May 10, 1775 – Benedict Arnold & Ethan Allen capture Ft. Ticonderoga

Sept. 1775 – Arnold leads expedition to Quebec through Maine woods 1,100 set out; 600 survive

Richard Montgomery captures Montreal in Nov. 1775

Dec. 31, 1775: attack on Quebec fails Montgomery killed; Arnold wounded Siege continued until spring

John Burgoyne arrives with reinforcements in May 1776

Guy Carelton drives Americans out of Canada, but drive to Ft. Ticonderoga stalled by Arnold on Lake Champlain Gen. Guy Carleton

Ethan Allen at Ft. Ticonderoga

The plan: divide & conquer New England Howe would capture New York

& move up the Hudson Carleton/Burgoyne would

come down the Champlain valley

32,000 British arrive at Staten Island by mid-August, commanded by General William Howe Battle of Brooklyn (Aug. 27)

was disaster for Americans – only storm allowed escape

Americans driven out of Manhattan & defeated again at White Plains (Oct. 28)

Howe chased Washington across the Hudson & occupied New Jersey Spread troops out across

Jersey Offered amnesty to all who

would sign loyalty oath Looting & raping turned

people against them – militia started raids

Washington’s surprise victories at Trenton (Dec. 26) & Princeton (Jan. 3) were morale boosters

Continental Army settled into winter headquarters at Morristown, NJ, but continued raids on British & Hessian foraging parties

Gen. Howe

Washington Crossing the Delaware

Howe sailed to head of Chesapeake Bay

Defeated Washington at Brandywine Creek (Sept. 11, 1777)

Captured Philadelphia Sept. 26, 1777

Defeated Washington again at Germantown (Oct. 4, 1777)

Continental Army spent winter at Valley Forge 3,000 died of disease Von Steuben trained

troops

Gen. Washington inspectingthe troops at Valley Forge, by Edward Moran

“Gentleman Johnny” Burgoyne moved south through Lake Champlain – Lake George corridor Recaptured Ft. Ticonderoga July 6, 1777 Philip Schuyler’s delaying tactics

slowed British Burgoyne forced to surrender army

of 7,000 at Saratoga (Oct. 17, 1777)

Benedict Arnold largely responsible for victory, but Horatio Gates got the credit Arnold drove off British from Ft.

Stanwix in August Arnold led charge at Bemis Heights

(Oct. 7, 1777)

Gen. John Burgoyne

Gen. Benedict Arnold

“In memory of the ‘most brilliant soldier’ of the Continental Army who was desperately wounded on this spot the sally port of BURGOYNE’S GREAT WESTERN REDOUBT7th October, 1777 winning for his countrymen the decisive battle of the American Revolution and for himself the rank of Major General.”

Saratoga convinced France to form alliance with U.S. Treaty of Amity & Commerce

opened trade Treaty of Alliance promised no

separate peace French army & French fleet joined

Americans Spain & Netherlands later joined

war as French allies British could not commit additional

troops to America because now fighting wider warAdmiral De Grasse

Comte de Rochambeau

New strategy: hold New York, but concentrate on more valuable & loyal South

Nathaniel Greene turned it into war of attrition Daniel Morgan & Francis Marion

led Patriot militia Col. Banastre Tarleton organized

Loyalist militia to counter them Cornwallis turned northward after

defeats at King’s Mountain (Oct. 7, 1780) & Cowpens (Jan. 17, 1781), and pyrrhic victory at Guilford Courthouse (March 15, 1781)

Daniel Morgan

Cornwallis besieged at Yorktown (Aug. 30 - Oct. 19, 1781)

Lafayette, Washington & Rochambeau surrounded British army

Admiral De Grasse defeated British fleet

Cornwallis forced to surrender Oct. 19, 1781

Marquis de Lafayette

Yorktown Victory Monument

Benjamin Franklin, John Adams & John Jay skillfully played French & British off each other

Britain gave generous terms because eager to end unpopular, costly war

Boundaries: Modern Canadian

boundary (but disputed in Maine)

Mississippi River Boundary of Spanish

Florida

Treaty of Paris, by Benjamin West, 1783

U.S. suffered 25,600 deaths in war 1% of population 65-75% due to disease

1st national event Politicized participants Shedding blood lends power to

nationalism 70,000 Loyalists fled to Canada

or Great Britain At least 16% of population Property confiscated – most never

received compensation 50,000 fled to Canada - founded New

Brunswick & Ontario

Copyright 2000, Bedford/St. Martin’s Press

Egalitarian rhetoric of republicanism clearly at odds with slavery

Over 18,000 slaves (5% of the black population) escaped to British lines or ran away during the war

Both sides used slaves as soldiers Lord Dunmore (1775) & Gen. Henry Clinton (1779)

offered freedom to slaves who enlisted in British army Several states allowed slaves to serve in place of

masters New York offered freedom to slaves who served 3

years in army (& compensated owners) Wave of manumission followed Revolution

Northern states began to phase out slavery – ¾ free by 1810; all by 1840

Over 10% of blacks in Upper South free by 1810