Upload
others
View
4
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
The American Revolution
The Opposing Sides
• The British Army – Commanded by general William Howe
– Well trained
– Well equipped
– Professional Army
• Gentleman’s Sport
– Unique Sources of Soldiers
• Paid mercenaries- Hessians
• Encouraged enslaved Africans to fight for loyalist cause
– Would promise freedom if fought for British
The Opposing Sides
• The American Army (Continental) – Commanded by general George
Washington (starting in 1775)
– Inexperienced
– Poorly equipped
– Had trouble keeping soldiers
– Resorted to guerrilla warfare • Hid among trees, and behind walls
• Ambushed British troops
Phase II: 1776-1778
• British in best position to win – According to conventional warfare,
the side with the most people/equipment should win
• Americans were constantly on defensive! – Fighting to protect own land
– Not trying to take over other land
Fought in the Mid-Atlantic region
Phase II: 1776-1778
• British Sent forces to NY in HUGE numbers
• General Howe planned to “awe” colonists into submission – Brought all
British troops and warships into New York Harbor flying the Union Jack
British Man Of War- Look at size difference between ship and row-boats!
Phase II: 1776-1778
• Washington and his men flee Long Island – British move slowly,
allowing surviving American troops to escape to Manhattan Island
– NYC becomes British headquarters for remainder of the war
Run!
Where? Get
Thee Yonder!
Phase II: 1776-1778
“Washington Crossing the Delaware”- Emmanuel Leutze 1851
• December 25th, 1776
• Washington’s men cross the Delaware River
• Invaded Hessian camp in Trenton, New Jersey
• Hessian mercenaries had celebrated with a Christmas feast and fallen asleep
• Victory inspired losing American troops to serve longer
Phase II: 1776-1778 During the Winter of 1777-1778, Washington’s forces settled in at
Valley Forge, P.A.
• Winter was moderately cold. • Alternated between freezing and non-freezing temps
• Made it impossible to keep dry, allowed disease to spread
• Lack of supplies caused problems • Not enough food
• Clothing was old and not warm enough
• As many as 2,000 died due to lack of nutrition, exposure and disease
Phase II: 1776-1778
• Baron von Steuben – Prussian military officer (leaves service
under dubious circumstances)
– Taught the Continental Army the essentials of military drill
– Wrote the “Revolutionary War Drill Manual” which was then sent out to other soldiers (used through the War of 1812)
Military Training at Valley Forge
Phase II: 1776-1778
• In 1777, King George III approved plan to isolate New England from the other American states – Plan developed by British general
John Burgoyne
• Comes to a head at the battles of Saratoga in September and October of 1777
Phase II: 1776-1778
• Turning Point of War – American general
Horatio Gates surrounds British General Burgoyne
– Burgoyne forced to surrender 5,000 troops
– Improved morale – Proved to foreign
countries that colonists had a chance of winning the war
The Battles of Saratoga September 19th and October 7th, 1777
Phase II: 1776-1778
• England realized there was a real chance of losing the colonies
– Offer the colonies home rule
– Too little to late
– Obviously, the colonists refuse
Oh Snap..
Phase II: 1776-1778
Meanwhile… in France
• French were worried that the Americans
would accept the deal with British, and
reconcile
• Following the American Victory at the
Battle of Saratoga, France officially enters
the war on the American side
Phase II: 1776-1778 • Provide money and supplies to the
Americans Help from France • Wanted to see the British Empire
weakened
• “The enemy of my enemy is my friend”
• Recognize America following victory at Saratoga • Strategic timing
• Entice America to continue fighting
• Additional foreign aid from Netherlands and Spain
King Louis XVI of France
Phase II: 1776-1778
Why didn’t the British win during this time?
Some blame British
General Howe
• Never takes the “kill shot” • Could have attacked at
Valley Forge but didn’t
• Some believe Howe was an American sympathizer (family ties)
• Poor judgment (heavy drinking, mistress in Philadelphia)
• Not a powerful commander
Phase III: 1778-1781
• Phase III of the Revolutionary War was fought in the South
– War in North was
– at a stalemate
Phase III: 1778-1781
• British worked to undermine the revolution from within
– Rumored to be large groups of loyalists in the south
– British intended to encourage Americans to fight against Americans
Phase III: 1778-1781
• British Actions Backfired
Loyalists in the South were in the minority
Many Loyalists refused to help
out of fear
Promise to Release slaves backfired
(turned Southern Loyalists against!)
British had no way of telling
who was a Patriot vs. Loyalist
Phase III: 1778-1781
• September 28th -October 19th, 1781
British commander General George Cornwallis
Phase III: 1778-1781
• The British had been attempting to take North Carolina for some time
– Cornwallis’ troops had been very unsuccessful
– Cornwallis told to retreat to the Virginia coast and wait for British naval forces to come and pick them up
Phase III: 1778-1781
• Washington, Rochambeau, and Lafayette began marching towards Yorktown – Had convinced British
they were actually heading to NYC
– Meanwhile the French Fleet (under De Grasse) sail to the Virginia coast and blocked British help from arriving
Phase III: 1778-1781
• British Under Cornwallis
• 6,000 troops
Americans
8,800 troops
French
7,800 troops
-British are surrounded
- Cornwallis/British Army surrenders on October 19th, 1781
Phase III: 1778-1781
• Yorktown is the last major battle of war -Cornwallis’ defeat
created public outcry against continuing war in
England
- British Prime Minister, Lord North, forced to
resign
-Work began to create a treaty to end the war
“Surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown”- 1797
Phase III: 1778-1781
• Signed September 3rd, 1783
• Britain forced to recognize U.S. Independence
• Set U.S. Borders
American Reps Benjamin Franklin
John Adams John Jay
Phase III: 1778-1781
• U.S. originally asked for Canada, but didn’t happen
• Boundaries set – West to
Mississippi River – North to Canada – South to Florida
(didn’t include FL) – East to the
Atlantic
Effects of the War
• 1/5 to 1/3 or colonial white population were loyalists
On Loyalists
What were their options?
Effects of the War
• Loyalists were harassed by patriots
– 100,000 fled country after war
– Those who could afford it moved to England
– Many fled to Canada
• When they moved – Left everything
behind – Often had land
confiscated and given to patriots
– Some returned to America once the issues had died down
Effects of the War
• Hundreds of slaves in the South had been freed by the British during fighting
• Others were exposed to the idea of freedom – In some areas, African Americans
outnumbered whites
– Whites feared revolutionary sentiment would lead to slave revolts!
On African Americans
Effects of the War
• Learned to be more independent – Men were at war!
• Many in charge of family farm
On Women
• Many impoverished
– Looted and rioted for food
Effects of the War
• Not really such a thing!! – Women felt like
following the revolution there would be a change, but ultimately, there was little change
– Women were now seen as the first educators of their sons (Republican mothers) • Taught their children to
be good American citizens
WOMEN’S RIGHTS?