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On the eve of war

Hatred for the Intolerable Acts turned
Massachusetts into an armed camp,
militias drilled everywhere. British law
could not be enforced, militias where
calling themselves Patriots, minute men
and Sons of Liberty, and calling
supporters of the King names such as
loyalists and Tories.
Advantages
British
1. Established army & navy
2. More manpower
3. More supplies
4. Established chain of
command
5. Hessians—German allies
Americans
1. Closer to supplies
2. Know the land
3. Defending their homes
4. Dedicated leadership
5. Fighting for a cause
About one third of the
colonists supported
independence at the
beginning war.
A new flag for
a new nation
Propaganda:
Christopher Gadsden’s Flag
New National Symbol
Loyalists Strongholds
The Northern Campaign
1775-1776
The Battles at
Lexington and Concord

The King declared Massachusetts in a state of rebellion and
sent in the British troops to capture leaders of the rebellion. The
rebels had an arsenal set up at Concord (about 15 miles from
Boston), and John Hancock and Sam Adams (leaders of the
Sons of Liberty) lived in Lexington (on the way to Concord). On
April 18, 1775, 700 British troops marched to Lexington. Paul
Revere and William Dawes rode ahead of the British and
warned that the Red Coats were coming. At dawn the British
arrived and found 70 minute men waiting for them on the village
greens. Someone started shooting, the outnumbered
minutemen lost the battle, and the British marched on towards
Concord. In Concord, minutemen from all around the
countryside gathered. At Concord’s North Bridge the
Minutemen turned the British back. The British marched back
to Boston.
Lexington village green:
The Shot heard
around the world.
Breed’s and Bunker Hill

Within two days, 20,000 angry minutemen from throughout New
England gathered across the Charles River from Boston. They
built two Earthwork forts, one on Bunker and the other on
Breed’s Hills and place heavy guns, which Ethan Allen and his
“Green Mountain Boys” captured at Fort Ticonderoga, N.Y (300
miles away) a few weeks earlier, in place. From that point they
could bombard Boston. After the bombardment started, the
British sent 1,500 troops to capture the earthwork forts. Out
supplied, outnumbered and tired, a small group of colonists
were attacked by the main group of British. Colonel Prescott,
low on ammunition, permitted the British to charge up the hill
and get close enough to see the whites of their eyes before he
gave the command to shoot. After two volleys the British. After
the third advance up the hill, the colonists were out of
ammunition and the British finally took the hill but lost 1,000
soldiers and the colonists lost about 100.
Breed’s Hill
Dorchester Heights

In March 1776, George Washington had other heavy
guns pulled up onto Dorchester heights, South of
Boston. The British leader (General Howe) realized
that he did not the men to capture Dorchester heights
so he asked the colonists to allow him to peacefully
evacuate. In return he vowed to leave the city in tact;
however, if the colonists fired upon him he would
burn Boston. General Howe left peacefully. On
March 17, 1776 Howe left for Nova Scotia. The
colonies were free of British Troops, but everyone
knew that they would try to return.
Phase II:
The Middle Colonies
The Battle of Long Island

The British left Boston with 4,000 men, but returned in July with
32,000 and 400 warships under the command of General
Howe’s brother Richard, Lord Howe. The British plan was to
capture New York City, sail up the Hudson River and separate
the rebellious New England colonies from the other colonies.
First, Howe established a base on Staten Island, then in August,
landed 20,000 men on Long Island. Instead of directly attacking
Washington, he outmaneuvered him and attacked him from two
sides. Washington barely escaped across the East River into
New York City. The British attacked Washington again a few
weeks later were the defeated him and forced his evacuation
from NYC into New Jersey and headed South to defend
Philadelphia, the seat of government.
Washington crossing
the Delaware River
Battle of Trenton,
New Jersey

Across the Delaware River in Trenton, New
Jersey 1,400 of General Howe’s mercenary
troops made winter camp. These men were
not English, but were Hessians (Germans.)
Washington decided to attach them on
Christmas Eve. He crossed the Delaware
River in a snow storm and in the morning he
surprise the Hessians, took 900 prisoners
and killed less than 30, not a single colonist
died.
1777:
The Year of Decision

