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Patriot
What was a patriot?
Patriots were people who wanted the American colonies to
gain their independence from Britain. They wanted their own
country called the United States.
Why did people become patriots?
People in the Americas felt they weren't being treated fairly by
the British. They were being taxed without any say or
representation in the British government. Soon cries for
"liberty" were being heard throughout the colonies. The
patriots wanted freedom from British rule.
http://www.ducksters.com/history/american_revolution/patriots_and_loyalists.php
Loyalist
What was a loyalist?
Not everyone who lived in the American colonies wanted to
break away from the British. There were many people who
wanted to stay part of Britain and remain British citizens.
These people were called loyalists.
Why did some people remain loyal?
Many people felt that their lives would be better off if the
colonies remained under British rule. Some of these people
were simply afraid to go up against the might of the British
army. Others had business interests in England and knew that
English trade was important to the economy. Still others
thought that British rule would be better than patriot rule.
What happened to loyalists during the war?
Life for the loyalists became increasingly difficult during the
war. Loyalists who lived in areas controlled by the patriots
were in constant danger from radical patriots. Many of them
lost their homes and businesses. Many loyalists left the
country and went back to Britain. Others decided to help the
British fight the patriots.
http://www.ducksters.com/history/american_revolution/patriots_and_loyalists.php
Lexington & Concord
First shots fired between American and British troops, on April
19, 1775, that started the Revolution. The British marched to
Concord to arrest the leaders of the Sons of Liberty, Sam
Adams & John Hancock. The Sons of Liberty were stockpiling
weapons and the British were out to seize the weapons as
well. British troops had occupied Boston and were marching
on Concord as they passed through Lexington. No one is still
sure who fired first, but it was the "Shot Heard 'Round the
World." Both sides opened fire, and the Americans were
forced to withdraw. But they had slowed the British advance.
By the time the Redcoats got to Concord, the Americans were
waiting for them in force. The weapons depot was saved, and
the British were forced to retreat, harassed by militiamen along
the way.
http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/wwww/us/lexingtonconcorddef.htm
Battle of Bunker Hill
June 17, 1775, Major General William Howe, leading the
British forces, could have easily surrounded the Americans
with his ships at sea, but instead chose to march his troops
uphill. Howe might have believed that the Americans would
retreat in the face of a smashing, head-on attack. He was
wrong. His Majesty's ships opened fire on the Americans.
Early in the afternoon, 28 barges of British soldiers crossed
the Charles River and stormed the hills. The Americans waited
until the British were within 15 paces, being commanded
“Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes" and then
unleashed a bloody fusillade. Scores of British troops were
killed or wounded; the rest retreated down the hill.
Again, the British rushed the hill in a second wave. And again
they retreated, suffering a great number of casualties. By the
time the third wave of British charged the hill, the Americans
were running low on ammunition. Hand-to-hand fighting
ensued. The British eventually took the hill, but at a great cost.
Of the 2,300 British soldiers who had gone through the ordeal,
1,054 were either killed or wounded.
http://www.ushistory.org/us/11d.asp
Nathan Hale
Molly Pitcher
The best known spy of the Revolution. Disguised as a Dutch
schoolmaster, Hale slipped behind British lines on Long Island
and then successfully gathered information about British troop
movements for several weeks. While Hale was behind enemy
lines, the British invaded the island of Manhattan; they took
control of the city on September 15, 1776. When the city was
set on fire on September 20, 1776, British soldiers were put on
high alert for sympathizers to the Patriot cause. The following
evening, on September 21, 1776, Hale was captured while
sailing Long Island Sound, trying to cross back into Americancontrolled territory.
Molly Pitcher was born Mary Ludwig circa October 13, 1754,
near Trenton, New Jersey. During the American Revolutionary
War's Battle of Monmouth, she carried pitchers of water to
soldiers, thereby earning her nickname. After her husband
collapsed during the battle, she took over the operation of his
cannon. Honored in 1822 for her bravery, she died in Carlisle,
Pennsylvania, on January 22, 1832.
Hale was interrogated by British General William Howe and,
when it was discovered that he was carrying incriminating
documents, General Howe ordered his execution for spying,
which was set for the following morning. After being led to the
gallows, legend holds that Hale was asked if he had any last
words and that he replied with these now-famous words, “I
only regret that I have but one life to give for my country.”
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/nathan-hale-volunteers-to-spy-behind-british-lines
She is one of many women who served on the battlefield
during the Revolution. Many acted as spies, while other
disguised themselves as men in order to join the Continental
Army.
http://www.biography.com/people/molly-pitcher-9390922
Battle of Trenton & Princeton
General John Burgoyne
“Gentleman Johnny”
General George Washington’s army crossed the icy Delaware
on Christmas Day 1776 and, over the course of the next 10
days, won two crucial battles of the American Revolution. In
the Battle of Trenton (December 26), Washington surprised
and defeated a formidable garrison of Hessian mercenaries
who didn’t expect an attack on Christmas. A week later he
returned to Trenton to lure British forces south, then executed
a daring night march to capture Princeton on January 3. The
victories reasserted American control of much of New Jersey
and greatly improved the morale and unity of the colonial army
and militias.
http://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/battles-of-trenton-and-princeton
In 1777, Major General Burgoyne took command Britain’s
efforts to invade their rebelling former colonies from Canada.
