Battle of Long Island

•After success in Boston, Washington believed New York City would be the next British target.

Had about 19,000 menNo navy

•After taking a hiatus to Canada, Howe arrives in the summer of 1776 Waits for his brother , British soldiers, and

German mercenarieso 300 shipso Almost 30,000 men

Battle for New York

• On August 22, 1776 , British General William Howe defeated General Charles Lee at the Battle of Long Island

British - 63 killed and 337 wounded and missing

Washington -970 men killed, wounded or missing, and 1,079 taken captive ( almost a quarter of his entire command)

• On August 26, General Charles Lee retreated to Brooklyn Heights. Howe makes mistake

Didn’t storm the American because trying to avoid another Bunker (Breed's) Hill

Ordered his men to dig in and bring the guns into range.

• George Washington arrived on August 27 and soon realized that he had put himself in a trap

Split his troops between Manhattan and Long Island, with the Hudson River, the East River, and Long Island Sound open to British warships and transport.

Weather had helped the Patriots

Rain continued to be intermittent the next day, August 29

The seagoing soldiers of John Glover's Marblehead [Massachusetts] Regiment noiselessly ferried Washington's troops across the East River to Manhattan on the night of August 29

Darkness, fog, and bad weather immobilized Admiral Howe's fleet.

I Spy!

• Nathan Hale–Volunteers to go behind

enemy lines to report on British troop movements–During the fight for New York

Nathan Hale was captured by the British–According to the standards

of the time, spies were hanged as illegal combatants–Hale was 21 years old

“I only regret that I have but one life

to lose for my country!”

Washington Crosses the Delaware

• Washington continued to retreat and crossed the Delaware River into Pennsylvania– Spirits were low, soldiers deserted,

low supplies– Terms of service were ending– Things are not looking good for the

patriots• Howe orders his men to winter

quarters in December– Established a chain of outposts

from New York to Burlington, New Jersey.

"I think the jig is

pretty near up."

Thomas Paine

• Paine retreated with Washington through New Jersey, and wrote The Crisis to raise morale

• Washington reads this to the men…– These are the times that try men’s

souls. The summer solider and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands it now deserves the love and thanks of men and women.

The Battle of Trenton• Washington’s army in New Jersey faced German

mercenaries fighting for Britain.– Mercenaries are foreign soldiers who fight not out of loyalty, but for pay.

• Washington decided to take the offensive.– Crossed the Delaware River on Christmas night – Attacked the Hessians while they were still sleeping

• Washington carries out a surprise attack on the Hessians around 8 o’clock in the morning on December 26, 1776

• 1,400 Hessians

• Lasted less than 1 hour– Patriots captured more than 900 Hessians– Only 2 American Casualties

• The victory boosted American Spirits

Merry Christmas!

Battle of Princeton

• Washington leaves Trenton knowing he can’t hold the place

• Crosses the Delaware again and holds off Cornwallis at Trenton

• The Night of January 2, 1777– Patriots keep campfires burning– Left camp and few hundred men under the

cover of night– Encircled the British Troops near Princeton,

New Jersey

Battle of Princeton

Who is the

smartest man alive?

To Albany, New York

• British’s plan was to cut the colonies in two.– Howe would move north from New York City up the Hudson to Albany– General John Burgoyne would move south from Canada– British troops from the west (Barry St. Leger) were defeated by

Benedict Arnold

• Howe abandons this and instead heads for Philadelphia• The British successfully recapture Fort Ticonderoga

– Burgoyne was slow in heading towards Albany– Colonists had chopped down large trees across his path to slow his

progress– Burgoyne was also greedy

• He was travelling with 30 wagons of luxury goods

Bu

r g

o y

ne

Howe

Barry St. Leger

Battle of Saratoga( Freeman’s Farm)

• On Sept. 19, 1777 four miles from Saratoga

• Burgoyne with the best of British forces vs. Horatio Gates and Benedict Arnold leading the militia

