplies, Burgoyne sent a
  detachment of 800 soldiers to capture the
  American supply base at Bennington, VT.

23
Prong 1- Gen. Burgoyne

• A local VT militia group known as the Green
  Mountain Boys and led by Ethan Allen attacked the
  British who made easy targets in the woods in
  their bright red uniforms.
• They were easily defeated.

24
Burgoyne at Saratoga

• Burgoyne faced serious trouble.
• He expected help from British forces from the
  west and south but they had not arrived. (they
  werent coming)
• American General Horatio Gates blocked his path
  and Burgoyne soon found himself surrounded by an
  army THREE TIMES as large as his.

25
Burgoyne at Saratoga

• Burgoyne made one desperate attack on October 7,
  1777 but the Americans held firm.
• With no other choice, Burgoyne surrendered.
• As an American band played Yankee Doodle 5700
  British soldiers handed over their weapons.

26
(No Transcript)
27
The Battle of Saratoga

• Gen. Howe was forced to resign as British
  commander of the War. He was replaced by Gen.
  Henry Clinton.

28
THINK-PAIR-SHARE

• Saratoga is considered to be the turning point
  of the War. Why do you think this is?

29
Britains Plan for Victory

• Plan foiled when British General Burgoyne and his
  5700 troops are captured at SARATOGA
• SARATOGA is the turning point of the war.
  Although the fighting would continue for many
  years, many Europeans countries now openly
  supported the Americans, especially the French.

30
ANOTHER TERRIBLE WINTER

• VALLEY FORGE

31
HELP FROM OVERSEAS

• Marquis de Lafayette- French nobleman, became a
  trusted aide to Washington
• Friedrich von Steuben a former office in the
  Prussian (German) army drilled the Patriots at
  Valley Forge and turned the Continental Army into
  a disciplined fighting force.
• Bernardo de Galvez (Spanish governor of
  Louisiana), seized British forts all the way to
  Florida. (Spanish, French, Native Americans

32
BRITAINS STRATEGY FOR WINNING THE WAR
PLAN B C
33
YOU GOTTA HAVE A GAME PLAN

• Once their initial strategy failed, Britain
  devised a new strategy.
• WAR ON THE FRONTIER- enlist the help of Native
  Americans and stage a series of brutal attacks on
  settlementsCherry Valley Massacre and
  Washingtons reaction.US victory at Vincennes

Indian Lands
34
NAVAL BATTLES

• Britain failed to use the powerful navy
  effectively during the war.
• In 1775, the CC authorized the building of four
  American warships. They also adapted several
  merchant vessels for fighting.
• Rather than take on the British war ships, the
  American navy focused on raiding supply ships.

35
John Paul Jones- Americas first naval hero

• Born John Paul, outlaw, fled to America and added
  Jones to his name.
• Considered a pirate by the British, he captured
  many GB supply ships.
• Admired by the French, they presented him with a
  small fleet of 7 vessels.
• Flagship named the Bonhomme Richard

36
Bon Homme Richard vs. Serapis

• British knocked out the heaviest artillery on the
  BR.
• When asked if he wanted to surrender, Jones
  replied I have not yet begun to fight!
• The battle lasted for 2 more hours with the
  British surrendering.
• Continental navy had fewer than 100 ships yet
  Britain lost more than 200 ships during the
  course of the war.

37
BRITAINS STRATEGY FOR WINNING THE WAR
PLAN B C D
38
THE WAR MOVES SOUTH
With your shoulder partner, formulate an opinion
on why the British would move the War to the
South.
39
THE WAR MOVES SOUTH

• Defeat at Charleston- worst defeat of the war
• Gates flees Cornwallis.replaced by Nathanael
  Greene
• Guerilla Tactics
• Kings Mountain
• Yorktown The War is over

40
The Treaty of Paris (1783)

• Peace talks begin in Paris in 1782
• Congress sent Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, John
  Jay and Henry Laurens to negotiate.
• Pressured by Parliament to end the war, the
  Americans got most of what they wanted.

41
Treaty of Paris (1783)

• Britain recognized the US as an independent
  nation
• Borders Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi River.
  The southern border stopped at Florida (which
  belonged to Spain again)
• Britain to remove all troops from American soil
• US gets the right to fish in the waters off Canada

42
The Treaty of Paris (1783)

• In return, the Americans agreed to
• Let British merchants collect money owed to them
• Ask state legislatures to pay back loyalists for
  the property they had lost