Chapter 6 War for Independence

Chapter 6 War for Independence

Advantages/Disadvantages British Advantages Strongest navy Well-trained army Wealth Could provide uniforms, weapons, supplies to their troops Larger population British Disadvantages Fighting from far away Time and money to send soldiers and supplies

Advantages/Disadvantages American advantages Fighting on homeland Motivation fighting for their own independence George Washington Guerilla warfare American disadvantages No regular army or navy Lack of experience, weapons, supplies and uniforms Not everyone supported the fight

Loyalists in the Colonies Loyalist or Tory Strongest in Carolinas and Georgia Weakest in New England Support from African Americans If fighting for British, will receive freedom Many answered the call

Continental Army Continental Congress is operating as the national government Do not have a lot of power No real central government Local militia Most serve for one year Washington asked for years of service to increase Continental Congress increases to three years (optional) Most still serve for only one year Difficulty finding officers

Long Island August 1776 (over 30,000 v. 20,000) Badly defeated Nathan Hale I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country After defeat Washington retreated to New York Loyalist stronghold Washington begged for troops (down to 5,000) Felt the war effort was becoming helpless

African Americans in Battle Ban on having African Americans fight on Patriot side by the Continental Congress Rhode Island ignored this in 1778 By the end of the war, every state except South Carolina had African Americans serve in battle Some African Americans believed in cause Some wanted money Some wanted freedom

Trenton and Princeton British in New York Some troops in Trenton and Princeton Washington across the river from Trenton in Pennsylvania Night of December 25, 1776 crosses river into Trenton Surprised British troops by choosing a holiday to attack Left Trenton and head to Princeton and manage to break up the British troops

British Strategy Control Hudson River to cut off New England s route to the Middle Colonies General Burgoyne lead troops south from Canada Lt. Col. St. Leger move east from Lake Ontario. Gen. Howe move north up the Hudson British forces would attack Patriot troops at Albany Howe captures Philadelphia and decides to stay Benedict Arnold stops St. Leger Green Mountain Boys defeat Burgoyne Retreats to Saratoga October 17, 1777 surrenders Enormous Patriot victory

Foreign Help Late 1777 Ben Franklin in France for a year French secretly gave money but didn t enter the war News of Burgoyne and his soldiers are POWs Victory at Saratoga is turning point French and other nations realize Americans might actually win February 1778 France declares war 1779 Spain declares war Fought in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida Kept British troops out of action against the Americans

Hard Winter Valley Forge Lack of supplies (food, clothing, shelter, medicine) Bad winter snowstorms; damaged roads Some soldiers became sick and died; others deserted the cause Ultimately, survived winter and Spring brought new recruits April 1778 Washington learns of France s alliance Caused spirits to rise (celebration)

Foreign Help on the Battlefield Marquis de Lafayette Trusted aid to Washington Friedrich von Steuben Trained troops at Valley Forge Juan de Miralles Persuaded Spain, Cuba, and Mexico to send money to the U.S. Loaned money to the Patriot cause.

Homefront Continental Congress had to pay for the war Began printing money since they couldn t raise money through taxes Inflation People didn t want to use the money because it was worthless New ideas Women questioning their role in society Questioning slavery Pennsylvania legislature adopts first plan to gradually free slaves Other northern states soon follow Loyalists treatment Shunned Faced violence Arrested and on rare occasions executed Most returned to England or fled to Spanish-owned Florida

Fighting in the West Native Americans Henry Hamilton pays for scalps of Patriots VA Militia leader George Rogers Clark July 1778 175 down Ohio River Captured Kaskaskia and Vincennes British recaptured Vincennes in December February 1779 surprise attack; Patriot victory Strengthened American position in West

War at Sea Naval blockade Kept ships from entering or leaving American harbors Limited Patriot supplies American navy weak Privateers utilized Goal to capture enemy merchant ships and cargo Profitable so many were willing Captured more British ships than the American navy John Paul Jones September 1779 near coast of Great Britain Jones s ship Bonhomme Richard; British ship Serapis Fought for hours; Jones wouldn t surrender I have not yet begun to fight Serapis finally surrendered; Jones becomes a Patriot hero

Fighting in the South Americans successful in south in beginning Defeated Loyalists in Battle of Moore s Creek Saved key port of Charles Town, South Carolina Will have a big impact later These victories battles like Saratoga showed this would not be quick or easy British had plan that focused on South

Early British Success Late 1778 British occupied coastal city and controlled most of Georgia Clinton attacks Charles Town second time and took thousands of prisoners Worst American defeat of the war Cornwallis in command in the South Cornwallis and Gates face off in Camden, South Carolina British one first encounter Cornwallis found it was difficult to control areas conquered

Hit-and-Run Tactics Small Patriot forces attacked Fired weapons and disappeared Caught British off guard Francis Marion successful Patriot leader known as the Swamp Fox operated out of swamps in South Carolina quick and smart; British felt he couldn t be caught

American Successes September 1780 moving north through Carolinas Mountain people Kings Mountain force killed or captured a British-led Loyalist force of about 1,000 Victory brought new support for independence from Southerners. October 1780 - Nathanael Greene replaced Gates as commander in the South Split army in two January 1781 - one defeated British at Cowpens, South Carolina Greene s combined forces met Cornwallis's army at Guilford Courthouse (Greensboro, North Carolina) Greene's army forced to retreat British sustained great losses Cornwallis gave up the campaign to conquer the Carolinas

Cornwallis Retreats Cornwallis realizes British need to move quickly French are arriving Troops and supplies moving South April 1781 Cornwallis marched north to Virginia General Washington sent Lafayette and General Anthony Wayne south Cornwallis took shelter at Yorktown, on the Virginia coast

Washington Leaves for Virginia Lafayette pinned Cornwallis pinned in Yorktown Peninsula - piece of land surrounded by water on three sides French fleet headed into Chesapeake Bay Washington and Rochambeau secretly set out to Virginia Clinton finds out too late to help Cornwallis

Trap at Yorktown End of September 14,000 American and French troops 8,000 British troops French fleet kept British out of Chesapeake Bay Cut off supplies and help to Cornwallis

Victory over Cornwallis October 19 Cornwallis surrenders 8,000 British troops taken as POWs More than 200 guns

Independence Achieved British held Savannah, Charles Town, and New York Clashes on land and sea Delegates meet in Paris Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and John Jay Final Treaty of Paris signed on September 3, 1783 Great Britain recognized the United States as an independent nation Promised to withdraw all their troops from American territory Gave Americans fishing rights to the waters off the coast of nearby Canada U.S. promised Americans would pay British merchants what they owed Congress would advise the new states to return property taken from Loyalists

A Conspiracy Against Congress Washington camped troops in Newburgh, New York Many felt owed money from Congress Soldiers angry March 1783 - demands not met army should use force against Congress Washington asked angry soldiers to be patient Urged Congress to meet demands Congress agreed

Washington Returns Home Late November 1783 British troops left New York City December 4, Washington said farewell to his troops Three weeks later formally resigned Washington returned home to Mount Vernon, Virginia

Why the Americans Won Fought on their own land Knew the land Expert at wilderness fighting Help from other countries; it was a people's movement America s Declaration of Independence will be used by others French rebels in 1789 1791 revolution in the French colony of Saint Domingue.