• Losses were close to equal for both sidesMorale booster for Americans

• Burgoyne stalled waiting for Clinton, who was making his way up the Hudson

• American troops get help from Colonel Morgan and Polish General Kosciusko

Waiting in Saratoga

• Burgoyne was in Saratoga waiting for reinforcements• Low on supplies• Howe was still in Philadelphia

General Howe decided to attack Philadelphia first, before heading towards Albany

He captures Philadelphia after winning at Brandywine and PaoliThe Continental Congress flees

• Clinton was still making his way ( 150 miles away)• Burgoyne was on his own

The Battle of Saratoga

• Gates attacked• Burgoyne’s troops were badly outnumbered by the

Patriots – 3/1– General Horatio Gates – attacked from the South– Benedict Arnold – attacked from the North– Morgan had best rifleman take out General Fazer

• The British troops were surrounded• October 17, 1777

– Patriots capture Burgoyne’s entire army• 5,700 British Soldiers• All their Weapons

Significance of the Battle?

• Ended the British threat to New England

• Destroyed hopes of an easy victory for Brits

• Lifted American spirits• Convinced Europeans to join in

the fight against Britain– France

Help From Overseas

• February 1778: United States and France form an Alliance– Formal agreement between sides to work towards

a common goal– Waiting to see the Americans win a major battle

on their own– Wanted to see Britain lose– Netherlands and Spain joined in and fought

against Britain in Europe and the Caribbean• Diverts British resources from only focusing on North

America

Help from our fancy friends in Europe

• Marquis de Lafayette (French)– Passionately dedicated to the principles of the

Declaration of Independence – uncle was French ambassador to Britain (awkward)

– Became a high ranking officer (major general)– Trained and brought soldiers to the U.S.

• Thaddeus Kosciusko (Poland)– Head engineer of the Continental Army (Ft,

Ticonderoga, Bemis Heights/Saratoga, West Point)

Help from our fancy friends in Europe

• Casimir Pulaski (Poland)– “Father of the American Cavalry”

• Baron Von Steuben (German)– Taught soldiers how to take orders, march,

improve their aim, and use bayonets–Helped transform American troops during

the winter of 1777-1778

Philadelphia Campaign1777

• Invasion of Philadelphia to coerce surrender– British troops move by sea instead of supporting

Burgoyne– Washington moves to block capture of Philadelphia• colonials defeated twice• September at Brandywine creek• October at Germantown

Philadelphia Campaign1777

• Occupation of Philadelphia– Loyalists in

the city celebrate

– American army spends winter at Valley Forge.

Philadelphia Campaign1777

Valley Forge• 1777-1778: Valley Forge, Pennsylvania–22 miles from Philadelphia–Able to keep an eye on the British in

Philadelphia–11,000 soldiers• Lacked: food, proper clothing (shoes, sock, and

pants), proper housing• Conditions – Beginning – harsh, sickly, undisciplined– End – better clothing, medicines, huts, well-trained

Valley Forge• Why did Washington ultimately choose Valley Forge as the

winter encampment for the Continental Army?• What kind of Army did Washington have when he entered

Valley Forge in 1777? How do you think the problems plaguing the army would have affected the Americans’ chances for success against the British as the war continued?

• What role did Baron von Steuben play in the eventual victory over Great Britain?

• Many historians have stated that the name “Valley Forge is synonymous with the American Revolution”. What do you think this means?

Hot tubs that’a way general!

Fighting at Sea• American Privateers

attacked British merchant ships and took supplies–Armed civilian ships

that had permission to attack enemy ships and seize goods–Britain had to protect

its merchant ships now with convoys, which becomes a distraction

Arrrr…Pirates are better than Ninjas

Continental Navy Privateers

Total ships 64 1,697Total guns on

ships1,242 14,872

Enemy ships captured

196 2,283

Ships captured by enemy

unknown 1,323

Fighting at Sea

• Colonies: very few naval ships or successful naval battles– Lack of ships and there was British blockade

• Battle of Flamborough Head– John Paul Jones, Scottish captain

• 1779: Bonhomme Richard (“Poor Richard”) given by the French• Sets out toward Britain hoping to engage a fleet as a diversion

(Spanish & French heading toward England)• Encounters merchant convoy headed by the frigate Serapis and a

smaller warship• JPJ lashes the Bonhomme to the Serapis

– Seprapis set on fire in 12 different areas, hull of the Bonhomme Richard was filling with water and pierced

• “I have not yet begun to fight.”• British surrender!

