War Breaks Out

1. War Breaks Out • The first shots of the Revolutionary War were fired in 1775 at Lexington and Concord. • George Washington was named commander-in-chief of the Continental Army. • Washington was a great leader because he reorganized the army, secured additional equipment and supplies, and trained inexperienced soldiers.

3. Battle of Bunker Hill Important battle early in the war. Extremely deadly battle due to geography. -British suffered over 800 casualties and 226 deaths. -American militias only had 300 casualties and 115 deaths. Who do you think won the battle? However, it showed that the American soldiers could fight in a “pitched” battle against British Regulars.

4. The Life of a Common Soldier • Life was hard for the common soldier. • Enlistments lasted from 1 to 3 years, and different states differed in how well and how often they paid their soldiers. • Morale was low for the soldiers because they had few supplies and marched often. • Leaders used harsh discipline on the soldiers.

5. The Fighting • Americans struggled at first. • Trenton – Washington helps preserve the American cause • A surprise attack on Christmas of 1775 • On Christmas night of 1776, Washington led his troops to a victory that was a turning point in the war. • As a snowstorm raged, Washington and his troops crossed the Delaware River to attack a fort held by Hessian mercenaries. • This victory proved that the American soldiers could fight as well as experienced European armies.

9. Valley Forge • Washington and his troops spent the winter of 1777-1778 in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. • The soldiers struggled during this time as problems with food, wages, supplies, and clothing were at their worst. • 12,000 men were infected with disease, leaving 4,000 men too ill to fight. • However, Washington implemented a harsh training program to turn the men into self-assured infantry. • Frederich Von-Steuben also played a large role in training the inexperienced soldiers.

11. French Alliance • The Turning Point of the American Revolution • Benjamin Franklin, working as the American ambassador to France, convinced the French to form a military alliance with the Americans. • France agreed to fight until America gained independence • Also, the Battle of Saratoga convinced the French to help America. • American victory at this battle proved to the French that the Colonial Army could win the war. • As a result, Britain had to pull troops out of the colonies to fight France in Europe.

12. Battle of Saratoga • British General John Burgoyne was trying to divide the New England colonies from the southern colonies • He was pressing towards Saratoga, NY, and American General Horatio Gates was able to hold his army and force a retreat • His army surrounded, Burgoyne was forced to surrender to the Americans • French saw the Americans could win, began fighting the British in Europe

13. Foreign Assistance • Marquis de Lafayette • He commanded American troops and fought battles in many states. • He returned to France for a time to work with Benjamin Franklin and the French king to strategize the best way to win the war.

14. American Victory • The British plan to counter the French-American alliance was for General Charles Cornwallis to cut off the Northern colonies from the South. • Cornwallis brought the war to the southern colonies and had some initial success. • Took Savannah easily early in the war • Biggest victory for Cornwallis came at Charleston shortly after Savannah

16. American Victory • Yorktown, Virginia • Cornwallis pursued southern forces onto the Yorktown peninsula in Virginia. • At Yorktown, British troops were attacked by Lafayette, the combined French and American armies, and a French fleet. • When Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown, the American Revolution came to an end in North America.

18. 1783 Treaty of Paris • This treaty ended the American Revolutionary War. • American diplomats sent to Paris were John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and John Jay • The United States gained independence from Britain and gained control of land stretching to the Mississippi River. • Britain also ceded Florida to Spain and certain African and Caribbean colonies to France. • Negatives: Treaty had no mention of British leaving their forts in America, British did not try to protect the land of their Native American Allies

19. American Independence • After the war ended, the Americans had independence in the colonies. • What are some problems that the American leaders had to face immediately after they won independence? • What kind of relationship do you think the Americans wanted to have with Great Britain after the war? • How do you think Native Americans felt about the Americans winning their independence?