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The American Revolution
1776-1783
Chapter 7
Continental Army
*Less than 20,000
*Militia: About 230,000 served – but
never at one time.
Low enlistment due to: Short
enlistments, desertions, time out to
harvest crops.
Allies: French, African-Americans,
Natives, and Women.
British Army
*About 50,000 regulars
*30,000 hired German soldiers
Allies: Loyalists, African-Americans,
Natives
Who sided with who??
* 1/3 of the Americans supported the
Revolution
* 1/3 of the colonists remained loyal
British subjects
* 1/3 were neutral (didn’t take sides!)
American Advantages!
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Outstanding leadership
Strong motivation: Freedom!!
Fighting on home ground
Experienced officers
Superior fire arms (German made)
Sharp-shooters (snipers)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
American Disadvantages
Inexperienced army/militia
Short enlistments (3-12 months)
Brand new navy (few ships)
Constant shortages (food, clothing,
medicine, arms, money)
Near bankrupt treasury (no gold/silver
to place value on paper money)
Loyalist warfare (neighbor against
neighbor)
British Advantages
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Military power (strongest in world)
Superior numbers
Indian support
Loyalist cooperation
Able to fund war and hire soldiers
Uniforms (took pride)
British Disadvantages
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Weak motivation (no cause)
Unaggressive officers
3,000 miles from British base (poor
communications and supply lines)
1,500 enemy coastline (difficult
blockade)
Vast land
Easy targets with red uniforms
European aid to Americans
13 United States of Americas
Goals: 1. Preserve Continental Army
2. Wear down British troops until
they go home
Strategies:
 Hit and run!
 Avoid battles. Avoid capture. Last
battle is most important.
Great Britain
Goals: 1. Force the Cont. army to
surrender.
2. Restore British control of the 13
colonies.
Strategies: 1. Capture seaports
2. Divide and conquer by isolating
and seizing: 1) New England 2)
Middle States 3) South
American Tactics
• Guerrilla
Tactics: Surprise raids,
fighting in hiding (snipers),
learned these from Natives.
• Also conventional 18th century
war tactics
British Tactics
*Conventional 18th century war
tactics: frontal attacks in close ranks.
Battle of Trenton
*For several months, Washington
and his army fought General
Howe and his troops for control
of New York State.
*The British forced Washington to
retreat.
*The soldiers spirits were low.
Battle of Trenton
*Washington wanted a quick
victory.
*Washington decided to surprise
attack a British force made up of
Hessian mercenaries.
Battle of Trenton
*Washington and his men
crossed the Delaware River to
New Jersey on December 25,
1776.
*The Hessians were surprised by
the attack and not able to put
up much resistance.
George Washington and his men crossing the
Delaware river
Outcome of the Battle of
Trenton
*The Americans captured or
killed more than 900 Hessians
and gained needed supplies.
*With this victory most of the
army reenlisted and attracted
new recruits!
Battle of Saratoga
British
General Howe did not
meet his other armies in Albany,
instead he attacked Pennsylvania
The Americans were able to
surround the British and force
them to surrender!!
Battle of Saratoga
This
is the turning point in the
war
It caused European nations to
think that the Americans might
have a chance to win the war.
Because of this several European
nations agreed to help America
Help from Abroad
 France
wanted revenge over losing
the French and Indian War to the
British!
 King Louis XVI signed two treaties
of alliance with the United States
 France sent aid in the form of :
1. money
2. supplies
Valley Forge
*Washington’s winter camp for 1777-1778
* Signified great hardships the Americans
lived through during the war.
Short on supplies
*Very difficult time; not enough food or
warm clothing
*Many soldiers died from malnutrition,
exposure to the cold, and diseases.
Battle of Yorktown
* Cornwallis and his 8,000 British troops
were trapped in Yorktown, Virginia by
Washington’s army and the French
naval fleet.
*October 19, 1781: American and French
forces bombarded the fort with cannon
fire.
*General Cornwallis surrendered.
*Last major battle of the Amer.
Why the Americans won the war
1.
2.
3.
4.
Better leadership
Foreign Aid
Knowledge of the land
Motivation
Treaty of Paris (1783)
*Ended the American Revolution
(America won)
Six conditions:
1. The US was independent
2. Boundaries would be the
Mississippi R. on the west,
Canada on the north, and
Treaty of Paris (1783)
3. US got the right to fish off
Canada’s Atlantic Coast
4. Each would repay debts it owed
the other
5. The British were to return any
enslaved persons it had captured
6. Congress would recommend
property taken from loyalists
Costs of the War
*Estimated 25,700 Americans died
during the war
*Estimated 10,000 British soldiers
were killed
*Debt from war: about $27 million
*Thousands of loyalists left the
United States.
A New Form of Government
*Republicanism – instead of a
king, the people would rule;
government would obtain its
authority from the citizens
and be responsible to them