AMERICAN REVOLUTION The War Begins
What Happened Previously The First Continental Congress met after the Intolerable Acts in 1774. At this meeting delegates: Decided to ban all trade with Great Britain until the Intolerable Acts were repealed Declared the colonies had the right to tax and govern themselves Called for the training of militias to stand up to British troops if necessary Decided to meet in May 1775 if demands were not met
April 1775 The British government had no intention of meeting the demands of the First Continental Congress. Instead, they chose to use force to restore their authority. Meanwhile, colonists began to arm & form new militias (minutemen).
April 1775 The governor of Massachusetts learned the minutemen were storing arms in Concord 20 miles from Boston. British troops were sent to seize the arms and capture some important colonial leaders.
Paul Revere s Midnight Ride Sons of Liberty found out about the British plan and sent 3 messengers to warn the people in Lexington and Concord. The 3 messengers were Paul Revere, William Dawes, and Samuel Prescott. Dawes and Revere made it to Lexington and warned Sam Adams and John Hancock. They were then persuaded to carry their message on to Concord.
On the way to Concord Dawes was thrown from his horse, and had to walk the rest of the way to Lexington. Revere was captured by a British patrol. Prescott was the only one to make it to Concord.
Draw a Picture of the Midnight Ride
Lexington Having received the warning from Revere & Dawes, 77 minutemen were waiting when the British passed through Lexington. The British commander ordered the minutemen to go home
A British major yelled Throw down your arms! Ye villains, ye rebels. The militiamen had just been ordered by their commander to put down their weapons when a shot rang out. To this day, we don t know which side fired first in Lexington to start the war. It is famously known as the shot heard around the world.
Who do you think fired the first shot? A.British Soldier B.Colonist C.Other (Bystander, hunter, etc.
The fight at Lexington lasted only minutes, but when it ended, eight (8) minutemen were killed and (10) were wounded.
The British then continued their march to Concord where they planned to seize ammunition being stored there by the colonists.
A larger battle took place in Concord. This time 400 minutemen fought the British, killing 3 of them. After searching for hours, very few weapons were found (colonists had moved them)
The March Back to Boston As British troops began their march back to Boston Almost 4000 militiamen descended upon the British troops, following them back to Boston, and firing at them from behind trees, stone walls, houses, and sheds. Before long, British troops were abandoning their weapons, clothing, and equipment to retreat faster.
Draw a picture of the British Troops Retreating
When the battle was over, 73 British soldiers were killed, 174 wounded and 26 were missing. For the colonists, 49 were killed, 40 wounded, and 5 were missing.
Lexington and Concord (April 18-19, 1775) sparked the beginning of the American Revolutionary War.
After Lexington & Concord Even after the battles of Lexington & Concord, most colonists still did not favor independence. At the same time, many of them were ready to use force if necessary to defend their rights against the British.
As the crisis with Britain deepened, the Second Continental Congress met again in Philadelphia in May 1775. This second group of colonial leaders served as the colonies acting government and met periodically until 1789.
The Congress at first was divided about what to do, however, they all agreed they needed an army in order to be prepared for possible war with Britain. The colonies voted to create a Continental Army. They also had to create new money to pay for the American Army
They asked George Washington to create and lead the new American Army.
Why do you think George Washington was chosen to lead the Continental Army?
Second Continental Congress Although the decision was made to create the Continental Army, many delegates still hoped to restore peace with Britain after Lexington & Concord. Two resolutions passed in July 1775 showed the uncertainty of Congress. Olive Branch Petition stated the colonists were loyal to the King & wanted to solve disputes peacefully. The Declaration of the Causes and Necessities of Taking Up Arms stated the colonists were willing to die freemen rather than to live as slaves.
Second Continental Congress The effort to make peace failed. King George did not answer the Olive Branch petition. Instead he declared the colonies in open rebellion and Parliament voted to send 20,000 soldiers to the colonies to end the revolt. It seemed as though war was imminent.
In the beginning of the war, the British Army was much stronger than the American Army. As a result, the British were beating the Americans in many major battles.
It seemed like the war would be a huge mismatch. Continental Army Lack of supplies, money, and weapons Lack of trained soldiers Lack of experience Only 4 boats no real Navy Army not well organized VS British Army Plenty of money, weapons and supplies Highly trained soldiers Lots of experience More than 250 naval ships World s most powerful Navy & strong army
Battle of Bunker Hill First official battle - June 17, 1775, north of Boston Americans controlled Bunker Hill & nearby Breed s Hill. British used cannons and charged the hill The British attacked twice and failed. On the third attack, they succeeded only because the colonists ran out of ammunition and had to retreat.