The expedition began with Burgoyne leading 3,300 Redcoats,
3,900 Hessian mercenaries and 650 Canadians, Loyalists and
Indians to victory at Ticonderoga, New York, on July 5, 1777,
which earned him a promotion to lieutenant general. However,
as he extended his supply lines ever further south, he found
himself trapped at Saratoga after General William Howe
decided to take Philadelphia instead of meeting Burgoyne at
Albany as planned. Following Patriot victories on September
19 at Freeman’s Farm and October 7 at Bemis Heights,
Burgoyne’s troops were surrounded at Saratoga by
Patriots under General Horatio Gates and forced to
surrender on October 17. Burgoyne successfully negotiated
that his surviving men would be returned to Britain with a
pledge that they would never again serve in North America.
The nearly 6,000-man army was kept in captivity at great
expense to the Continental Congress until the end of the war.
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/british-general-john-burgoyne-dies
Battle of Germantown
At the Battle of Germantown on October 4, 1777, during the
American Revolution, British forces in Pennsylvania defeated
the American Continental Army under General George
Washington (1732-99). After capturing Philadelphia in
September 1777, British General William Howe (1729-1814)
camped a large contingent of his troops at nearby
Germantown. Washington launched a surprise attack on the
poorly defended British camp, but his army failed to pull off his
complex battle plan. The British drove away the Americans,
inflicting twice as many casualties as they suffered. The
defeat at Germantown, which came soon after a similar loss at
Brandywine, led some prominent Americans to question
Washington’s leadership.
http://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/battle-of-germantown
Battle of Brandywine
On September 11th, 1777, British Generals Howe and
Cornwallis launch a full-scale attack on General Washington
and the Patriot outpost at Brandywine Creek, Pennsylvania, on
the road linking Baltimore and Philadelphia.
Howe and Cornwallis spilt their 18,000 British troops into two
separate divisions, with Howe leading an attack from the front
and Cornwallis circling around and attacking from the right
flank. Surprised and outnumbered by the 18,000 British troops
to his 11,000 Continentals, Washington ordered his men to
abandon their posts and retreat. Defeated, the Continental
Army marched north and camped at Germantown,
Pennsylvania. The British abandoned their pursuit of the
Continentals and instead began the British occupation of
Philadelphia.
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-battle-of-brandywine-begins
Battle of Saratoga
The two Battles of Saratoga were a turning point in the
American Revolution. On September 19th, 1777, British
General John Burgoyne achieved a small, but costly victory
over American forces led by Horatio Gates and Benedict
Arnold. Though his troop strength had been weakened,
Burgoyne again attacked the Americans at Bemis Heights on
October 7th, but this time was defeated and forced to retreat.
He surrendered ten days later, and the American victory
convinced the French government to formally recognize
the colonist’s cause and enter the war as their ally.
http://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/battle-of-saratoga
Valley Forge
Things could hardly have looked bleaker for Washington and
the Continental Army as 1777 came to a close. The British had
successfully occupied Philadelphia, leading some members of
Congress to question Washington’s leadership abilities. No
one knew better than Washington that the army was on the
brink of collapse–in fact, he had defied Congress’ demand that
he launch a mid-winter attack against the British at
Philadelphia and instead fell back to Valley Forge to rest and
refit his troops. Though he had hoped to provide his weary
men with more nutritious food and badly needed winter
clothing, Congress had been unable to provide money for
fresh supplies. That Christmas Eve, the troops dined on a
meal of rice and vinegar, and were forced to bind their
bleeding frost-bitten feet with rags. “We have experienced little
less than a famine in camp,” Washington wrote to Patrick
Henry the following February.
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/washington-leads-troops-into-winterquarters-at-valley-forge
Marquis de Lafayette
Inspired by stories of the colonists' struggles against British
oppression, Lafayette sailed to the newly declared United
States in 1777 to join the uprising. He was initially rebuffed by
colonial leaders, but he impressed them with his passion and
willingness to serve for free, and was named a major-general
in the Continental Army. His first major combat duty came
during the Battle of Brandywine, when he was shot in the leg
while helping to organize a retreat. General George
Washington requested doctors to take special care of
Lafayette, igniting a strong bond between the two that lasted
until Washington's death.
Following a winter in Valley Forge with Washington, Lafayette
helped train American troops while using his connections back
home to draw more French resources to the colonial side.
http://www.biography.com/people/marquis-de-lafayette-21271783#synopsis
Hessians
The term "Hessians" refers to the approximately 30,000
German troops hired by the British to help fight during the
American Revolution. They were principally drawn from the
German state of Hesse-Cassel, although soldiers from other
German states also saw action in America. (At the time,
Germany was not a unified country but a collection of
individual states that shared a language and culture.)
