George Washington's Leadership in the American Revolution

1. SSUSH4 The student will identify the ideological, military, and diplomatic aspects of the American Revolution. c. Analyze George Washington as a military leader; include the creation of a professional military and the life of a common soldier, and describe the significance of the crossing of the Delaware River and Valley Forge.

2. George Washington • The Continental Army was formed mostly out of loosely trained local militias which surrounded Boston. It was inexperienced, poorly equipped, and poorly trained. • In 1775, George Washington was appointed as the general and commander in chief by the Second Continental Congress. How would you describe the conditions for the average soldier in the Continental Army? Under these conditions, would you reenlist?

3. Most armies of the time didn’t fight during the winter because of the poor weather conditions, and scarcity of food. • On December 25th 1776, Washington, needing a victory to convince many of his soldiers to reenlist, crosses the Delaware River into NJ and captures almost 1,000 British troops and their supplies. What might have happened if Washington’s attack had failed? Crossing the Delaware

4. After the British capture Philadelphia in September 1777, Washington takes his troops into winter quarters at Valley Forge. • Poorly equipped and supplied, the cold, food shortages, and diseases, kill nearly 2,500 men. Valley Forge, Pennsylvania

5. The Marquis de Lafayette joined Washington at Valley Forge and helped train the army. He also helped convince the French to send more aid to the Americans. "The unfortunate soldiers were in want of everything; they had neither coats nor hats, nor shirts, nor shoes. Their feet and their legs froze until they were black, and it was often necessary to amputate them." Marquis de Lafayette 1778 Valley Forge, Pennsylvania

6. d. Explain Yorktown, the role of Lord Cornwallis, and the Treaty of Paris, 1783

7. Yorktown, Virginia • In April 1781, British forces led by General Cornwallis invade Virginia • Cornwallis moves his troops to Yorktown in order to gain supplies and keep a line of communication open by sea Though moving his army to Yorktown to get easily supplied by the British navy seemed like a good decision, why might moving your army onto a peninsula be a bad idea?

8. Washington took the opportunity to march from NY to Yorktown with a combined American and French army. • The French navy sailed up from the Caribbean to block supplies from reaching Cornwallis’ army and to cut off his ability to escape by sea. Yorktown

9. YorktownWhat role did the French play in defeating the British? • In September 1781 American and French forces surround Yorktown and begin to attack Cornwallis’ army. • After almost 3 weeks of constant bombardment, the 8,000 man British army surrenders. • The surrender at Yorktown signaled the end of the war for the British.

10. The Treaty of Paris, 1783 • Signed in September 1783, the Treaty: -Recognized the United States as a new nation, setting it’s western border at the Mississippi River -Gave Florida back to Spain, and gave the French several colonies in Africa and the Caribbean