Early Defeats -British capture all major colonial cities New York Philadelphia Boston Charleston ALL port cities easy to take w/ navy and blockade -Washington s army in retreat and many desert -started w/ 23,000 and ended w/ 8,000 w/ many of their contracts to fight coming to an end
The Hessians were 18th-century German mercenaries contracted for service under the The Crown of the British Empire. ~30,000 German soldiers served in the Thirteen Colonies during the American Revolutionary War Patriot Victories -a few victories helped keep morale up -Dec. 1776 at Trenton (NJ) Washington took 2,400 troops across the icy Delaware River on Christmas night marched 9 miles and surprised the British forces that had celebrated the holiday and carelessly expected the weather to keep troops away they were drunk! 30 British soldiers killed, 918 captured Jan. 1777 at Princeton (NJ) 8 days later British army out# 5-1
By: Emanuel Leutze Brrrrr!!! What a way to spend the holidays! On Christmas Night, December 25, 1776, George Washington led Continental army soldiers across the Delaware River to attack Britain s Hessian army at Trenton, New Jersey. http://edsitement.neh.gov/emanu el-leutzessymbolic-scenewashingtoncrossingdelaware
Turning Point -large British force defeated at Saratoga, NY Oct. 1777 -kept British near the coastline defeat would keep the British near the coast- close to big guns and supplies -helped colonists get French help in the war effort British action would allow the colonists to get the help they needed from the French who had secretly been supplying weapons to colonistsince 1776 -turning point of the war: French signed an alliance w/ colonists and recognized America as independent!!!! Here in the autumn of 1777 American forces met, defeated and forced a major British army to surrender.
Valley Forge -camp site of Washington s army during winter of 1777-78. -Congress struggled to supply the troops -British forces occupied nearby cities -many soldiers died of cold and starvation: of 10,000 troops, 2,000 died To see the men without clothes to cover their nakedness, without blankets to lie upon, without shoes...without a house or hut to cover them until those could be built, and submitting without a murmur, is a proof of patience and obedience which, in my opinion, can scarcely be paralleled." George Washington at Valley Forge, April 21, 1778 -Congress struggled to gain supplies for the army -lack of central gov t:there was no central government to provide such things
Civilian Life -inflation: due to Congress printing more and more money which made its value goes down -shortage of goods: led to profiteering=selling scarce goods for profit -also caused corrupt merchants to hoard the much needed items -women took over the work of men: worked for men on farms, in shops and businesses, while they continued to care for their homes and families -some women helped the military effort- made ammunition from silverware in homes Daughters of Liberty=boycotted goods went into battle fields w/ husbands and washed, mended and cooked for the men Deborah Sampson=joined army disguised as a man Margaret Corbin=replaced a gunner who was shot b/f she herself was shot Mary Ludwig Hayes=took over her husband s post at a cannon when he was shot
Foreign Help -foreign military leaders offered professional training for the army -Friedrich von Steuben Prussian officer who trained patriot soldiers THANK YOU FRANCE! -Marquis de Lafayette led volunteer army from France
Southern Campaign -British strategy changed to splitting the colonies -started out well in the south w/quick and decisive victories in Georgia and at Charles Town S.C. for Cornwallis -things change when British try moving into N.C. -Charleston: captured by Cornwallis -Kings Mtn: In N.C. victory to patriots /cut British communication and forced a retreat back into S.C. -Cowpens: In S.C. victory for patriots -patriots were outnumbered but refused to quit & won
War s End -Guilford Courthouse: In N.C. victory for British but costly in number of casualties suffered -Cornwallis retreats to Yorktown, VA -Surrounded by Americans and French -Cornwallis surrenders October, 1781
War s End -Guilford Courthouse: costly British victory-93 killed, 400 wounded, and 26 missing Troops in N.C.: Goal to take VA & meet up w/reinforcements - -retreat to Yorktown: Cornwallis makes fatal mistake when camps his troops on peninsula b/w the James and York rivers after 3 weeks on constant attack Cornwallis surrenders raising the white flag -surrounded by French and Americans -Cornwallis surrenders Oct, 1781
Treaty of Paris -Treaty of Paris 1783: America sent John Adams, Ben Franklin, and John Jay 1. recognized U.S. independence 2. set boundaries to the Mississippi and from Canada to Florida -some provisions of the treaty will lead to trouble later: GB didn t address protecting land interests of the Indians that had allied w/ them during war didn t specify when GB had to be out of forts to the west America agreed that British creditors could collect debts but state courts won t back promise
Symbol to the World -liberty -freedom -equality: EGALITARIANISM -opportunity -belief in a greater cause -set a precedent for the American future