The American Revolution

1. PART TWO The American Revolution

2. There will be a video quiz following this presentation. • I will underline necessary information – take notes. • All information in green during the film clips is important information – write it down.

3. The War Continues • George Washington had finally won a battle at Trenton against the Hessians, but the war was far from over . . . . . . • England had a plan

4. Britain’s Strategy • The British had a plan to seize the Hudson River Valley. • They planned for three British armies to meet at Albany, New York

5. British General John Burgoyne heads toward Albany

6. Britain’s Strategy Falls Apart • General Howe decided to try and take the capital at Philadelphia before joining Burgoyne. • This would prove to be a huge mistake

7. The American Army Ambushes Burgoyne’s men on their way to Albany

8. Help From Abroad • America was desperate. She needed help from other countries to win the war. • Benjamin Franklin traveled to France as an ambassador to ask the King of France for help.

9. France Was Reluctant • The French King – Louis – was afraid that backing the Americans in a fight was not a good idea. • They didn’t think we had a chance of beating England.

10. The American Victory at Saratoga convinced the French to help America.

11. After Saratoga, many Europeans came to America to help General Washington

12. The Marquis de Lafayette • The Marquis de Lafayette was known to the Americans as “the soldiers’ friend.” He spent his own money to buy the soldiers much needed supplies. • Washington loved him like a son.

13. Our Troubles weren’t over • Help from the French came slowly at first. • Washington’s men spent a miserable winter of 1777 at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania .

14. Winter at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania 1777 • “The unfortunate soldiers were in want of everything; they had neither coats, nor hats, nor shoes; their feet and their legs froze till they grew black and it was often necessary to amputate them. . . . . . The army frequently passed whole days without food.” Marquis de Lafayette

15. Meanwhile . . . . . • The war raged on in other areas of the country. • From the wilderness of the western frontier to the high seas, men fought and died for freedom.

16. War on the Frontier • George Rogers Clarke of the Kentucky territory of Virginia led a campaign to fight the British in the West.

17. WAR AT SEA • American privateers (privately owned ships) tried to fight the powerful British navy at sea. • Though they couldn’t defeat the navy, they did win several battles, and disrupt British trade with other countries.

18. John Paul Jones • The most distinguished naval hero of the American Revolution was John Paul Jones • Jones commanded the Bonhomme Richard. His ship defeated the British ship the Serapis in 1779. • At one point in the battle, the British demanded that Jones surrender. He yelled, “I have not yet begun to fight.”

19. War in the South • The British thought they could depend on the loyalists in the South to help them win territory there. • Lord Cornwallis, a British General, led the attacks in the southern part of the United States. • Heroes like Francis Marion “The Swamp Fox” fought the British using Guerrilla Warfare - guerrillas are small bands of fighters who weaken the enemy with surprise raids and hit- and – run attacks.

21. The fighting in the South was vicious. Loyalists and patriots gathered in packs to raid each others’ homes. Civilians were killed and butchered by both sides.

22. War in the South

23. The Battle of Yorktown • The Battle of Yorktown was the final battle of the Revolutionary War. The French Navy cut off British reinforcements and the American forces laid siege to Yorktown where the British army was encamped.

24. The Battle of Yorktown

25. Why the Americans Won • Better leadership: Washington learned from his mistakes. British generals were overconfident. • Foreign aid: Britain’s enemies – especially France helped Americans with much needed loans, materials, and men. • Knowledge of the land: The Americans knew the land in which they fought. The British soldiers weren’t familiar with the wilderness • Motivation: American soldiers had more reason to fight. They were defending their home. • Size and Distance: The size of America made it difficult for England to control. Also, the distance from England made sending troops and supplies a problem for the English.

26. The Treaty of Paris 1783 • 1. The United States would be independent. • 2. Its boundaries would be the Mississippi River on the west, Canada on the north, and Spanish Florida in the south. • 3. They United States would receive the right to fish off Canada’s Atlantic Coast. • 4. Each side would repay debts it owed the other. • 5. The British would return any enslaved persons they had captured. • 6. Congress would recommend that the states return any property they had seized from loyalists.

27. Costs of the War • At the end of the war, the newly formed United States owed 27 million dollars to other nations. • Thousands of loyalists left the United States during and after the war. Between 60,000 and 100,000 moved back to England or to Canada. • An estimated 27,500 Americans died. About 8,200 were wounded.

28. Military Deaths in the American Revolution

29. The United States in 1783

30. Video Quiz • 1. What was Britain’s strategy to take the Hudson River Valley? • 2. What fort did Burgoyne capture on his way to Albany? • 3. What city did General Howe stop to attack on his way to Albany?

31. 4. Where did the American Army ambush General Burgoyne? • 5. How long did the Battles of Saratoga last? • 6. Before Saratoga, why was King Louis of France reluctant to help the Americans? • 7. Name three foreigners that came to help Washington.

32. 8. Where did Washington and his men spend a miserable winter in 1777? • 9. Who led American soldiers in a campaign in the west? • 10. Who was the naval hero that said, “I have not yet begun to fight.”? • 11. What did the French do that was essential to an American victory at Yorktown? • 12. What was the last battle of the Revolutionary War?

33. 13. List five reasons the Americans won the American Revolution. • 14. What treaty officially ended the Revolutionary War? • 15. How much money did the newly formed United States owe because of the war? • 16. How many loyalists left America during and after the war?

34. What army had the most deaths in the revolution? • Approximately how many Americans died?

35. 19. How many Americans died in battle during the Revolutionary War? • 20. How many Americans died of other causes than battle?

36. Credits • Video clips for this presentation were taken from Ken Burns’ PBS documentary Liberty and Tristar Pictures movie The Patriot. • Quotes and information was taken from McDougall Littel’s Creating America: Beginnings Through Reconstruction.