British Plan – When the snow melted the British
planned to develop a complicated strategy. General
George Clinton held NYC, while General Howe took
the main force down to the Chesapeake River to
attack Philadelphia (the seat of American
government). General John Burgoyne marched
south from Canada through New York. Howe won
two battles against Washington (Brandywine and
Germantown) where he outmaneuvered Washington.
With winter approaching Washington settled in Valley
Forge, PA.
The Battle of Saratoga,
New York

General John Burgoyne marched south from
Montreal in June 1777 with 6,000 British
regulars, a small force of loyalists and 500
Indians. The Americans retreated in the face
of this large force, cutting down trees to block
the British advance. American General
Horatio Gates faced General John Burgoyne,
finally on September 19, 1777 the armies
clashed at Saratoga, New York. The
Americans surrounded the British and
defeated them. Over 5,700 British
surrendered.
General Burgoyne surrenders to General Gates
European Help

The biggest victory at Saratoga was not the military victory, but
the Americans won the support of the French and Spanish by
defeating the British. By March 1778 the French officially
recognized the United States as a country and signed a treaty
of alliance. The French sent many soldiers (5,000), ships and
generals to help the United States, the most famous General to
help the U.S. was General Marquis De Lafayette. The Spanish
declared war against the British in 1779. They lent the colonists
ships and guns and also defeated the British at Pensacola,
Florida. Two Polish generals, Casimir Pulaski and Thaddeus
Kosciusko fought with great distinction. A German General also
helped the Americans – General Friedrich Von Steuben.
The march to
Valley Forge, PA
Major General Steuben training the American Regiments
of Foot at Valley Forge during the winter of 1777/1778
French General:
Marquis de Lafayette
Valley Forge, PA

The winter of 1777 and 1778, General
Washington and his men made camp at
Valley Forge, PA. Nearly 3,000 of
Washington’s men were barefoot and sick.
There were not enough supplies of food,
guns or horses in the American Army. Many
men deserted, others got stronger through
determination to live and be free. Iroquois
Indians brought supplies that saved the
Americans.
Phase III:
The Southern Campaign
1778 – 1781:
A changed English strategy

The South – In 1780 the British began to concentrate
in the South. They figured they could gain strong
support in the South due to the history of the
settlement of the South, the strong affiliation with the
Church of England and the conception that the South
was filled with loyalists. General Henry Clinton led
an expedition to captured Charleston, S.C. Clinton
captured more than 6,000 troops in the capture of
Charleston. Troops from South Carolina, Virginia
and North Carolina were all captured in Charleston.
After the capture, Clinton returned to New York City
and left General Charles Cornwallis in charge of the
southern campaign.
Battles in The Carolinas

The British in the south quickly defeated all of
the militias except one, which included
Francis Marion, Thomas Sumter and Peter
Horry. Based at Snow Island in the Pee Dee
River, the militias caused a lot of trouble for
the British Regulars. The colonists won
battles at King’s Mountain against a Tory
group, and defeated British regulars at
Guilford’s Courthouse and the Battle of
Cowpens.
Francis Marion:
The Swamp Fox
The Battle of Cowpens
General Banastre Tarleton
Battle of Yorktown, VA

September 1781. General Charles Cornwallis marched north
from the Carolinas looking for a victory at Yorktown, Virginia.
After battling with local militiamen he was forced to retreat to the
sea. Quickly General Marquis De Lafayette moved outside the
city, yet within close distance, blocking the British retreat.
Washington quickly marched south, leaving enough men to
make the British think that he planned on attacking New York
City. At the same time, two French fleets converged upon
Yorktown. Americans and French troops numbered 16,000 and
36 warships to block British retreat while the British under
Cornwallis only had 8,000 men. The Americans had the British
pinned down on a swampy peninsula with their backs to the
Chesapeake Bay. On October 9, the Americans and French
began to assault the British with canons. On October 19, the
British surrendered.
The Battle of
Yorktown, VA
After the
Battle of Yorktown
The British still controlled New York City,
Charleston, Savannah and some western
forts, but they lost the will to fight. Public
opposition to the war strong in England.
March 1782 the British agreed to stop trying
to gain control over the United States. In
1783 England and the United States signed
the Treaty of Paris officially ending the war.
North America
After the Treaty of Paris