Battle of Bunker Hill More than 1000 British soldiers were killed or wounded; about 400 colonists were killed or wounded. Because Americans retreated, the British won this battle. However, Americans proved they could fight and stand up to professional British soldiers.
The Battle of Moore s Creek Bridge (February 27 th 1776)
The Battle of Moore s Creek Bridge (February 27 th 1776) This was the first battle to take place in North Carolina. The Loyalists and the British planned a meeting in Wilmington to take control of the southern colonies. The Patriots planned to prevent the meeting. They removed planks from the bridge over Moore's Creek and greased them with soap and animal fat, causing the horses to slip. During the ensuing chaos, 50 Loyalists were killed or wounded. Only 1 Patriot was killed.
Draw a picture of the Battle at Moore s Creek Bridge
The Mecklenburg Resolves On May 20, 1775, the people of Mecklenburg County declared themselves free of British authority. The Halifax Resolves On April 12, 1776, the NC state legislature authorized delegates to discuss and pursue independence during the Second Continental Congress
During a meeting of the Second Continental Congress, delegates asked Thomas Jefferson, just 33 years old at the time, to write the Declaration of Independence.
Once Jefferson finished writing his draft, he took it back to the entire group(second Continental Congress) for approval.
The colonial representatives debated whether to include slaves in this new Declaration of freedom.
The southern colonies wanted to keep slavery legal. Others wanted to see it eliminated. This resulted in uncomfortable compromises.
Some other interesting and fun facts about the Declaration of Independence
We celebrate Independence Day on July 4 th every year because that s when the Declaration of Independence was signed. A.True B.False
False! The official Declaration of Independence was NOT signed on July 4 th, but it was adopted by the Second Continental Congress on July 4th. Most delegates actually signed the document on August 2 nd!
More than one copy of the Declaration of Independence still exists today. A.True B.False
True! After the Declaration was adopted, 200 copies were printed by Philadelphia printer, John Dunlap. These copies were known as Dunlap broadsides, and they were distributed among the colonies and colonial troops. Of the 200 copies believed to be made, only 26 are known to have survived. They are in museums and libraries. Three are privately owned.
There is something written on the back of the original Declaration of Independence. A.True B.False
True! On the back of the original Declaration of Independence, there is a message written upside down across the bottom The message reads Original Declaration of Independence dated 4 th July, 1776. No one knows who wrote this or when, but because it was frequently rolled up for transport, it is believed to be a label.
Battle of Saratoga (Sept - Oct 1777) The turning point of the American Revolution.
During the Battle of Saratoga, Patriot General Benedict Arnold employed the fighting style of guerilla warfare tactics, which lead America to victory.
At the Battle of Saratoga, the Americans captured 6,000 British troops.
America sent Benjamin Franklin to France to convince King Louis XVI to provide help.
The French Alliance Even before the victory at Saratoga, the French had secretly supplied money & arms to the Americans. The French did not want to openly support the Americans until it seemed they might win. So, as a result of the victory at Saratoga, France decided to help America. They formed the French Alliance. Allies of France, Netherlands & Spain, also went to war with Britain. This helped the Americans cause as the British had to wage war on many fronts.
Why do you think France & Spain were willing to help the colonists in their fight for Independence?
The Americans and British started fighting throughout the Southern Colonies. The Americans were now stronger, and started to win more major battles.
The Battle of Guilford Courthouse (March 17 th, 1781) The Continental Army and the British army fought at Guilford Courthouse (where Greensboro is today). They fought viciously for one and one half hours.
Although British General Cornwallis defeated the colonial army at this battle, the British army suffered huge losses. Eventually, the British marched north to Virginia. The Battle of Guilford Courthouse (March 17 th, 1781) Early in the battle, many of the North Carolina militiamen panicked and ran away. Patriot General Nathanael Greene, however, had a second line of more experienced troops from Virginia who stood their ground. At one point, the fighting became the fiercest of the entire War for Independence.
The Battle of Yorktown (Oct. 19, 1781)
After losing several battles in the Southern Colonies, British General Cornwallis followed orders and led his troops to settle in a town in Virginia called Yorktown a fateful mistake.
The Battle at Yorktown Cornwallis thought the British fleet could reinforce his position. But, the French fleet arrived off Yorktown and chased off British ships. Washington rushed towards Virginia with American & French troops. Cornwallis found himself in a trap.
The Battle at Yorktown Patriot General George Washington and Patriot General Marquis de Lafayette had the British surrounded, and the French and Americans began the attack on Yorktown. American & French soldiers blocked escape by land and the French fleet blocked escape by sea.
After three weeks, Cornwallis had no option but to surrender. The victory at Yorktown was the last major battle of the war.
Now what? The Patriots got their Independence from Britain. What are some of the things they need to do now?
Synopsis The American Revolution How We Won Our Freedom History Channel