– Woooooooot!

British’s New Strategy• After the loss at Saratoga, the British’s strategy is to move south.

Strong number of loyalists in the South Carolina and Georgia.

Use the loyalists in the war Capture major cities in the southern part of America and

continue to move north

• In Dec. 1778, British is once again successful with the capture of Savannah, Georgia.

Remains in Britain’s control the remainder of the war.

•On March 29, 1780, the Siege of Charleston, South Carolina begins.

Americans badly defeated- 4,658 Americans captured

The Swamp Fox

• Francis Marion earned the nickname “ Swamp Fox”.

•Fought the British and Loyalists by performing guerilla warfare .

•Promoted to brigadier general under Greene.

American Leaders

• Daniel Morgan Nathanael Greene

I loved G. W. so much I

named my son George

Washington Greene and my

daughter Martha

Washington Greene…too

much? Kinda stalkerish?

Benedict Arnold • Most infamous traitor in American history• Unhappy with military recognition and

promotions• Plots to turn over West Point and General

Washington to the British• Spy intercepted the message – Arnold escapes and fights for the British

Does the character Mel Gibson plays seem familiar to you?

The Southern Campaign in 1781

Major General Nathanael Greene

• Began his career in the Continental Army as a militia private…the LOWEST rank possible at the time

• Rises to become one of G. Wash’s closest confidants and his go to guy– G. Wash appoints him commander of the Southern

Campaign (takes position from Horatio Gates)– Major victory over the British at the Battle of Kings

Mountain (SC)– Splits his troops between the east (him) and west (Daniel

Morgan)

Battle of Cowpens• Began on January 17, 1781

– American Revolutionary forces under Brigadier General Daniel Morgan

– British forces led by Lt. Col. Banastre Tarleton

• Morgan’s strategy: shoot & retreat• Line One: sharpshooters were to wait until British came within lethal

firing range…fire two volleys at officers and sergeants and fall back• Line Two: militia was to fire three rounds and then fall back while

reloading• Line Three combines fire power of the Continental Army with lines

one and two while cavalry flanks the British

• Tarleton pushed his men hard and all night long to get to CowpensM

ORGAN’S

STR

ATEG

Y

WORKED

Battle of Yorktown

• After several failures in the South, Cornwallis and British troops head north

•Washington is convinced to move south and fight Cornwallis and his smaller army

- Lieutenant General de Rochambeau commanded the French

•At the same time, French fleet arrives in the area.

- Blocks Cornwallis from receiving any aid or escape by sea

American 9,500

French 18,000

British 8,000

Battle of YorktownBattle of Yorktown

• British are surrounded by the Continental army and the French

• Approximately 8,700 British troops surrendered

• General Benjamin Lincoln accepted the surrender sword

• British bands played “The World has Turned Upside Down”

Making Peace With Britain

• Britain was eager to end the war– American got most of what they wanted

• The Treaty of Paris• April 15, 1783 (almost 8 years)– The United States was recognized as an independent

nation– Boundaries were Atlantic on east, Mississippi on the

west, Canada to the north, Florida to the south– Florida was returned to Spain– U.S. promised to pay loyalists for all damages

Impacts

• Cemented ideas like liberty and equality• Eventual incites rebellions in France and Latin

America– French Revolution in 1789– Issued the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the

Citizen ( modeled after …)

• Left the United States a weak & disrespected new nation

• Deeply in debt• A poorly working form of government