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Essential Question. What problems were faced by both sides as they prepared for the second phase of the Revolutionary War ?. Preparing for the 2 nd Phase. Chapter 7 Section 1 (Pt I). Americans Choose Sides. The American pop. was split over the decision to separate from Britain
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Essential Question • What problems were faced by both sides as they prepared for the second phase of the Revolutionary War?
Preparing for the 2nd Phase Chapter 7 Section 1 (Pt I)
Americans Choose Sides • The American pop. was split over the decision to separate from Britain • Patriots = 40 – 45% (mostly in NE and Virginia) • Loyalists = 25- 30% (large cities & in the South) • Neutral = approx. 30% (those who did not choose a side) • The conflict dividing Americans along social, religious, & ethnic lines I LOVE Britain!
Summary/Quiz Question • Which of the following is true about American support for the Rev. War? • Most Americans strongly supported the war • About half the Americans were loyalists • Very few Americans were neutral • The majority of Americans did not support the war
Problems of the Army • GW’s goal was to simply keep the Revolution alive • This required him to: • Keep an active army in the field • Win a few battles • Avoid a crushing defeat • GW knew the only way to win a major battle was raise a large, well-trained army
Further Problems • At the war’s start, Congress only required soldiers to enlist in the CA for one year • Many soldiers simply went home when their term expired • As a result, GW was never able to raise a regular army larger than 17,000 men
Even More Problems • In the early days of the war, GW was constantly trying to convince his men to stay in the army • Many simply deserted at the first sign of hardship • To make matters worse, Congress regularly failed to supply the army with: • Blankets • Food • Uniforms • Guns & Ammo
Summary/Quiz Question • Which was NOT a difficulty faced by General Washington? • Turning his volunteer army into well trained soldiers • Preventing his troops from deserting • Hiring enough Hessians to fill out his army • Keeping his troops supplied with food & clothing
Britain Prepares • In 1776, the British Army, the most powerful in the world, recognized that the colonists were disorganized and inexperienced • Therefore, they believed that the rebels would be easily defeated
Problems of Their Own • The British Army did face problems of its own in 1776 • 1. Many of the best British officers refused to fight • In turn, King George had trouble recruiting new soldiers • 2. This lack of soldiers caused Britain to hire mercenaries • These professional soldiers for hire, came from German region of Hesse