Hiring a foreign army was not unusual in the eighteenth
century. For Hesse-Cassel, soldiers were a major export. By
renting its army to the British, Hesse-Cassel took in an amount
equal to about thirteen years' worth of tax revenue. For the
British it was easier to rent troops than recruit their own.
http://www.mountvernon.org/research-collections/digital-encyclopedia/article/hessians/
Ethan Allen & the Green Mountain
Boys
The Green Mountain Boys were a group of a few hundred
American patriots in the early American Revolutionary years
that would later be considered the founding fathers of the state
of Vermont. They were led by Ethan Allen.
In 1775 the Green Mountain Boys marched north to attack and
later capture the British held fort, Fort Ticonderoga. Ethan
Allen led the attack with approximately 83 colonist-militia men,
and help from Colonel Benedict Arnold. This proved to be very
important in the war effort, because it protected northern
America and kept the soil safe from invasion from the British
through Canada.
http://www.uvm.edu/~cemorse/Introducing%20VT%20Website/WHO%20ARE%20TH
E%20GREEN%20MOUNTAIN%20BOYS-web.html
John Paul Jones
John Paul Jones is seen as one of the fathers of the American
Navy. He joined the Continental navy during the American
Revolution, enjoying his greatest successes in international
waters, often as a privateer. As commander of the heavily
armed vessel Bonhomme Richard, Jones famously announced
that he had “not yet begun to fight” during a clash with the
British warship Serapis.
http://www.biography.com/people/john-paul-jones-9357409
Francis Marion “The Swamp Fox”
Francis Marion was commander of a militia in South Carolina.
His sneaky, guerrilla style of warfare was so effective, his
troops The Marion Militia were soon hated and feared by the
British. Marion himself earned the nickname "Swamp Fox" due
to his stealth and cunning. Finally, the British troops in the
area could take no more and sent Lieutenant Colonel Banastre
Tarleton to track down Francis and his men. However, he
despaired after chasing the militia 26 miles through swampy
paths to no avail. He exclaimed in exasperation, "As for this
damned old fox, the Devil himself could not catch him."
The Marion Militia would rarely engage with enemies in headon warfare. They were stealthy and defeated many larger
enemy groups. Because of this, Marion is known as one of the
fathers of modern guerrilla warfare.
http://www.revolutionary-war.net/francis-marion.html
General Cornwallis
British General during the Revolutionary war responsible for
numerous victories, yet he was also the British general that
surrendered at the Battle of Yorktown. The Battle of
Yorktown was the last great battle of the American
Revolutionary War. On 10/19/1781 the British Army
surrendered and the British government began to consider a
peace treaty.
Cornwallis and his men were surrounded by Washington &
Layfette. The French fleet blockaded a water retreat giving the
British no choice but to surrender.
General Howe
General William Howe is named the interim commander in
chief of the British army in America on this day in 1775,
replacing Lieutenant General Thomas Gage. He was
permanently appointed to the post in April 1776.
General Howe’s first major battles against his American
counterpart, General George Washington, including the Battle
of Bunker Hill, came during the Patriot siege of Boston. They
proved to be disappointing failures that resulted in a British
retreat from Boston in March 1776. Howe and the British army
redeemed themselves, however, with a victory over
Washington and the Continental Army at the Battle of Long
Island in August. Just one month later, Howe led a British
invasion of New York City. While successful during the fall of
1776, many believe General Howe missed an opportunity to
crush General Washington and the Continental Army by not
pursuing the Patriots as they retreated from New York
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/howe-named-commander-in-chief-of-british-army
Ben Franklin
When Franklin went to France in the early part of the
Revolution as the official diplomat and ambassador of the
thirteen colonies.
The colonies indeed needed help of every description--men,
money, equipment, ships, and all things to fight a successful
war. The long years of enmity between France and Britain
opened the way for the leadership of Franklin. And he was not
only the man to exploit it, but also the reason for the
acceptance of thirteen states as a recognized nation in the
world of nations.
http://www.ushistory.org/valleyforge/history/franklin.html
Culper Ring
Benedict Arnold
The Culper Ring was a spy ring organized by American Major
(later Colonel) Benjamin Tallmadge under orders from General
George Washington in the summer of 1778 during British
occupation of New York City at the height of the American
Revolutionary War. The group of spies tracked British troop
movements and smuggled information in and out of New York.
Many members of the ring were women.
A member of the Sons of Liberty, Arnold rose to the rank of
general in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War.
He subsequently became a spy for the British, plotting to
arrange a siege of West Point, handing the important fort over
to the British. When the plans came to light, Arnold defected to
the British side.
http://www.biography.com/people/benedict-arnold-9189320